England, Denmark, Greece and Italy go on lockdown, Cyprus imposes curfew, previously safe Norway sounds the alarm, record number of cases in the US. This and other news about the development of the coronavirus pandemic situation – in our daily review.
This is the center of Newcastle in the middle of the day on Thursday. In England, the second lockdown began on Thursday and will last until at least December 2. All businesses except grocery stores, bars, restaurants, gyms and all entertainment venues are closed. Transportation is still operating as usual. People are being asked not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary. But unlike the first lockdown, this time the British government has decided not to close schools and universities. In the past 24 hours, the number of people infected with COVID-19 in the UK has risen by another 24,000, and 378 people have died – slightly less than the day before, when a kind of record was set for the second wave of the pandemic: over 25,000 cases and 492 deaths. On Thursday, the Treasury announced that it would extend the monthly payment program for workers on leave indefinitely until the end of March. The Bank of England is making an additional 150 billion pounds available to support the British economy.
All 17 million minks kept on fur farms in Denmark will be culled early as a precautionary measure. Danish authorities have announced the introduction of a quarantine in certain areas of the country due to a mutation of the coronavirus in minks that makes it transmissible to humans. Denmark is the world’s largest producer of mink fur, which is exported mainly to China and Hong Kong. We explain quickly, simply, and comprehensively what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. The number of offers should remain: episodes. End of story: Advertising Podcasts According to the Danish authorities, the mutation may affect the efficacy of any future coronavirus vaccine. In seven municipalities in the North Jutland region, bars, restaurants, sports facilities and public transport will be closed. The restrictions will come into effect on Friday and will initially last until December 3. The Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, Mike Ryan, has called for a full investigation into the outbreak of Covid-19 on mink farms. WHO is pressing to understand how Covid-19 was transmitted to the animals, as the situation highlights that every zoo farm in Europe could be at risk. Danish authorities have decided to cull all 17 million minks to contain the infection. The partial destruction of the minks began at the end of October after it was discovered that many of them were infected with the coronavirus. Spain and the Netherlands, where minks are also bred on an industrial scale, have begun inspections of their farms.
The closure of shops, restaurants and cafes, as well as the reduction in the flow of tourists, negatively affected the well-being of many residents of Greece. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Thursday that a new nationwide lockdown will begin in the country on Sunday, but schools will continue to operate. Wearing masks is mandatory in public places. Curfew will be reinstated in Cyprus. Bars, restaurants and shopping centers must close by 10:30 p.m. Visitors to restaurants must now wear masks until waiters bring them their food. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has called on Norwegians to refrain from traveling within the country due to a new surge in infections. In recent days, the situation has worsened significantly in some areas of the country, and the total number of people infected during the past week has reached a record high since the beginning of the epidemic. Until now, the epidemiological situation in Norway has been considered one of the best in Europe.
The director of the world-famous Uffizi Museum in Florence, Aike Schmidt, uses this photo to urge Italians to follow quarantine rules without losing their faith in beauty. In Italy, the implementation of the lockdown has been delayed by one day – until Friday. In a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, it is stated that this small delay should help Italians to complete preparations for weeks of strict restrictions, such as moving to an area where a person would prefer to be in the near future. Starting Friday, Italy will be divided into 20 regions, each of which will be assigned a color according to the level of epidemiological threat – red (high), orange (medium) and green (low). One of the factors is also the occupancy of local hospitals. A curfew will be imposed throughout the country, museums and exhibitions will be closed, and shopping centers will be open only on weekdays. Public transportation will be reduced and high school students will return to online education.
In the last day, over 100 thousand new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the United States. Over 1100 people died in one day, including deaths directly from the coronavirus as well as from chronic illnesses exacerbated by the infection. The number of hospitalized patients has also increased significantly. Currently, there are over 50 thousand people diagnosed with Covid-19 in hospitals across the country. Chinese authorities are again restricting entry to citizens of several countries, including the United Kingdom and Belgium. Strict rules for Covid-19 testing apply to those arriving from the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore and Japan. In some cases, testing is required twice: in your own country a certain number of hours before departure and upon arrival in China. In addition, there should be two types of tests – PCR and antibody test. In March, at the height of the epidemic, China banned foreigners from entering the country, but the ban was completely lifted in September.
Full-scale production of the Covid-19 vaccine will begin in the UK next year at the earliest, but its efficacy has yet to be confirmed. By the end of the year, Britain will receive only 4 million doses of the developed Oxford anti-coronavirus vaccine, although it had hoped for a much larger quantity, the head of the British vaccine procurement program said on Thursday. This is due to a failure in the schedule of work of the pharmaceutical manufacturer Astra Zeneca. In May, the United Kingdom signed an agreement to purchase 100 million doses of the vaccine, with 30 million doses to be delivered by September. The company explains that the transition from drug development to large-scale production usually takes several years. In this case, however, given the epidemiological situation, the process is happening with unprecedented speed, and 100 million doses will be fully delivered to customers next year. Australia has approved the purchase of an additional 50 million doses of a different type of vaccine. This is the second batch the country has purchased. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said authorities were aiming to complete the mass vaccination in the coming months.