According to the World Health Organization, for the third consecutive day, the daily statistics of new cases of the disease in Europe set records. This Sunday, a total of 465.3 thousand infected people were detected in European countries. Spain and Italy introduce partial lockdown, Covid-19 diagnosed in Bulgarian Prime Minister, Swiss hospitals ask retired medical staff to return to work, Frankfurt cancels traditional Christmas events. These and other news about the development of the Covid-19 situation are in our daily overview.
According to Johns Hopkins University, 42.8 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 1.1 million have died. The number of COVID-19 cases in Russia has exceeded 1.5 million people. Moscow remains the hardest hit city. However, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Sunday that while the statistics of infections continue to rise, the rate of growth has slowed somewhat.
Spanish authorities have declared a state of emergency in the country and a nationwide curfew will be in effect from 23:00 to 06:00 on Sunday. An exception is made for the Canary Islands. According to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, this is necessary to control the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases. In addition, local authorities will be given the power to restrict travel between regions at their discretion. The new rules are currently in place for 15 days, but Sanchez intends to ask parliament to extend them for six months.
This is what the visitor area of the Barcelona Zoo currently looks like. During the first wave of the epidemic in the spring of this year, Spain became one of the hardest hit countries in the world and implemented one of the strictest closures. “We are experiencing an extreme situation, the most serious in the last half century,” said Pedro Sanchez in a televised address to the nation on Sunday. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than one million people in Spain have been infected with Covid-19, with 34.7 thousand deaths.
Also on Sunday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte agreed with regional leaders on restrictive measures that will go into effect on Monday. Cinemas, swimming pools and gyms will be completely closed across the country. Bars, restaurants and ice cream kiosks will close at 6 p.m., while a large number of shops and businesses will be allowed to stay open longer. High school students are returning to distance learning.
Not everyone in Italy agrees with the new restrictions: protests were held in Naples and Rome on Sunday. “We think that this month will be difficult for everyone, but if we grit our teeth and endure these restrictions, we will be able to breathe freely again in December,” Conte said during Sunday’s press conference. According to him, “the authorities are doing everything possible to avoid another shutdown, which caused significant economic damage to Italy in March-April. Italy was the first European country to bear the brunt of the epidemic in February of this year. At the height of the disaster, there was a shortage of coffins in the hardest-hit areas for the large number of people who had died from the coronavirus. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Italy, 525.7 thousand people have been infected and 37.3 thousand have died.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov, confirmed on his Facebook page that he has been diagnosed with the coronavirus. He mentioned that he is experiencing moderate symptoms and will go into self-isolation if necessary. It was also announced yesterday that the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, has been infected with Covid-19. The situation in the Czech Republic continues to deteriorate, with nearly 12,500 people falling ill this Sunday. The country’s authorities began implementing new restrictive measures in early October, and this weekend local lockdowns went into effect in several regions.
At Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Amsterdam, Quarantine We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. The number of episodes should remain the same. End of story. Podcast advertising. Dutch authorities admit that the restrictions introduced almost a month ago have not yet helped to bring the situation under control. In the past 24 hours, more than 10,000 people have fallen ill across the country, despite the fact that most public places in major cities, such as bars and restaurants, have been completely closed for more than two weeks.
In Germany, vandals damaged the building of the Robert Koch Institute, which keeps statistics on the spread of coronavirus in the country. Several windows were broken and an arson attempt was made. According to police, a group of several people was involved. The country is also experiencing a second wave of the epidemic. Several cities have already announced that they will not hold traditional Christmas celebrations this year. On Sunday, authorities in Frankfurt made a similar announcement.
Swiss authorities expect hospitals in several cities to fill with coronavirus patients in the coming days. Geneva’s health professionals have asked for help from retired colleagues and volunteers with medical training, as they believe they will not be able to handle the influx of patients on their own.