On May 4, the train station in Milan is bustling. Italy, the country most affected by Covid-19 in Europe, eases quarantine measures.
The number of offers should remain: Spaniards went for a walk for the first time in seven weeks, Donald Trump predicts 100,000 deaths in the U.S., and in New Zealand – not a single case in 24 hours. All the latest news about the Covid-19 situation worldwide can be found in the daily compilation of the Russian service of the BBC.
France, Italy and Spain report the lowest one-day infection rates since the beginning of the pandemic. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of Monday, more than 3.5 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus and 247.5 thousand have died.
In Germany, the week begins with more relaxation: churches, museums and beauty salons open, car factories resume work. At the same time, strict rules of social distancing are maintained in all public places, and in many places the wearing of masks is required. Despite the gradual lifting of quarantine measures, many companies and authorities in several states believe that Berlin is moving too slowly. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, believes that an unjustifiably rapid lifting of the quarantine threatens to unleash a second wave of the epidemic.
The British government will unveil its exit plan from the lockdown next Sunday, but one of the preliminary documents has been leaked to the BBC. According to him, the government will suggest employers to maximize the opportunities of remote work, review the order of work in open office spaces and abandon the system of unassigned workplaces, as well as tighten sanitary norms.
We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. Episodes The end of the story: Advertising on podcasts. The number of Covid-19-related deaths in the last 24 hours was 288, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced at the daily press briefing. This is significantly lower than Friday’s figure (739 deaths) and includes deaths anywhere, not just in hospitals. However, Hancock clarified that this figure may not include all deaths over the weekend. Until recently, the British government only released data on hospital deaths. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the epidemic has reached 28,734. Hancock announced that the UK government plans to launch a “test, track and trace” program to track the contacts of those infected with COVID-19. As part of this program, Britons will be tracked through a special application. Data on the geolocation of infected individuals will be used to identify people they have been in contact with. Tests and applications have already begun on the Isle of Wight, the minister said.
Some small shop owners in the UK are taking their goods outside to avoid overcrowding indoors. In Serbia, the state of emergency has been lifted and the curfew will be completely lifted by Thursday. Shopping centers, cafes and restaurants are beginning to reopen, but social distancing measures remain in place.
Gyms and beauty salons have also opened in Belgrade, but churches remain closed for the time being. In the coming days, bus and train services within the country will also be restored, and by the end of May, authorities plan to allow some commercial flights. The total number of people infected with the coronavirus in Serbia since the beginning of the pandemic is 9,000, with 193 deaths.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will discuss on Monday the possibility of easing some quarantine measures as of May 11. This includes the opening of parks, beauty salons, take-out fast food restaurants, summer cafes and a number of non-essential product stores.
The girl takes a photo near the monument to the architect Vladislav Gorodetsky in the center of Kiev. Other quarantine measures, including restrictions on public transportation, a ban on mass gatherings, and social distancing, will be extended until May 22.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that the number of deaths from the coronavirus in the country could reach 100,000 people. At the same time, he categorically rejects accusations that his administration did not react quickly enough to the situation. The figure of 100,000 people had already been mentioned in late March by an adviser to the US government, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Donald Trump insists that his administration responded quickly to the start of the epidemic in the country. The United States leads the world in the number of people infected and the number of deaths – 1.1 million and more than 67 thousand, respectively. During a two-hour online speech, Trump said a vaccine for Covid-19 will be available by the end of this year, although the medical community claims it will take about a year and a half.
An additional 10,581 cases of Covid-19 infection were reported in Russia. This is slightly less than the previous day, when the country surpassed the 10,000 mark for the first time. The most difficult situation remains in Moscow, where an average of 1700 patients are admitted to the capital’s hospitals every day. The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, has warned that the peak of the infection is yet to come. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, for the first time in one day, no new cases were detected.
As of Monday, people in Italy will be able to visit relatives within the borders of their regions. Communication between different parts of Italy is still limited. Italians are also allowed to go outside for sporting activities, provided that social distance rules are followed.
Residents of Rome are enjoying the easing of quarantine measures. Schools, cinemas and most non-essential businesses will remain closed. Bars and restaurants will not open until June. This past weekend, for the first time in seven weeks, the adult population of Spain was able to go outside for a sporting activity. Previously, people were only allowed to leave their homes to go shopping or walk their dogs. On May 11, France will begin to ease quarantine measures. Children will be able to return to school, but only gradually.
In France, small fishing vessels were allowed to continue fishing and selling directly to buyers. Since Monday, Portugal has also been slowly coming out of lockdown. Some clothing stores and city parks are opening. The country has been under a state of emergency for six weeks.
Hong Kong is opening shopping malls like no other country in the world. In Hong Kong, civil servants returned to work on Monday. Libraries, museums and cafes are opening, and business is being conducted from the street. Significant easing has begun in Thailand and in Nigeria’s two largest cities, the capital, Abuja, and Lagos. According to the Nigerian authorities, the first phase of quarantine relief is expected to last for six weeks, after which the lifting of quarantine measures will be extended nationwide, if the situation permits. The third phase of the lockdown has begun in India, with cleaners, cooks and plumbers returning to work. Offices of private companies are opening, but only 33% of employees are allowed on the premises at any one time. Small businesses with street entrances are also beginning to operate. In Jordan, all businesses and industries have returned to work without exception. The Egyptian authorities have allowed hotels to reopen for domestic tourism, provided that their occupancy does not exceed 25% of their total capacity. During a government meeting on Monday, Japanese authorities decided to extend the country’s state of emergency until the end of May. The country has yet to reach a satisfactory level of daily testing, and hospitals in major cities are beginning to complain that they are unable to cope with the increasing number of patients.
Wearing masks in airports and on flights becomes mandatory The major U.S. airlines Delta, American Airlines, and United, as well as several airlines from other countries, are implementing a mandatory policy of wearing medical masks on board. This rule applies not only to passengers, but also to crew members. 90% of the world’s commercial flights have been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but many companies are preparing to resume some flights as early as this month. World-renowned theater producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh believes it will be 2021 before London’s West End and New York’s Broadway theaters reopen. According to his words, while the social distancing rule is in effect, planning performances is considered impossible. Currently, official London screenings are canceled until May 31. Theaters in most countries around the world are closed indefinitely.