Top US politicians dine in restaurants and fly to resorts while telling the population to stay home. Great Britain wants to reduce Covid-19 mortality by 99% in the coming weeks. Spaniards will not be able to visit relatives in other regions during Christmas. The Czech Republic is coming out of a prolonged lockdown. This and other news about the coronavirus situation around the world – in our daily roundup.
Steve Adler does not believe that staying home and not traveling are the same thing. A scandal has erupted in the United States involving the mayor of Austin, the capital of Texas. Steve Adler, a Democrat, has repeatedly called on the city’s residents to adhere to epidemiological norms: not to forget social distancing, to work from home whenever possible, and to visit public places less frequently. In one of his recent Facebook video addresses to Austinites, he says: “Now is not the time to relax. We will be watching [people’s behavior] closely. If we are not careful, we will have to close a lot of things. However, the local publication Austin American-Statesman learned that the video was taken by the mayor at one of the Mexican resorts where Adler flew with his family on a private plane. Sam Adler does not believe he has violated his own principles: “The recommendation to never travel has never been uttered. Someone might look at me and say, ‘He travels,’ but no one can say that I am doing it at the same time that I am telling others not to travel. The paper also revealed that in November, the mayor arranged a wedding for his daughter at one of the city’s most expensive hotels, attended by 20 people. Adler stated that masks were provided for all guests, but admitted that “not everyone wore them all the time. Last week, two more high-ranking Democrats were caught violating their own mandates. California Governor Gavin Newsom had lunch at a Napa Valley restaurant with 12 lobbyists who are members of the California Medical Association. Newsom tried to justify this by saying that the lunch was outdoors, but photos from the scene clearly show that the restaurant had a roof and three walls, with only the fourth wall completely open and made of glass. Later at the same restaurant, San Francisco Mayor London Breed was seen attending the birthday party of one of the celebrities. Almost none of the attendees wore masks. Meanwhile, throughout the recent period, Breed has regularly urged her city’s residents to avoid socializing and stay home. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Democrats have always opposed the Republicans on the issue of fighting the virus. The Republican administration’s superficial approach to this problem and the nation’s health was one of the main points of Joe Biden’s primary campaign.
The number of hospitalizations in the US has risen sharply. Meanwhile, the United States has set a new record for the number of daily cases and deaths: 195.6 thousand and 2733 respectively in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the country since the beginning of the epidemic is approaching 14 million, and the death toll is over 264 thousand. The number of hospitalizations has also risen sharply. The mayor of Los Angeles has issued an emergency order for residents of the city to remain indoors. The order went into effect immediately after it was announced.
Spanish tour operators and airlines are protesting the fact that the new government order has deprived them of even domestic tourism. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. The number of episodes should remain: episodes. End of story: Podcast Advertising. On Thursday, Spanish authorities confirmed that inter-regional travel will be banned during the holiday season. Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards will have to cancel planned trips to visit family and friends. However, people will be able to gather in groups of up to 10 people on certain days in their own areas. In Italy, travel between provinces will also be banned from December 21 to January 6. Exceptions will be made for travel related to work, medical appointments and emergency situations, although it is unclear what exactly falls under this definition. France is ready to begin the first phase of vaccinating its population. In the near future, 100 million people will be offered vaccinations. Portugal will also announce its plans for free vaccination on Thursday. Earlier, the country’s authorities said they were arranging the purchase of 22 million doses, but it will take time to organize the vaccination process. On Thursday, shops, restaurants, gyms, swimming pools and museums will reopen in the Czech Republic after a 6-week break. There will still be restrictions on the number of visitors. Theaters and cinemas will not be able to resume work yet. Daily infection rates are still high, but officials say there is a clear downward trend. Over the past day, more than 4.5 thousand cases have been detected in the country, which is lower than the daily rates of last week, but epidemiologists are preparing for a new surge after Christmas celebrations with relatives and friends.
Hotels and restaurants in Germany will not reopen until January 10th. In Germany, 479 people have died from the coronavirus in the past day. Last night, the authorities of all 16 states agreed to extend the restrictions until January 10. In particular, hotels and restaurants will remain closed. Previously, Berlin had insisted on such measures, and Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the reluctance of state leaders posed a threat to the nation’s health. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has caused an uproar among small business owners by announcing that bars, clubs, spas and some gyms will not reopen until a vaccine is available in the country. Restaurants and shops will reopen gradually.
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, held a press conference on Thursday to answer a number of questions from the public about the Pfizer vaccine, which was approved for mass use by the UK authorities the day before. The first phase of vaccination in the country will begin in the next few days. Here are the top expert answers to the most frequently asked questions: