The number of Covid-19 infections and deaths continues to rise worldwide, but the pace of the epidemic is slowing significantly in most Western European countries. Many countries have begun to phase out strict quarantine measures. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of Saturday evening, the number of people infected with the coronavirus worldwide is 2.8 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 200,000. All the latest news and situations in the world during the pandemic in a daily selection from the Russian service of the BBC.
The number of people who have died from the coronavirus in the United Kingdom has exceeded 20,000. The British Health Management reports that as of Saturday, 20.3 thousand deaths have been registered, with 813 patients dying in the last 24 hours.
This is a very important figure, as British doctors have previously stated that if they manage to keep the number of deaths below 20,000, it will be a “good outcome” of the epidemic. At the same time, official data on deaths include only those who died in hospitals, so the actual number of deaths may be higher, given that some people die at home, in hospices, or in nursing homes. The first person infected with the coronavirus was found in the United Kingdom 51 days ago. As BBC correspondent Nick Triggle reports, there is compelling evidence that Britain has already passed the peak of the epidemic – at least in terms of hospital patients. However, the number of deaths in care homes is rising rapidly and could become a serious problem for the authorities. More than 20,000 deaths from Covid-19 have been reported by four other countries: the United States, Spain, Italy, and France.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has recovered from Covid-19, will finally return to work on Monday, Downing Street reported.
Johnson was released from St. Thomas Hospital in London two weeks ago. He was in intensive care at the hospital and received oxygen, but was not connected to a mechanical ventilator. In recent days, the Prime Minister has been recuperating at Chequers, the official country residence of the Prime Minister, while remaining in constant contact with Queen Elizabeth II, Cabinet Ministers and the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Johnson’s return comes amid mounting criticism of the government’s response to the coronavirus epidemic crisis. Government sources speculate that Johnson will be cautious about how and when to ease the country’s existing social distancing measures. WHO experts caution that there is no evidence that even the presence of antibodies in the blood protects people who have had Covid-19 from reinfection. At the same time, testing the population for antibodies is extremely important to get a true picture of how many people have actually had the coronavirus. This data will help to quickly relax certain quarantine measures and will be important for the successful development of a vaccine against the virus.
Low-cost airline Wizz Air will resume flights from Vienna to several European destinations on May 1, the company’s managing director József Váradi said. According to him, the company hopes to start with 30% of the flights operated by Wizz Air before the pandemic and return to the normal schedule of 75-80% within two to three months. However, none of the European countries to which Wizz Air intends to fly has yet responded to this statement. Belgian authorities have presented their plan for lifting the country out of quarantine. Students will be able to return to classes on May 11, but there should be no more than 10 people in a classroom at any one time. At the same time, the government notes that these are only preliminary plans and can be revised.
Belgian students will be able to return to school after May 11. “We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next.” The number of offers should remain: episodes. End of story Podcast advertising More than 44,000 people in the country have been infected with the coronavirus and nearly 6,700 have died – the highest per capita mortality rate in Europe. In Spain, children up to 14 years old will be allowed to go outdoors on Sunday after a six-week quarantine. As promised by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, authorities will allow people to go out for sports from May 2 if the number of infected cases continues to fall. For now, Spanish citizens are only allowed to go out to buy food and medicine, and to commute to work for those who need to. In Germany, 2055 new cases of Covid-19 were identified in 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute. The total number of infected people in the country now stands at 152.4 thousand. Since the beginning of the epidemic, 5767 infected people have died. On Saturday, residents of Belarus participated in a nationwide clean-up day planned by the authorities in early April. Meanwhile, 817 new cases of coronavirus infection have been identified there in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases in the country to 9590, and 67 people have died during the course of the epidemic. The country’s authorities have said from the outset that they do not intend to impose quarantine measures.
“Belarus struck a blow against the coronavirus with a Saturday cleanup day.” French authorities have banned online sales of nicotine patches and restricted their sale in pharmacies after a group of researchers suggested that nicotine provides some protection against coronavirus infection.
Last week, one of the Paris hospitals provided data suggesting that smokers are statistically less likely to require intensive treatment for Covid-19. France intends to continue research in this field. The coronavirus situation in this country is one of the most serious in Europe: more than 22 thousand deaths, almost 160 thousand infected. Poland is planning to start the season of the top football league behind closed doors in a month. According to the organizers’ calculations, the season should be over by mid-July. What else is going on in the world The number of deaths from Covid-19 in the United States has exceeded 52 thousand people, with almost 925 thousand infected.
The first visitors appeared in beauty salons in the state of Georgia. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he will allow independent pharmacies to test for the coronavirus. He has also promised to increase antibody testing at four hospitals, prioritizing essential workers. There have been 16,000 reported deaths from the coronavirus in New York. At the same time, three American states – Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska – have relaxed their strict quarantine measures. In addition to grocery stores, some businesses have opened. Beauty salons and spas have opened in the first two states, and many restaurants have opened in Alaska. Yesterday, President Donald Trump ended his daily briefing at the White House earlier than usual and refused to answer journalists’ questions. He is being criticized for his desire to lift the quarantine in the country against the decisions of individual state governors. On Thursday, he also suggested considering the use of alcohol and chlorine detergents to treat H1N1 patients, sparking public outrage. He later said that journalists had misunderstood the sarcasm in his words. Australia and New Zealand commemorate their national Remembrance Day on Saturday in memory of their soldiers who died on the frontlines of World War I, particularly during the unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign of 1915, where many Australians and New Zealanders lost their lives. It is also known as ANZAC Day.
The memorial in Melbourne is usually held on this day (right) and on Saturday, April 25, 2020. Normally there are solemn ceremonies and lavish celebrations in both countries, but this year all events had to be canceled due to the epidemic. Instead, people went out into the streets at dawn and observed a minute of silence near their homes. In Australia, since the beginning of the epidemic, 6677 thousand cases have been detected, in New Zealand – 1461. Authorities in India have allowed small local shops to reopen on the condition that only half the staff return to work. They are required to wear medical masks and maintain a social distance from customers.
The quarantine in India has been in effect for over a month, and hundreds of thousands of families complain that they have nothing to eat. Over a month ago, India went into a strict lockdown. The majority of the country’s population is engaged in daily wage labor, and hundreds of thousands of families are on the verge of starvation. Officials in Delhi say they are looking for the safest ways to get the economy moving again. In India, approximately 25,000 cases of Covid-19 infection have been confirmed, with 780 deaths.