Spanish doctors continue to work in emergency mode. Spain, Italy and several other countries are beginning to relax their strict quarantine measures. The UK has run out of protective equipment, and Montenegro has reported its first cases. The US has again blamed China for the pandemic, while the UN warns of “epic” famine. According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of people infected with the coronavirus worldwide has exceeded 2.5 million, with more than 178,000 deaths. The number of patients who have recovered and been discharged from hospitals worldwide is over 700 thousand. The U.S. leads the world in the number of patients in hospitals with 825 thousand people. All the latest news related to the coronavirus pandemic in a compilation by the Russian service of the BBC.
The number of offers should remain: The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, stated that the government is considering the possibility of easing the quarantine measures from mid-May, but the process will be gradual and slow. At the same time, some relaxations are already being implemented: as of Sunday, children under the age of 14 will be allowed to go outside if accompanied by an adult. Previously, children were not allowed to leave their homes. According to Johns Hopkins University, Spain ranks first in Europe in the number of people infected (more than 208,000) and second in the number of deaths after Italy (21,717). Strict quarantine measures were imposed in the country on March 14.
In France, riots continue for the third day in a row in the northern suburbs of Paris. In clashes with police, young people have set fire to garbage cans and thrown rocks. Social services believe that the usual poverty in these areas, combined with the quarantine and increased police presence on the streets, has led to an increase in social tension. Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units in French hospitals continues to decline for the 13th consecutive day. There are currently 5,433 patients in ICUs. But the death toll continues to climb into the hundreds. On Tuesday, 531 people died in France. The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the epidemic is 20,796 people.
Italy may begin easing the lockdown measures on May 4. By the end of the week, Italian authorities will present a plan to bring the country out of quarantine. According to the country’s Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, the return to normal life will be strictly structured and coordinated with doctors and scientists working on the Covid-19 issue. The start of the relaxation measures is planned for May 4. The number of infected people in the country is gradually decreasing, but the mortality rate is increasing. In the past 24 hours, 534 people have died in the country, and the total number of coronavirus victims is currently 24,648 – the worst indicator in Europe.
We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. Episodes The end of the story: Advertising Podcasts In the United Kingdom, 763 people have died in hospitals from the coronavirus in the past day. The total number of deaths in the country now stands at 18,100, with over 130,000 people infected. However, these statistics do not include people with Covid-19 who die at home, in nursing homes and other closed facilities. According to the authorities, the number of such deaths has doubled in the last five days, which means that the total number of deaths in the country significantly exceeds the official figures. According to British Health Minister Matthew Hancock, Britain is currently at the peak of the epidemic. This gives hope that a decline will soon follow, but he said that the lockdown in the country will not be lifted until the government is confident that there is no threat of a second wave. Meanwhile, a scandal is unfolding in the UK over the country’s non-participation in the EU’s General Agreement on the Procurement of Special Equipment for the Treatment and Diagnosis of Covid-19: Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Professionals, Respirators, Laboratory Equipment and Test Kits. The agreement was open to all European countries, regardless of EU membership. The first discussion of the joint action plan took place in late January, and on March 17, a specially created commission began accepting orders for specific supplies from all interested countries. According to EU officials, representatives from the United Kingdom did not participate in many of the discussions of the process, and there were no offers from them on the appointed day. The British authorities stated that they simply did not have enough time to submit the application by the deadline. Meanwhile, stocks of personal protective equipment at several London hospitals are running low, and in some cases are completely depleted. Londoners are taking it upon themselves to find protective gear for hospitals from online stores and private sewing workshops.
In Romania, there is a strict ban on movement in the streets. In less than a month, the Romanian authorities have collected £69 million (€78 million) in fines for quarantine violations. This is about the same amount as the entire country’s corporate tax for February. It is reported that since the end of March, the police have fined 200 thousand violators of the isolation regime. The highest number of fines was issued in the capital city of Bucharest and its surroundings. Even the mayor of Bucharest, Robert Negoiță, did not escape punishment, as he was fined for cycling in the city park. Only workers in key industries are allowed to move about in the streets, and everyone else can only leave their homes during the day to go shopping, and then no more than once every few days. The first cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in Montenegro. This makes it the last country in Europe where Covid-19 has been found. Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said that healthcare workers who fight for people’s lives and put themselves at risk every day deserve more than just applause (referring to the initiative in many countries to applaud doctors as a sign of gratitude). The number of offers should remain the same.
In the Dutch hospital. According to Hookstra’s order, every healthcare worker in the Netherlands will receive a cash bonus for their work. The exact amount of the compensation has not yet been determined. German authorities have canceled the traditional Berlin Marathon that was to take place in September. The ban on large gatherings in the country has been extended until October 24. The US state of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against China, blaming the Chinese authorities for the Covid-19 pandemic. The state’s action is in line with the position of the White House, which also blames Beijing for the world situation. Earlier, former US President Donald Trump said that China provided false information about the scale and spread of the coronavirus, and that the WHO blindly trusted Chinese statistics and did not take necessary measures to contain the epidemic. According to many American analysts, Trump’s tactic of blaming China could backfire on him in this year’s presidential election, as it is seen by many as an attempt to divert attention from his own mistakes regarding the pandemic. In particular, a group of CIA employees previously stated that as early as January, in their reports to the White House, the intelligence community warned of an approaching problem and that Beijing was providing false information. However, according to the agents, Trump ignored their reports because he was afraid of jeopardizing the trade deal with China.
As for the lawsuit in the state of Missouri, China has nothing to worry about because it is impossible to summon its representatives to the American court, and if the case is tried in an international court, China will have the right to respond. Meanwhile, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, Robert Redfield, has warned against a premature easing of quarantine measures in the country, as the second wave of the disease, according to him, will be much more dangerous than the current one, because it will coincide with seasonal flu and acute respiratory viral infections. The number of people infected with Covid-19 in Singapore has surpassed 10,000, with a record 1,016 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. This makes Singapore the hardest hit country in Southeast Asia by the coronavirus. Authorities believe the main breeding ground for the virus has been the dormitories for foreign workers. The quarantine in the country has been extended until June 1 and a number of measures will be tightened.
According to the UN, millions of people on the planet are already completely dependent on humanitarian aid and food supplies. The United Nations World Food Program warns that the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to a “famine of biblical proportions” with catastrophic consequences for many countries and entire continents.