In the U.S., where the coronavirus epidemic led to record unemployment, protests were held to temporarily suspend rent payments. In the USA, tens of thousands of people are being infected with the coronavirus every day, and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden suspends his primary campaign. One German state reinstates quarantine, and authorities in Melbourne, Australia, report a new outbreak of the disease. This and other news about the situation with the Covid-19 epidemic in the world – in the daily compilation of BBC Russian Service.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of people infected with Covid-19 worldwide is approaching 10.5 million, with over half a million deaths. The World Health Organization warns that the end of the pandemic is still far away. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he will not hold any pre-election meetings or events until the coronavirus situation in the country improves. Meanwhile, his opponent Donald Trump continues his campaign and recently held a meeting with voters in the state of Oklahoma, where the number of cases is increasing.
Biden criticized the Trump administration’s policy on the pandemic. He stated that a president who ignores the advice of scientists undermines everything the American people have achieved over the years. Earlier, the chief epidemiologist of the United States, Anthony Fauci, warned that if the authorities do not get the spread of the virus under control, the number of people infected daily could reach 100,000. Currently, the country is registering about 40,000 new cases per day, mainly due to a sharp deterioration of the situation in Texas and Florida. Several American states have imposed a mandatory two-week quarantine for those arriving from other parts of the country. “I am very concerned and unhappy because we are going in the wrong direction,” said Anthony Fauci. In the past 24 hours, over 1,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the U.S., bringing the total number of deaths to 127.4 thousand. The number of cases is 2.6 million. The Pan American Health Organization warns that the death toll from the coronavirus in Caribbean and Latin American countries could reach 400,000 by October if strict control measures are not implemented in the region.
Donald Trump announced in May that remdesivir had been approved for use in treating patients with Covid-19. The United States has purchased the world’s entire three-month supply of the drug remdesivir – an antiviral developed to treat Ebola. Trials conducted in April showed that the drug was effective in treating various respiratory illnesses, and scientists cautiously suggested that it might be effective against Covid-19. However, remdesivir was only shown to speed recovery from the disease, not cure it. Nonetheless, the U.S. regulatory authorities have approved the drug for the treatment of coronavirus. Experts around the world are concerned about the United States’ actions for several reasons. First, they believe that widespread use of this drug could have undesirable consequences. In particular, it is unknown how it will interact with future vaccines. Second, the United States has left the rest of the world without remdesivir, and the drug may be needed for other purposes.
“The U.S. has access to most of the drug supplies, Europe has nothing left,” worries Andrew Hill, a specialist at the University of Liverpool. The U.S. has purchased 90% of the stockpile of medicines that will be needed until the end of September. “President Trump has remarkably provided Americans with access to the first approved therapeutic remedy against Covid-19,” said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. Only recently, the South Korean Agency for Disease Control and Prevention began distributing remdesivir allocated by manufacturer Gilead, and announced its intention to purchase another batch of the drug in August. Now everyone will have to wait until the fall when a new batch will be produced. On Wednesday, the European Union finally agreed on the list of countries with the most favorable epidemiological situation, whose citizens will be allowed to enter. The list includes Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Thailand, Tunisia, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea and Uruguay. China will be added to the list on the condition that it allows EU citizens to enter the country. The situation in Russia, Brazil and the USA is considered threatening, so communication with them will not be restored for the time being. Brussels plans to review the list about every two weeks.
In the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, humanitarian workers are bringing essential supplies to areas that have been placed under quarantine again. We explain quickly, simply and clearly what happened, why it matters and what happens next. эпизоды – Episodes The end of the story: Advertising Podcasts In Germany, strict quarantine measures have been reinstated in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous region, following an outbreak at a major slaughterhouse. The methods used to combat the epidemic in Germany are considered the most successful in Europe, mainly due to the timely introduction of a large-scale testing system. According to Johns Hopkins University, since the beginning of the epidemic, 195.7 thousand people in Germany have become ill and nearly 9 thousand have died. The UK remains the hardest hit country in Europe, with 314,000 infections and 43,800 deaths. Despite the easing of restrictions that authorities plan to introduce from July 4, the situation with the spread of the virus remains tense. The city of Leicester is under quarantine, where the statistics of Covid-19 have risen sharply. The country is also experiencing its worst economic contraction in 40 years – 2.2% from January to March. At the same time, economists are predicting an even steeper decline and are not ruling out a recession. Yesterday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to carry out an “infrastructure revolution” in the country, which he said would help Britain emerge from the crisis. Malta has started to receive tourists from several European countries. The United Kingdom is not among them, even though 30% of all international flights usually come from here.
The Prime Ministers and Presidents of Portugal, António Costa and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the King of Spain, Felipe VI, and the President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, ceremonially opened the borders between the two countries. On Wednesday, Spain and Portugal opened their common border. Ground transportation between these countries was suspended three months ago. For a long time, Spain was the country most affected by the epidemic in Europe. To date, there have been 249.2 thousand confirmed cases (the second highest in Europe after Great Britain) and 28.3 thousand deaths (the fourth highest in Europe). The situation in the world. Australian authorities have imposed a one-month quarantine in several areas of Melbourne: the restrictions will affect 300,000 people, who will only be allowed to leave their homes to buy food. This is due to a sharp increase in new cases of coronavirus infection in these parts of the city.
Despite the remoteness of the Amazonian tribes’ habitats, there have been cases of illness within the tribes. Previously, the death of one of the leaders of Covid-19 was reported. “Japan will provide $464 million to help the Philippines fight the coronavirus. This is Japan’s first such loan to another country.” Japan is considered one of the countries that has successfully managed the epidemic, although there were reports in May of overcrowded hospitals and an unprecedented strain on the healthcare system. Japan has recorded 18.7 thousand cases of Covid-19, with 976 deaths. Russia has indefinitely extended travel restrictions to other countries and has not lifted the mandatory two-week quarantine for all arrivals, including its own citizens. The Brazilian military used helicopters to deliver personal protective equipment and food to indigenous tribes living in remote areas on the border with Venezuela. Many of them were also tested for Covid-19. The number of shipments is expected to remain the same. The 2021 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, Africa’s premier soccer tournament, is in doubt. The epidemiological situation on the continent continues to deteriorate, and the tournament’s organizers say they are inclined to cancel it. (Note: The text mentions that the number of bids should remain the same, but there is no specific mention of bids in the given Russian text).