"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 4th Jun 2020
News Highlights
Coronavirus cases return to peak level as Iran lifts lockdown
State employees started returning to work and the government allowed gyms, mosques and most businesses to reopen in Iran, one of the countries that was hardest hit by the coronavirus early on. However, a surge in new infections has driven daily cases back toward the country's peak in late March.
Sweden admits to second thoughts over lockdown approach
Sweden imposed one of the lightest coronavirus lockdowns of any European country, with schools and restaurants remaining largely open and only large gatherings being banned. Now the scientists behind that decision has admitted the approach may not have been as effective, with Sweden having one of the highest death tolls per capita in the world. Neighbours Denmark and Norway, with stricter lockdowns, have only 530 and 237 deaths respectively, while Sweden has 4,486 deaths.
Coronavirus rages on in Brazil with toll surpassing 30,000
The death toll in Brazil crossed 30,000 on Tuesday, even as some states began to emerge from lockdown, despite warnings from the WHO and epidemiologists. Brazil now has 555,383 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, making it the second most affected country after the United States.
As lockdown lifts, some Australians find themselves with bigger bank balances
Several Australian individuals and families, whose pay was not affected by the coronavirus lockdowns, ended up cutting down on expenses and increasing their bank balances. According to national data released by Bankwest, median balances were up 45% from the pre-Covid-19 period and up 56% year-on-year.
Lockdown Exit
Restaurant bookings have fully recovered in Germany in a sign that activity rebounds quickly as lockdowns ease
Analysts at BCA Research compiled this chart, showing German bookings have actually fully recovered. Another place showing a strong recovery is Australia, which like Germany has been praised for its coronavirus response and has been further along in reopening than many countries. “Germany and Australia show that quickly after the lockdowns are eased, the number of reservations in restaurants rebounds strongly. This suggests that even if the behavior of households will not return to normal, there is significant scope for improvement from current levels,” said the analysts.
Italians on the move again as lockdown restrictions ease
Italians were allowed to travel to other regions of the country on Wednesday for the first time in nearly three months, in a further relaxation of lockdown restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Travellers boarding trains in Milan, capital of Lombardy in northern Italy, were excited at the prospect of finally being able to visit family and friends elsewhere in the country. “I work here in Milan and up until now I couldn’t move between regions,” said Anna Falcone, who was getting ready to board a train to Calabria, southwest Italy, to see her parents. “But now, with the possibility of smart working, I can return home and go and meet my parents and hug them again after three months of not seeing them,” she said. “I am happy and I can’t wait to see them.”
Africa Has to Weather Covid-19 Trauma Without Massive Stimulus
At the same time, the predominance of the informal sector could offer some protection and help African economies rebound more quickly than advanced counterparts, said Amaka Anku, Eurasia Group’s Africa head in a May 22 interview. They’re less leveraged and less interlinked, “so there’s not as much of a contagion effect,” she said. But the economic shock could still be devastating on a continent that’s home to about half the world’s poor. Many African countries are pushing for a debt standstill to free up funds to focus on supporting citizens. Even before the pandemic, rising interest costs were crowding out crucial social and health spending.
Spain's job haemorrhage dries up as country emerges from lockdown
The brutal job losses registered in Spain following the coronavirus outbreak reversed in May with the creation of net jobs for the first time since one of Europe's toughest lockdowns was imposed more than two months ago. As the lockdown gradually eased in May, a net 97,462 new jobs were created during the month, although the overall number of jobs in the country was still 885,985 lower than in May 2019. Data from the previous months had showed 900,000 jobs were lost in the second half of March alone. Spain registered 26,573 more people as jobless in May than in April, which represented a 0.69% increase. About 3.86 million people were out of work, data from the Labour Ministry showed on Tuesday.
Coronavirus in Spain: No deaths reported for second day in a row as lockdown restrictions eased
Spain, holding its breath as it emerges from lockdown, reported no deaths for the second day in a row since the pandemic started. One of the hardest-hit countries by Covid-19, it was positive news for Spaniards who had lived through dark times when hundreds of people lost their lives each day to the virus.
It’s like the 1944 liberation, say Parisians as they taste freedom from lockdown
The speed with which freedoms are being handed back has caught many restaurant owners by surprise. They were only informed on Thursday that they could open, and many have not had time to do so. Others, like Le Select, are serving drinks only. Jacques Viguier, the owner, who visited his brasserie every day during the two and a half months it was shut “to give myself something to do”, said he had yet to buy in the ingredients needed for a menu that features dishes such as duck confit, veal kidneys and beef tartare. He expects them to arrive in time to start serving meals tomorrow.
'We will survive': life after lockdown in resilient Marseille
Before Covid-19 struck, Marseille was due to host the Manifesta art biennale in June. Now a reworked programme will tbe held in August. Joke Quintens, an adopted Marseillaise from Belgium, has brought visiting delegations from across Europe as part of her Moving Marseille cultural initiative. “Marseille has faced many challenges throughout its history,” she says. “Resilience is part of its DNA.”
Covid-19: France records more than 100 new deaths as country's lockdown eases
The French health ministry said that the number of fatalities had risen by 107, or 0.4 percent, to 28,940, the fifth-highest tally in the world. It also said the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units fell to 1,253 from Monday’s tally of 1,302.
The latest toll comes as the country entered the second phase of easing the lockdown, imposed to stem the spread of Covid-19. On Tuesday, restaurants, bars and cafés opened throughout the country for the first time in almost three months.
Italy reopens to tourists from Europe after economically crippling lockdown
Switzerland has warned its citizens that if they go to Italy they will be subject to "health measures" on their return. The country will open its borders with Germany, France and Austria on June 15, but not with Italy. Austria is lifting restrictions in mid-June with Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary -- but again, not Italy, described last week by Vienna's health minister as "still a hotspot".
Other countries, such as Belgium and Britain, are still advising against, or forbidding, all non-essential travel abroad. In response to perceived anti-Italian sentiment, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has warned countries not to treat Italy "like a leper"
Air pollution in China back to pre-Covid levels and Europe may follow
Air pollution in China has climbed back to pre-pandemic levels, and scientists say Europe may follow suit. Air pollution causes at least 8m early deaths a year, and cleaner skies were seen as one of the few silver linings of Covid-19. Experts have called for action to help retain the air quality benefits of lockdowns, and measures taken to date have included expanding cycle lanes and space for walking in cities.
Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) shows concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) across China are now at the same levels as one year earlier. At the height of the country’s coronavirus response in early March, NO2 levels were down by 38% from 2019 and levels of PM2.5 were down by 34%.
Avatar 2 'special permission' filming in New Zealand amid lockdown row
Production was halted as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, and prime minister Jacinda Ardern closed New Zealand’s borders in March. Having seemingly got the pandemic in the country under control, lockdown measures have been loosened, but some local businesses have employees still stuck overseas as New Zealand’s borders remain closed. As a result, the arrival of the film’s crew has upset many residents who are still affected by the lockdown. Speaking to RNZ, chair of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment, June Ranson criticised the move to grant permission as a ‘double standard’.
Global report: Germany eases travel warning and cafe culture returns to Paris
Germany lifted its blanket European travel warning as coronavirus lockdowns across the EU continued to ease, with officials saying new cases in western Europe were now in steady decline. Parisians reclaimed their cafe terraces and Berliners took back their bars as normal life inched closer to returning in many parts of the continent. Germany’s foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said his government was maintaining its travel warning for non-European destinations, but from Wednesday it would issue individual advice for all Schengen-zone countries to allow holidaymakers to decide where they could safely travel this summer.
Avatar 2: James Cameron’s ‘special permission’ to return to New Zealand for filming branded ‘totally unfair’
James Cameron‘s return to New Zealand for filming of Avatar 2, having been given special permission to do so, has been met with some controversy. Over the weekend, the director and 55 members of his crew were permitted to enter the country despite the country’s border being closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. While New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, recently relaxed lockdown guidelines leading to the reopening of some offices and schools, the border remains closed to all foreign nationals.
Exit Strategies
Brazil surpasses 30,000 coronavirus deaths; in Sao Paulo City partial lifting of the lockdown delayed
Brazil surpassed 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday as the disease continued to rip through South America's worst-hit country. Figures released by the health ministry showed a new record 1,262 deaths in the previous 24 hours, as well as 28,936 new infections. The figures come as some Brazilian states began to emerge from weeks of economically-stifling quarantine measures despite warnings from the WHO and epidemiologists.
Lockdowns ease across the world as U.S. protests continue
Protests over the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis continued throughout the U.S. overnight, raising fears of a wave of new infections. According to NBC News' tally there have been 1.8 million coronavirus infections in the U.S. and 105,000 related deaths, the highest of any country on both counts. Meanwhile, countries across the world were lifting lockdown measures, with schools and businesses opening as a new way of life after the coronavirus pandemic emerges. Paris' famous street-side cafes will reopen Tuesday, while restrictions are also being eased in parts of Latin America. Schoolchildren returned to classes in Singapore Tuesday, all wearing face masks, following the United Kingdom on Monday and several other European and Asian countries last month.
Universities UK publishes principles for 'emerging from lockdown'
Universities UK has confirmed that the sector is planning a blended learning approach for the coming academic year, while student “bubbles” and an optional January start date for overseas students are being considered by some institutions.
The organisation published a set of principles on 3 June outlining how universities should prepare for the next academic year, stating that institutions will provide “as much in-person learning, teaching, support services and extra-curricular activities as public health advice and government guidance will support”. This will include “new ways of providing practical sessions in socially distanced forms” and “innovative approaches to extra-curricular activities such as welcome week programmes”, it said.
Lockdown rules: what is allowed in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The latest coronavirus rules, from Monday 1 June, are plentiful and complicated. This is your ultimate guide.
Coronavirus: Germany lifts travel restrictions for 31 countries, including UK
German foreign minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday announced that the country will lift its travel restrictions for 31 countries on 15 June. As well as allowing its citizens to travel to 26 EU member states, Germany will also lift its warning for Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the UK. However, Maas said that the government does not recommend travel to the UK while the country still has a 14-day quarantine period in place. “I realise that this decision will raise great hopes and expectations, but let me say that travel warnings are not travel bans — and travel advisories are not invitations to travel,” Maas said.
Britons can travel to Italy for holiday but must quarantine for 14 days on their return
The Italian tourist board has announced that British visitors can now travel to Italy with no quarantine restrictions. But before you start packing, it’s worth noting that the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is currently advising against all but essential travel abroad. What’s more, if you visit Italy from 8 June you will likely have to quarantine for 14 days on your return.
Italy opens borders ahead of neighbors, beckoning tourists
Italy officially ended its long coronavirus lockdown Wednesday, opening regional and international borders in a bid to boost summer tourism, but found itself alone as European neighbors viewed the move as premature and remained wary of visitors from Italy. Italy's long-awaited internal and external opening after nearly three months allowed residents to finally reunite with friends and family members, and brought a flood of French shoppers across the border for less expensive groceries and cigarettes. But normalcy was a long way off.
Spain’s football fans allowed back into stadiums to watch matches in lockdown Phase three not ruled out
Spain's Health Ministry has not completely ruled out allowing football fans back into stadiums during lockdown Phase three to watch matches when La Liga kicks off again next week. At a press briefing on Tuesday, Health Emergency Coordinator Fernando Simon said the issue is being looked at, but also made the point it would be “unfair” if not all football grounds could open their doors to supporters.
German coalition parties agree 130 billion euro stimulus package
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition on Wednesday agreed a bumper stimulus package to speed up Germany’s recovery from the coronavirus. Speaking at a news conference after marathon talks that extended well into the night, Merkel said the package would amount to 130 billion euros (116 billion pounds) and include lower value-added tax (VAT) to boost consumption. “The size of the package will amount to 130 billion euros for the years 2020/2021, 120 billion of which will be spent by the federal government,” Merkel said. “So we have an economic stimulus package, a package for the future.”
Asia Today: S. Korea opening schools despite spike in cases
South Korea on Wednesday reported 49 new cases of COVID-19, continuing a weekslong resurgence of the virus as the government defended its decision to reopen schools despite health risks. The figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on brought national totals to 11,590 cases and 273 deaths. All but one of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where hundreds of infections have been linked to entertainment venues, church gatherings and a massive e-commerce warehouse. Mayors and governors in the greater capital area have shut thousands of nightclubs, hostess bars, karaoke rooms, churches and wedding halls to slow the spread of the virus. Some entertainment venues in Seoul, Incheon and Daejeon began collecting the personal details of their customers through smartphone QR codes this week so they could be located easily when needed, a requirement that will be expanded nationwide on June 10.
South Korea reopening schools despite spike in cases
South Korea on Wednesday reported 49 new cases of COVID-19, continuing a weekslong resurgence of the virus as the government defended its decision to reopen schools despite health risks. The figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on brought national totals to 11,590 cases and 273 deaths. All but one of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where hundreds of infections have been linked to entertainment venues, church gatherings and a massive e-commerce warehouse.
Mayors and governors in the greater capital area have shut thousands of nightclubs, hostess bars, karaoke rooms, churches and wedding halls to slow the spread of the virus.
Australians will be among the first tourists to be allowed into Japan in the coming months
Australian tourists could soon be able to take a trip to Japan as the nation considers opening its borders to countries that have low rates of coronavirus. On Monday in Tokyo, lockdown restrictions began to be lifted with the Japanese capital reopening sports clubs, cinemas, department stores and schools. The country had previously closed its border to overseas travelers in February to stem the spread of COVID-19. Japan is now considering allowing in tourists from New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, and Vietnam over the next few months.
Rethinking the world's largest cities in wake of COVID-19
Remote working was already on the rise in many parts of the world before the pandemic. Now, as firms grapple with social distancing rules that limit how many workers can return, they are thinking about what their offices are really for. That in turn will force planners and city officials to reconsider and redesign central business districts, said Tony Matthews, a senior lecturer in urban and environmental planning at Australia’s Griffith University. “If daytime working populations fall, new populations are likely to be needed to keep these areas buzzing and generating incomes,” he said. “Some areas may need to be redesigned if they are no longer economically viable — retail districts, for example. Some office buildings may be demolished or repurposed, with the surrounding infrastructure and public space also changing in time,” he said.
Gradual easing of lockdown better for global supply chain, study suggests
Easing coronavirus lockdown measures over a 12-month period will minimise the impact on the global supply chain compared to lifting restrictions quickly, new research suggests. The study, led by University College London (UCL) and Tsinghua University in China, assessed how the world’s economy could be affected by Covid-19 lockdowns. It found that a gradual easing of restrictions – rather than lifting them over a two-month period and introducing a second lockdown in January next year – would be “less disruptive” for the global supply chain. It also suggests that stricter lockdowns implemented over a shorter period of time were “economically preferable” to more moderate measures imposed for four to six months.
Facebook data to show Australians' movement as they emerge from coronavirus lockdown
Researchers hope the addition of Facebook de-identified movement data will give a better overview of people slowly returning to their regular travels as we emerge from the coronavirus lockdown period, and help identify any potential places where physical distancing may be an issue. Several companies, including Google, Apple and Citymapper, make public de-identified data from their mapping and other location-based apps to track traffic flow across cities, states and countries.
Researchers have been using this data to model the massive traffic reductions seen as public health orders were put in place, businesses closed and some people began working from home.
New Zealand could return to normal life as early as next week
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday she could lift all social distancing measures to return the country to normal life, bar the international border closure, as early as next week. Ardern will decide on Monday whether the country is ready to shift to alert level 1, more than two months after she imposed a strict level 4 lockdown, shutting most businesses and forcing people to stay home, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Arden said waiting until Monday would allow her to see if recent changes, like the removal of restrictions on the number of people in bars and at social gatherings, had led to a rise in cases. "If it hasn't, then we will be in a good position to move," she said during a televised news conference.
New Zealand is set to scrap social distancing next week: Jacinda Arden confirms it will decide whether to move to alert level 1 on Monday
PM Jacinda Ardern said: 'Our strategy of go hard, go early has paid off.' New Zealand has not recorded a new case of coronavirus in the last 11 days. And there was just one active case of COVID-19 in the country on Tuesday. Level 1 will remove almost all restrictions and life will 'feel very, very normal'
Coronavirus: Dodgy data and double counting - the UK's testing data is a mess
Testing - doing it well, accounting for it well and using the results sensibly - is clearly a crucial part of the solution. Yet here in Britain we don't know how many people have been tested for the disease. Indeed, while the government was up until recently producing numbers on people tested, it recently admitted those figures are suspect and will have to be revised.
This is only one of the issues the Statistics Authority has with the government, as covered in a highly critical letter from its head, Sir David Norgrove, to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
This is the latest France travel advice as ‘Phase II’ of easing lockdown with cafe reopenings begins
In France, lockdown measures have been slowly relaxing over the past few weeks, after one of the strictest quarantines in the world. The latest development sees bans on journeys of more than 100km/62 miles ending from today (2 June), along with cafes, bars and restaurants in ‘green areas’ – where the virus is not circulating widely – also reopening on the same date. No more than 10 people will be allowed to sit together, and tables must be spaced one metre apart, with staff wearing masks. Establishments in ‘orange areas’ – such as Paris – will only be able to reopen outside terraces.
Coronavirus: New Zealand could lift all lockdown restrictions next week after 11 straight days with no new cases
New Zealand could lift its remaining restrictions on social distancing and group gatherings next week, after recording no new coronavirus cases for an 11th consecutive day. "Our strategy of go hard, go early has paid off," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday. "In moving to level one so soon, we will be one of the first countries in the world to have experienced a COVID-19 outbreak and then return to that level of normality so quickly."
Partisan Exits
Dominic Cummings' trip to Durham during lockdown DID prompt Brits following rules less closely
Thousands of people have said they are following lockdown rules less strictly and citing Dominic Cummings as part of the reason, according to a new poll. The YouGov survey found that one in five adults, or 21 per cent, stuck to lockdown restrictions less stringently last week than the week before. Out of this group, one in three — seven per cent of the total — mentioned Mr Cummings as part of the reason.
Continued Lockdown
‘Stigmatized, segregated, forgotten’: Colombia’s poor being evicted despite lockdowns
Hundreds of Bogotá’s poorest residents are caught between two brutal forces: a nationwide quarantine that makes working impossible and authorities forcing people from homes they say were unlawfully built. “In the middle of a pandemic the authorities are breaking all protocols without a care for how it affects us,” Don Pacho said, as a pack of his 15 dogs barked around his partially destroyed home overlooking Colombia’s capital. “They’ve got us stigmatized, segregated and forgotten.”
Met police twice as likely to fine black people over lockdown breaches – research
The Met, which covers London, issued 973 fines between 27 March 2and 14 May. White people, who make up 59% of London’s population, received 444 fines, or 46% of the total; black people, who make up 12% of London’s population, received 253 fines, or 26%. Asian people, who make up 18% of London’s population, received 23% of the fines. Analysis for the Guardian by Dr Krisztián Pósch, a lecturer in crime science at University College London, shows a clear disproportionality. Posch said: “Compared to their share of the population, people from a black ethnic minority were 2.17 times more likely to receive a fine and Asians around 26% more likely. In comparison, whites were 23% less likely to be fined.”
Record numbers used UK food banks in first month of lockdown
Poverty campaigners have called for an emergency cash support scheme to help struggling low-income households after UK food bank charities reported that the first full month of coronavirus lockdown was their “busiest ever”. The charities said their experience of record food bank use in April, following a huge surge in food aid in March, showed it was clear that current social security safety net measures were not enough to prevent poorer families being swept into destitution. The Trussell Trust, the UK’s biggest food bank network, said it gave out 89% more food parcels in April, compared to the same month last year, while the Independent Food Aid Network (Ifan) recorded a 175% increase over the same period.
The Latest: Minority Londoners targeted under lockdown rules
Spanish lawmakers have voted to extend for two additional weeks the state of emergency that allows the government to restrict movement and other rights as part of its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says Spain has “overcome the worst of the pandemic” and declared that he won’t seek further extensions beyond the end date of the special powers at midnight on June 21.
S. African court declares lockdown regulations "unconstitutional"
A South African court ruled on Tuesday that the COVID-19 lockdown regulations in the country are "unconstitutional" and "invalid." "Some of the regulations promulgated by the government simply did not meet the rationality test in preventing the spread of COVID-19," the North Gauteng High Court said in its ruling. The court gave the government 14 days to amend and republish the regulations to avoid infringing on people's rights. The court decision followed an application by the Liberty Fighters Network, which asked the court to declare the national state of disaster, established under the Disaster Management Act, "unconstitutional and unlawful."
Hong Kong extends coronavirus lockdown amid protests over new Chinese law
Hong Kong has been praised for the way it has contained the coronavirus. However, a new cluster of cases has propelled the government into extending restrictions. This extension comes amid protests about a new law being imposed by the central government.
Here’s the data that shows the UK’s lockdown is falling apart
As restrictions eased, and Dominic Cummings revealed details of his Barnard Castle eye test, the lockdown has collapsed
COVID-19 fattens wallets as Australians embark on saving spree in lockdown
Australians ramped up their saving efforts during the coronavirus pandemic and saw their bank accounts swell, according to national data released by Bankwest on Wednesday. Analysis of savings account data from the end of March to mid-May found median balances were up 45 per cent from the pre-COVID period and up 56 per cent year-on-year.
New Zealand on verge of eradicating virus
New Zealand is on the verge of eradicating the virus from its shores after it notched a 13th straight day with no reported new infections. Only a single person in the nation of 5 million people is known to still have the virus, and that person is not hospitalized. However, it remains likely that the country will import new cases once it reopens its borders, and officials say their aim remains to stamp out new infections as they arise. The country has already lifted many of its virus restrictions and could remove most of those that remain, including limiting crowd sizes, next week. Just over 1,500 people have contracted the virus during the outbreak, including 22 who died.
Australian councils struggle with huge rise in household rubbish during Covid-19 lockdown
Councils around Australia have seen a huge increase in volumes of household rubbish and dumping of waste triggered by a combination of more online shopping, home improvements, international workers returning to their home countries and a clearing out of unwanted possessions during the coronavirus lockdown. Streets across the country have been littered with items discarded by households either unable or willing to dispose of them any other way.
Scientific Viewpoint
Coronavirus in Wales: New lockdown measures 'may be needed in winter'
Some lockdown measures may have to be reintroduced in the winter, Health Minister Vaughan Gething has warned. A top Welsh Government official said there was a "real prospect" of a resurgence of the virus later in the year. Mr Gething said it will depend on the prevalence of coronavirus. Meanwhile the minister announced NHS health boards are looking at how they can restart planned NHS operations and cancer services.
Strict lockdown needed for the next year to control coronavirus, UK study finds
A strict lockdown would be needed in the UK for the next year to control coronavirus, save lives and prevent UK hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, a new study has suggested. Researchers said "extreme measures" are likely required to prevent "very large" numbers of deaths and intensive care units from filling up. The measures could include social distancing, school closures, shielding by the elderly and vulnerable, and self-isolating at home, the study said. It comes as the Governement gradually eases lockdown restrictions in England after 10 weeks amid fresh signs that more Britons are ignoring social distancing rules.
Earlier lockdown could have cut virus deaths by more than 85pc says UEA expert
If the UK had entered lockdown 10 days earlier it could have reduced the number of coronavirus cases and deaths by up to 85pc, a University of East Anglia professor has said.
Sweden Admits Light Lockdown Was Wrong Approach To Fighting Coronavirus
The scientist behind Sweden’s decision to impose one of the lightest coronavirus lockdowns of any European country has admitted the approach has not been effective and has led to one the highest death tolls per capita in the world. Per capita, the Scandinavian country has the 7th highest Covid-19 death toll in the world.
England had the chance to prepare for lifting lockdown, but our leaders wasted it
Until a vaccine or effective treatments become available, we face the prospect of living with coronavirus and the risks it presents. Public health experts are clear that testing and contact tracing offer the best hope of managing these risks. But as the lockdown is relaxed, England seems ill-prepared to undertake the testing and tracing that will be necessary to avoid a second peak in cases and deaths.
'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson warns Covid-19 cases are continuing to spill out of care homes and Britain's outbreak will continue at a stable rate until SEPTEMBER
Epidemiologist said he was ‘shocked’ by how badly sector had been protected
Said R rate would hover around 1 because staff keep taking virus out of homes
But warned of second wave in winter when the disease transmits much better
The ‘Japan model’ that tackled coronavirus
Much public debate in Japan had turned on cultural factors — such as high standards of hygiene, obedience to government requests and even claims that the lack of aspirated consonants in the Japanese language reduces the spread of virus droplets. But local experts do not believe their country has any magic power to defeat the virus. Instead they point to three more prosaic factors: a special contact-tracing strategy, early awareness that brought a positive reaction from the Japanese public and the timely declaration of a state of emergency.
Chief scientist warns coronavirus is 'not coming down fast' and R is almost 1
Sir Patrick Vallance said the number of deaths was also coming down "but it is not coming down as fast as we would like it to come down"
Coronavirus Resurgence
As Iran Lifts Its Lockdown, Coronavirus Cases Return to Peak Level
This past weekend, the government gave permission for all state employees to return to work and allowed gyms to reopen, removing most of the restrictions on businesses. Mosques across the country, some of which had been allowed to perform Friday prayers, are now permitted to hold daily congregations. Such moves have been met with warnings from Iranian health officials. “Not only is corona not finished, but we might also get a dangerous peak at any moment,” Health Minister Saeed Namaki said Monday, according to the semi-official ILNA news agency.
New Zealand is on the verge of eradicating the virus from its shores after it notched a 13th straight day with no reported new infections.
New Zealand is on the verge of eradicating the virus from its shores after it notched a 13th straight day with no reported new infections. Only a single person in the nation of 5 million people is known to still have the virus, and that person is not hospitalized. However, it remains likely that the country will import new cases once it reopens its borders, and officials say their aim remains to stamp out new infections as they arise. The country has already lifted many of its virus restrictions and could remove most of those that remain, including limiting crowd sizes, next week. Just over 1,500 people have contracted the virus during the outbreak, including 22 who died.