Mexico and Brazil recorded the highest number of coronavirus deaths in a single day since the pandemic began. The British minister felt unwell in the parliamentary gallery. Turkey is ready to resume international flights. About this and other events around the coronavirus – in the compilation of the Russian service of the BBC.
In Brazil, which has become the epicenter of the epidemic in Latin America, 1,349 people have died in the past 24 hours, while more than a thousand have died in Mexico. These are the highest daily figures in these countries since the beginning of the pandemic.
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez is preparing to announce an extension of the country’s lockdown until June 21. The most challenging epidemiological situation is in Buenos Aires. Of the 949 cases of infection reported in the country on the last day, only 40 occurred outside the capital. Since the beginning of the epidemic in Argentina, 19.2 thousand people have been infected with Covid-19 and 583 have died.
In Peru, the number of deaths from Covid-19 is also increasing. Peruvian hospitals are facing a severe shortage of ventilators, while the number of people infected continues to rise. With nearly 179,000 cases and 4,894 deaths, the country is second only to Brazil in the number of cases in Latin America. However, there is some good news from Peru: a 50-year-old woman with a confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 gave birth to a healthy set of twins.
In the Paraguayan Parliament, Congressman Jorge Antonio Brites took off his shirt during a parliamentary session to protest the closure of the borders between Paraguay and Brazil. He explained that he represents the border region and knows firsthand that the inability to trade with Brazil has left many residents of his homeland without income. Paraguayan authorities closed the borders with Brazil in mid-March after the epidemic reached critical levels in the neighboring country.
Alok Sharma, the UK’s Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, went into self-isolation after feeling unwell during a speech in Parliament. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and appeared to have difficulty speaking. It is currently unclear what exactly is happening with the minister, but the events that have taken place have given many reason to claim that the country’s parliament has returned to normal working mode too soon. Recently, lawmakers voted to resume face-to-face parliamentary sessions, despite opposition from some colleagues.
The traditional military parade in honor of Bastille Day, scheduled to take place on July 14, has been canceled in Paris. Normally, this is the most important event in the French calendar and is held on the Champs-Élysées. However, given the current circumstances, it was deemed impossible to completely ignore this day of authority, so it was decided to limit the celebrations to a small ceremony at the Place de la Concorde.
Austria has opened its borders with its neighbors – with the exception of Italy. According to Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, this is the first step towards a return to normal life. However, the head of the Italian Foreign Ministry, Luigi Di Maio, stated that such a selective approach, demonstrated not only by Austria but also by a number of other countries, could harm the unity of the EU.
Northern Macedonian authorities impose a curfew in several towns after coronavirus infection statistics rise again in the country. The heir to the British throne, 71-year-old Prince Charles, said in an interview with Sky News that he is recovering well from the coronavirus. The prince was diagnosed in March, after which he went into extended self-isolation at one of his estates. Prince Charles said he understands what the sick are going through and grieves with the families who have lost their loved ones. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. The Russian text “эпизоды” translates to “episodes” in English.
Iran reports a record number of daily coronavirus infections – 3,574 people. This is the highest daily rate in Iran since the pandemic began in February. It is also the fourth consecutive day that the number of new cases has exceeded 3,000. The total number of cases in the country is 166.4 thousand people. According to a representative of Iran’s Health Ministry, the number of coronavirus deaths in the country has exceeded 8,000 people.
The Israeli parliament has suspended work after one of its members tested positive for Covid-19. Sami Abu Shahadeh self-isolated two days ago after his driver tested positive for the coronavirus. He immediately reported that he had attended almost all plenary sessions in the last two weeks, visited the Knesset cafeteria and met with a large number of people outside the parliament. For example, he traveled to support Palestinian families who had lost loved ones. Photos of this event show that Sami Abu Shahadeh was not wearing a mask. Now that his diagnosis has been confirmed, medical professionals have begun to identify the circle of people who came into contact with Shahadeh. On Thursday, parliamentarians were asked not to go to work, except in extreme cases.
Turkey plans to resume international flights to 40 countries in June, with agreements already signed for 15 of them. They include Germany, Switzerland, South Korea and Qatar. Domestic flights returned to their regular schedule on June 1. Meanwhile, representatives of the aviation industry in Britain are expressing concern over government plans to introduce a mandatory 14-day quarantine rule for all arrivals into the country from June 8. According to Jason Holt, the head of Swissport, the UK’s largest airport services company, the prospect of mandatory isolation will force people to cancel their travel, which will have a significant impact not only on airlines and flight crews, but also on ground services. Many are wondering why such a measure was not introduced in March, when many countries around the world did.