In Delhi, entire neighborhoods are being declared “contaminated zones. In the Tarun area, dozens of cases were discovered in just one inspection on Friday. The number of cases and deaths in India has risen sharply.
The epidemic is not stopping participants in anti-racist protests around the world.
France is emerging from the lockdown faster than other countries. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of Saturday, there have been 6.7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infection worldwide, with nearly 400,000 deaths. However, the daily number of new confirmed cases is declining in most countries.
Authorities and health professionals in countries where anti-racist protests are taking place, sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd in the United States, are concerned that mass demonstrations will trigger a second wave of the epidemic. About this and other news about the situation with Covid-19 in the world – in the daily selection of the Russian service of the BBC.
India has surpassed Italy in the number of people infected with Covid-19 and now ranks sixth in the world with 237,500 cases. Nearly 10,000 new cases have been identified in the country in the past 24 hours. According to Johns Hopkins University, a total of 6,650 people have died in the country since the beginning of the epidemic. Hospitals in Mumbai and Delhi are overcrowded and doctors say the health system is unable to cope. Meanwhile, shopping malls, temples, offices and restaurants across the country will reopen on Monday. Until now, India’s infection and mortality statistics have been relatively low, which has surprised experts given the country’s high population density, unsanitary conditions and low hospital budgets. Currently, experts are divided: some believe that India is experiencing a delayed peak in infection rates, while others believe that we are witnessing the beginning of a second wave of the epidemic, which, for various reasons, has been stronger in this country than the first.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the end of the coronavirus epidemic in his country is not yet in sight, and warned citizens that the current lifestyle with many restrictions may continue for a long time. In mid-April, the country began to gradually ease quarantine measures, after which the number of cases began to rise sharply.
Iran is the country in the Middle East most affected by Covid-19. On Thursday of this week, Iran recorded the highest number of new cases since February – 3574 infected. According to Rouhani, a recent lavish wedding in the capital played a significant role. Many people attended the wedding. The president is calling on Iranians to temporarily refrain from large celebrations, although they are not officially banned. Iran has been the hardest hit country in the Middle East by the epidemic, with more than 167,000 infected and 8,100 deaths. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what’s next. The number of episodes should remain the same.
Portugal plans to open its beaches starting June 6. The country’s prime minister has urged citizens to install a special application with information about their occupancy, so they know exactly where to find a place for themselves. Groups of vacationers must maintain a distance of 1.5 meters, and sunbeds can only be used by prior reservation. Beach sports are still forbidden.
On Saturday, France opened the Palace of Versailles to the public. The country is confidently coming out of lockdown mode and plans to open all other cultural institutions and landmarks in the coming weeks. France’s decision to lift restrictions comes at a rapid pace, given the speed with which other European countries are lifting lockdowns, some of which have not even opened non-essential businesses. In 2019, Versailles was visited by eight million people, the overwhelming majority of whom were foreigners. Last year, the income from ticket sales accounted for 75% of the annual income of the museum complex. The absence of external and internal tourism due to the pandemic has severely affected the financial system of Versailles, which is very expensive to maintain. It is only possible to visit the palace wearing a mask, and strict one-way movement is organized through all 2300 halls.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world took part in protest rallies, despite calls from authorities not to violate the quarantine. This photo was taken at a rally in London on June 6, 2020. In Australia, despite the current quarantine regime, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest under the slogan “Black Lives Matter”. Australians are expressing their support for Americans protesting racism and police brutality after the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. In many Australian states, gatherings of more than 500 people during an epidemic are considered illegal, and on the eve of the event, police in New South Wales petitioned the High Court to ban it. Authorities in the state, where no new cases of coronavirus infection have been reported for a week, fear that the mass event will trigger a new wave of infection spread. Protests in Sydney were arranged at the last minute, but the organizers were fined for breaching public health regulations. Actions were also held in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and other cities. In Britain, where protests are also taking place on Saturday, authorities are urging citizens not to violate the quarantine regime. “I understand people’s desire to express their views and exercise their right to protest. But the situation is such that the entire territory of the United Kingdom is affected by the epidemic, and this virus is deadly,” said Home Secretary Priti Patel. The United Kingdom has suffered more from coronavirus than any other European country. It ranks fourth in the world in terms of the number of people infected (284.7 thousand) and second in terms of the number of deaths (40.3 thousand people).
The WHO has announced the need to wear masks, and infection statistics in India and Iran are rising again, which experts say could indicate a second wave of the epidemic. The latest news about Covid-19 worldwide is collected in our roundup.