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    Coronavirus - 15th May

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 15th May Empty Coronavirus - 15th May

    Post by Kitkat Fri 15 May 2020, 08:18

    Summary for Friday, 15th May


    • Restaurants, cafes and shops can now open in Australia's most populous state, but with strict distancing rules
    • The WHO has warned nearly a quarter of a billion people in Africa could catch the virus in a year
    • A US whistleblower and virus expert has said "lives were lost" because of early government inaction
    • A survey suggests one in every 400 people in England is infected with the virus
    • The three Baltic states - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - create borderless travel zone for their citizens
    • Japan has lifted the state of emergency in 39 prefectures, after a sharp fall in new infections
    • More than 1.5m people have recovered from the virus worldwide, but 300,000 people have died


    Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. We're writing to you out of Singapore this morning. We'll be joined by our colleagues across Asia and London later on today.
    Some good news for those of you based in the Australian state of New South Wales. People are now able to go for a meal at restaurants, pubs, and cafes - though social distancing rules still have to be obeyed, and there are capacity restrictions.
    Japan too has lifted its state of emergency in 39 prefectures, after a sharp fall in new infections. Tokyo, however, will remain under the emergency restrictions.
    The virus has now reached the world's biggest refugee camp in Bangladesh. Two Rohingya refugees tested positive in Cox's Bazar, where around one million people are encamped.
    And in England, a swab test survey has suggested that one in 400 people has the virus - or 0.27% of the population.
    There are now over 4.4 million confirmed cases across the world, with some 302,115 deaths.

    Restaurants, cafes and some pubs re-open in Sydney

    Restaurants and cafes have re-opened today in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state. Pubs can also reopen but only for dining – the bar stays closed.
    But while the laws have been lifted, not all venues in Sydney are choosing to open their doors. There's a limit of just 10 patrons at any time - and many places say that's not a profitable number, so they'll just stick with takeaway orders.
    It's one of the reasons why Victoria, (where Melbourne is the state capital), has not allowed dine-in trade just yet. It still has the most stringent restrictions in the nation.
    But other states and territories are relaxing into the first stage of lockdown exit. In NSW and Queensland this weekend, households can receive up to five visitors and groups of up to 10 people can meet outside, gather for a bootcamp or go to church.
    Even greater freedoms are already allowed in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
    Australia - seen as a world leader in fighting the virus - has reported under 1% daily growth in new cases for the past month.
    There have been under 100 deaths, most of its 7,000 cases have recovered, and there are only 50 infected people in hospital currently.

    New Zealand sees new virus case

    New Zealand has reported one new virus case, breaking a run of three successive days with no cases.
    The new case is said to be a teenager linked to the Marist cluster in Auckland - one the country's biggest clusters.
    Marist College, a Catholic girls' school, has seen at least 85 cases linked to it.
    New Zealand is currently at "level 2" alert, meaning shops can reopen, gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed, and public transport has resumed.

    I haven't eaten this well in weeks!'

    Simon Atkinson - BBC News, Sydney
    People in this city love their cafes - so there are lots of smiles this morning as more relaxed rules allowed people to sit in for a flat white or smashed avocado on toast.
    At Kawa, close to Sydney's city centre, we found Graham Cordery - originally from Coventry in the UK - tucking into to a cooked breakfast.
    “I can’t cook so I haven’t eaten this well in weeks,” he told me.
    “I’ve missed the interaction you get in a cafe so it’s great to be able to come back.”
    Cafe owner William Walsh has been getting by on takeaway coffees and food, but trade has been down 80 - 90%.
    “We’re excited to be opening up and having people at our tables. We may never get quite back to where we were - this could be the new normal.”

    South Korea sees rise in Itaewon cases

    South Korea reported 27 more cases on Friday - most tied to a cluster that emerged from a nightlife district in the capital Seoul.
    The number of cases linked to the Itaewon district is now 142, as the government attempts to track down those who visited the area at the start of the month.
    All bars and clubs in the city have now been shut indefinitely.
    The cluster came after South Korea relaxed some of its social distancing guidelines.


    Where can you get a beer in Australia?

    As reported earlier, the rules regarding pub and restaurant reopenings vary across this vast continent. So where exactly can you get a meal or drink this weekend? Here is what's allowed:

    • New South Wales: Bars are closed. Restaurants and cafes are open. Pubs are serving drinks if there's a meal order. Maximum 10 customers
    • Queensland: Same as above, but rural venues can have 20 patrons
    • Western Australia: Same as above, but 20 customers are allowed from Monday
    • Australian Capital Territory: Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants all open with a 10 person limit. Drinks need to accompany meals
    • Northern Territory: Pubs are serving drinks with meals. Two-hour time limit to dining in restaurants and cafes
    • Tasmania: Restaurants and cafes are open. Pubs reopen for drinks from Monday. Bars remain closed
    • South Australia: Only outdoor dining is allowed with max 10 customers. No date yet on when pubs reopen
    • Victoria: All dining and drinking venues remain closed. No date yet on when they reopen


    Russia sends 25,000 tonnes of wheat to North Korea

    Russia has sent 25,000 tonnes of wheat in humanitarian aid to North Korea, its embassy in Pyongyang said in a Facebook post. The embassy said the ship's crew had since been placed in quarantine and the cargo was unloaded from the ship in an isolated area of the port.
    "We had to watch the great teamwork of North Korean longshoremen and railroad workers from afar," said a translation of the statement by the TASS agency.
    "We could see that they were doing their best to make sure that not a single grain was lost."
    A UN report published in April warned that some 10 million North Koreans were facing severe food shortages.
    It's not clear if food supply has been affected by the virus outbreak - Pyongyang maintains that there are no cases in the country.
    Simon Atkinson - BBC News, SydneyAdministrators at Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, say they’re expecting to receive eight bids for the carrier - and are likely to whittle them down to a shortlist of about three. Deloitte added that binding offers need to be made by mid-June.The carrier - which was hit hard by domestic and international travel restrictions - continues to operate a skeleton service.There's also some good news for Australians who had been saving the frequent flyer points issued by the airline.A freeze had been put on redeeming those points while the future of Virgin Australia was being resolved, but passengers have been told they can now use them to book flights on domestic routes from September onwards - and there’ll be full refunds if passengers or the airline cancel flights.'Baltic bubble' residents now free to travelMuch of Europe is still closed to travellers to contain the spread of coronavirus, but some countries have begun limited border openings.On Friday a "Baltic bubble" will open, allowing people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to travel freely between the three countries. It includes travel by rail, air, and sea.A quarantine remains in place for visitors from other countries.None of the three nations reported more than seven new cases on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Together they have seen under 150 deaths in total.The EU has promised there will be a European summer tourist season in some form. The industry provides almost 10% of Europe's economic output.What's the latest sports news?

    • The International Olympic Committee has set aside $800m (£654m) to help with the "severe" financial impact caused by the postponement of Tokyo 2020. Organisers will get $650m after this summer's Games were put back to 2021. The other $150m is set to be split into loans for international sports federations and national Olympic committees
    • The UK government says it is "opening the door" for the return of professional football in England in June. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said Thursday's meeting with the Football Association, Premier League and English Football League had "progressed plans"
    • Newcastle racecourse would host the first fixture under plans for British horse racing's return behind closed doors next month. Racing in Britain has been suspended since 17 March but - if a return is approved by the government - the Newcastle meeting would be held on 1 June

    How exposed is your job?Millions of workers across the UK are doing their jobs from makeshift set-ups in their living rooms and kitchens, while those in England who can't work from home are now encouraged to go back in if they can do so safely.But how exposed to coronavirus might you be in your job? And how does that compare to others?Data from the UK's Office for National Statistics, based on a US survey, puts into context the risk of exposure to disease, as well as the amount of close human contact workers had before social distancing and other safety measures were introduced.

    Read more about North Korea's shortage problems here

    Vietnam goes all in to save British pilot

    Vietnam is fighting to save the life of its most critically-ill Covid-19 patient, a British pilot who works for Vietnam Airlines.
    The 43-year-old man, identified only as Patient 91, has just 10% of his lung capacity left and has been on life support for more than 30 days, said state media outlet Tuoi Tre.
    It's thought he caught the virus in a bar in Ho Chi Minh City in mid-March.
    The only way to save his life, the health ministry said, is through a lung transplant. Ten people - including a 70-year-old military veteran - have volunteered as lung donors, but have been turned down.
    The country's regulations don't allow living people to donate their lungs.
    Vietnam has suffered no deaths as a result of the virus - and it's clear it doesn't want this to change.
    The country has spent more than $200,000 trying to save the pilot, said the Vietnam News Agency, with a foreign ministry spokeswoman saying the country's "best doctors" were on the case.

    Three million in Wuhan already tested

    Robin Brant - BBC News, Shanghai
    Authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan say they have tested more than three million people for the coronavirus, as part of fresh efforts to monitor the outbreak.
    Earlier this week, officials announced plans to test all 11 million people in the city where the outbreak began last year, after a very small - but worrying - resurgence in reported cases.
    Wuhan intends to give a nucleic acid test to all residents to try to find people who are asymptomatic - those who are infected and can pass on the virus, but do not show any symptoms themselves.
    There has been a cluster of new cases reported in a housing compound in Wuhan, with dozens of people infected - attributed to an 89-year-old man who fell ill in March.

    [*]Read more about Wuhan's testing plans here.

    China reports four new cases



    China has reported four new locally-transmitted virus cases - all in the north-eastern province of Jilin, which has seen a spate of new infections.
    The city of Shulan in the province has already entered a state of lockdown.
    The city of Jilin, which shares a name with the province, went into a partial lockdown after six cases emerged - almost all of which were traced to the cluster in Shulan.

    India announces free food for fleeing migrants



    As part of its $266bn (£216bn) economic plan to combat the Covid-19 lockdown, India will provide free food to domestic migrants for two months.
    Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that grain supplies worth $463m would benefit 80 million migrants on Thursday.
    Since the lockdown began, tens of thousands of migrants have been fleeing cities on foot, trying to return to their villages.
    Many of these informal workers, who form the backbone of city economies, feared they would starve in the lockdown.
    The plight of these workers - many of whom have been walking for days without adequate food and water - has caused widespread anger in the country.
    The announcements on Thursday - the second tranche of a series of economic stimulus measures - were aimed at migrant workers, street hawkers, small traders and small farmers.
    Click here for the full story

    WTO head steps down early as downturn looms



    The head of the World Trade Organization is stepping down a year earlier than planned, at a crucial moment for the global economy.
    Roberto Azevedo's surprise departure comes as the WTO faces the coronavirus pandemic and criticism from US President Donald Trump.
    Mr Azevedo said his early departure was a "personal decision" that was in the best interests of the organisation.
    Read more here

    Fiji throws out fines for Covid-19 rule breakers



    A High Court judge in Fiji has thrown out fines handed to 49 people who were caught breaking curfew or social gathering orders.
    There is currently a ban on social gatherings in Fiji, which has only 18 confirmed virus cases.
    Justice Salesi Temo said the fines were too hefty, calling them disproportionate for the offences committed.
    In one instance, a 19-year-old girl was fined FJ$500 (£181) for hugging her boyfriend at a seawall.

    149 flights, 31 countries and 30,000 Indians



    More than 140 flights will go to 31 countries to rescue 30,000 stranded Indians abroad starting tomorrow, the country's aviation minister has said.
    This is the second phase of India's mammoth repatriation mission. The first phase has already brought home more than 8,000 citizens from at least a dozen countries, Hardeep Singh Puri said earlier this week.
    Air India tweeted on Thursday that bookings for flights in the second phase, which include the US, UK, Germany, Australia and France, have opened.
    Since it closed its borders in March, India has operated a few flights to bring back Indian citizens. But the latest exercise, which has been dubbed the Vande Bharath (Hail India) mission, is the most organised effort so far.
    India has reported more than 80,000 Covid-19 infections, including 2,649 deaths.

    Aussie paper celebrates pubs openingCoronavirus - 15th May 40a2e210




    The folks over at NT News in Darwin, Australia have made it quite clear what their thoughts are on pubs reopening today.
    The Northern Territory, like New South Wales and other states, will allow residents to head to their nearest pub. But there's a caveat - drinks will only be served with meals and there's a two-hour time limit to dining.
    But NT News has not let that stop it celebrating.
    "For the first time in 53 days, Territorians can go back to the pub," yelled the cover of the paper.
    "Why? Because we're the safest place in Australia. Are we going to rub salt into the wounds of peasant Southerners?
    "Too bloody right we are!"
    The Northern Territory will from today also allow other indoor activities like going to gyms, visiting museums - or even getting a manicure.

    Mexico at 'peak of pandemic cycle'



    Mexico has recorded its worst day for new coronavirus cases since the outbreak began.
    The health ministry said on Thursday there had been more 2,400 new cases as well as 257 deaths.
    The total number of Covid-19 deaths in Mexico is now at nearly 4,500.
    The country’s coronavirus tsar, Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said Mexico was at the peak of its pandemic cycle and could not relax restrictions.

    How 'overreaction' made Vietnam a virus success



    Anna Jones - BBC News
    As we've mentioned, Vietnam has had no virus-related deaths so far, and just over 300 cases - despite its proximity to China.
    Nearly a month has passed since its last community transmission and the country is already starting to open up.
    So how has it achieved this?
    "When you're dealing with these kinds of unknown novel potentially dangerous pathogens, it's better to overreact," says Dr Todd Pollack in Hanoi.
    Read the full story here about how "extreme" action early on helped Vietnam fight the virus.

    Coronavirus could cost world economy $8.8 trillion



    The coronavirus pandemic could cost the global economy between $5.8 trillion and $8.8 trillion (£4.7tn-£7.1tn) as measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 paralyse economic activity.
    The latest estimate from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) equates to 6.4% - 9.7% of the world's economic output - and is more than double its prediction last month.
    The ADB said the top end of the estimate was based on the assumption that curbs to movement and businesses operating would last six months.
    The bottom end assumed the restrictions would remain in place for three months.
    Read more here

    Cases emerge in world's largest refugee camp




    Two Rohingya refugees have tested positive for coronavirus in the world's largest refugee camp, Bangladeshi officials say.
    They are the first confirmed cases among refugees in Cox's Bazar, where around one million Rohingya are encamped, a government doctor said.
    Officials told the BBC that those infected were being treated in isolation and that around 1,900 other refugees were being isolated for tests.
    The Rohingya in the crowded camps of Cox's Bazar - who fled brutal treatment in Myanmar - have been living under lockdown since 14 March.
    Aid agencies have been warning for weeks about the potential impact of the virus on the Rohingya refugees, who live in cramped, congested conditions, and have limited access to clean water.
    Click here for the full story

    Coronavirus - 15th May Ca471910
    There are fears the virus could spread rapidly in the camp

    WHO: 250m Africans could catch virus in one year



    BBC World Service
    Scientists at the World Health Organization say nearly a quarter of a billion people in Africa could catch coronavirus in a year.
    Their study, published in BMJ Global Health, says between 150,000 and 190,000 Africans could die from Covid-19.
    It says 5.5 million people would need hospital treatment, overwhelming services already struggling to treat malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.
    Coronavirus has been relatively slow to spread in Africa, but has already taken hold in camps for displaced people in South Sudan.

    AFRICA TRACKER: Updates on the continent's cases

    Mastercard CEO: 'We will not lay off employees'



    Sharanjit Leyl - BBC News, Singapore
    As the latest numbers confirmed a quarter of Americans had lost their jobs in the last two months, the chief executive of one of the country’s biggest credit card firms has reassured his employees that they won’t lose theirs this year.
    Ajay Banga who runs Mastercard - which employs nearly 20,000 globally - told me in an exclusive BBC interview that one of the first things he did when the lockdowns started was to tell his employees “there would be no Covid-related layoffs this year”.
    "So instead of being worried about their jobs," he said, "they should be worrying about each other, worry about their families, and worry about their clients."
    Banga, who regularly ranks as one of the world’s top performing CEOs, took over as chief executive of the global payments processing firm at the height of the last financial crisis a decade ago.
    He describes the current scenario as "many multiples of that" - and doesn’t see Mastercard or the global economy getting back to "a pre-Covid growth scenario" until later next year, when a vaccine may be available.

    Brazil virus cases hit daily record



    Brazil recorded a daily record of 13,944 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday.
    Brazil, the most populous country in Latin America, now has 202,918 confirmed cases and 13,933 deaths, the health ministry data shows.
    But despite experts saying Brazil is at the peak of its pandemic curve, President Jair Bolsonaro has urged business leaders to push for lifting lockdown orders, which are imposed at state level.

    Wuhan residents queue for testing



    The Chinese city of Wuhan - where the virus emerged last year - has begun testing its entire population for coronavirus after a small cluster of cases emerged in the city.
    About 11 million residents are getting tested in makeshift tents in parks, residential communities and car parks.

    Singapore defers Hajj plans for 900 pilgrims



    The plans of 900 Muslim pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj will be deferred to 2021, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore has said, according to local media.
    Saudi Arabia has not made an official announcement on the status of this year's Hajj, which is due to start in late July.
    The council said more than 80% of those registered to go were above the age of 50 - a group health authorities say are at greater risk from Covid-19.
    Every year millions of Muslims travel to the holy city of Mecca. Muslims are required to make the journey at least one in their life if they are physically able and can afford to do so.

    What's the latest in the UK?






    Eight bids expected for Virgin Australia



    Administrators at Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, say they’re expecting to receive eight bids for the carrier - and are likely to whittle them down to a shortlist of about three. Deloitte added that binding offers need to be made by mid-June.
    The carrier - which was hit hard by domestic and international travel restrictions - continues to operate a skeleton service.
    There's also some good news for Australians who had been saving the frequent flyer points issued by the airline.
    A freeze had been put on redeeming those points while the future of Virgin Australia was being resolved, but passengers have been told they can now use them to book flights on domestic routes from September onwards - and there’ll be full refunds if passengers or the airline cancel flights.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 15th May Empty Re: Coronavirus - 15th May

    Post by Kitkat Fri 15 May 2020, 11:56

    'Baltic bubble' residents now free to travel

    Much of Europe is still closed to travellers to contain the spread of coronavirus, but some countries have begun limited border openings.
    On Friday a "Baltic bubble" will open, allowing people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to travel freely between the three countries. It includes travel by rail, air, and sea.
    A quarantine remains in place for visitors from other countries.
    None of the three nations reported more than seven new cases on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Together they have seen under 150 deaths in total.
    The EU has promised there will be a European summer tourist season in some form. The industry provides almost 10% of Europe's economic output.

    What's the latest sports news?


    • The International Olympic Committee has set aside $800m (£654m) to help with the "severe" financial impact caused by the postponement of Tokyo 2020. Organisers will get $650m after this summer's Games were put back to 2021. The other $150m is set to be split into loans for international sports federations and national Olympic committees
    • The UK government says it is "opening the door" for the return of professional football in England in June. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said Thursday's meeting with the Football Association, Premier League and English Football League had "progressed plans"
    • Newcastle racecourse would host the first fixture under plans for British horse racing's return behind closed doors next month. Racing in Britain has been suspended since 17 March but - if a return is approved by the government - the Newcastle meeting would be held on 1 June


    How Covid-19 is relaxing US drinking

    Marianna Brady - BBC News, Washington
    Coronavirus has Americans picking up two new summer accessories: a mask and an alcoholic to-go drink.
    After weeks of sheltering in place, many are looking for ways to cut loose.
    With bars and restaurants closed to the public in most states, and summer weather approaching, they're heading outdoors to relax and socialise.
    And for some, that means having a drink - sometimes in spite of the law.
    Veteran drinks writer Amanda Schuster says that in her neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York, "it seems like everyone's over" prohibitions on public drinking.
    "It's as if people have the attitude that 'no-one's going to arrest us for this when they have other things to do,'" says Schuster, editor-in-chief for online magazine Alcohol Professor.
    Read the full story here

    Confusion over reopening of Wisconsin businesses

    Some businesses in the US state of Wisconsin have reopened after the state's supreme court overturned the governor’s stay-at-home order.
    The judges ruled that Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, does not have the power to impose a statewide lockdown.
    Commenting on the move, President Donald Trump tweeted: "The people want to get on with their lives. The place is bustling!"
    But there has been confusion as some local leaders in cities such as Milwaukee and Appleton, as well as in Dane, Brown and Kenosha counties, have kept lockdowns in place.
    It means that, under city rules, some businesses cannot open until 26 May - but those in neighbouring counties can open immediately.

    UK could face 'many, many outbreaks' - WHO envoy

    Today Programme - BBC Radio 4
    Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organization's special envoy for Covid-19, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the UK needs to be "very careful" in opening up from lockdown as it still has "a lot of virus around".
    "As soon as movement does restart all over the country there could well be many, many outbreaks," he said.
    He said the nation faces a "massive task" to recruit and train the thousands of contact tracers who will be needed to implement an effective test, trace and isolate strategy.
    "That’s been shown in other countries to be the key to living with this virus as a constant threat, and getting on with life," he said. "It’s not second waves, it’s a constant threat."
    Capacity to test, trace and isolate needs to be in place before lockdowns are lifted, he said. "Lockdown is freezing the virus in place and giving us time to get ready so when we release the lockdown we are better prepared."

    Philippines typhoon relief 'a nightmare' during Covid-19

    Lockdown restrictions in the Philippines are impeding efforts to help victims of Typhoon Vongfong, which struck the east of the country on Thursday.
    Relief workers are trying to move hundreds of thousands of people into evacuation centres, but social distancing rules have thrown up complications.
    Some 200,000 people need to be rescued from their homes amid fears of flooding or landslides.
    “This is really a nightmare for us,” Ben Evardone, governor of the Eastern Samar province, told CNN Philippines. “Our problem right now is where to squeeze our people, while making sure they practice social distancing.”
    Typhoon Vongfong is the first to hit the country this year. The Philippines has confirmed more than 11,000 covid infections and 790 deaths.

    Millions of US pigs to be destroyed

    About 10 million pigs could be killed by mid-September, the organisation representing the US pork industry has warned.
    The National Pork Producers Council says farmers unable to send their livestock to processing factories will be left with no choice but to destroy the animals. If they don't, farmers will run out of space and food for their livestock.
    Meat factories in the US have closed or reduced capacity because of the coronavirus pandemic. In April President Donald Trump ordered meat-packing businesses to stay open. But pork-processing capacity is down by nearly 40%.
    There are around 14,000 confirmed coronavirus infections in meat-processing factories and at least 54 employees have died, according to CBS News.

    The latest from around Europe

    Slovenia has become the first European country to declare an official end to its coronavirus epidemic. The Balkan EU member state has a population of two million and has seen only a handful of daily cases in the past fortnight. In total it reported 1,464 cases and 103 deaths. There'll be no more quarantine if you're travelling to Slovenia from another EU country.
    In other news:

    • Researchers say Belgium has seen its highest April mortality rate since World War Two. The team at Vrije Universiteit Brussel say the southern city of Mons and Brussels itself were hit particularly hard
    • The three Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - have resumed free movement in their own "Baltic bubble", by land, sea and air. Read more here
    • Russia has declared another 10,598 new infections and 113 more deaths in the past 24 hours - it has now seen 262,843 cases
    • Restaurants and cafes are reopening in Austria. Tables should be at least a metre apart, there should be a maximum of four adults plus children. No salt-shakers are allowed on tables
    • Germany is gearing up for a return to Bundesliga football on Saturday - but an ARD opinion poll suggests 56% of Germans believe it's too early


    German economy enters recession

    Germany has plunged into a recession after suffering its steepest quarterly contraction since the 2009 financial crisis.
    Europe's biggest economy shrank by 2.2% in the first three months of 2020, after shops and businesses were shut in mid-March to fight the spread of coronavirus.
    However, the drop is not as bad as in other major economies such as France (5.8%) and Italy (4.7%). This is partly due to a decision by Germany's 16 states to allow factories and construction sites to stay open, and an unprecedented rescue package by the government.
    Economists expect a deeper slump in the second quarter of the year, as the full effects of the lockdown become apparent.

    UK minister denies 'chaos' over warnings to care homes

    Today Programme - BBC Radio 4
    With the government under pressure over deaths in UK care homes, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has denied that its advice was in "chaos" as the virus spread.
    He was challenged over guidance about the virus spreading in the community, which did not change until 13 March - even though the government had informed the World Health Organization that community transmission was happening at the end of February.
    "I’m sorry but I don’t agree," Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said the government had "worked closely" with care homes to ensure "the guidance and support was there".

    Is Putin rushing Russia out of lockdown?

    Russia's latest coronavirus figures show 10,598 new confirmed cases on Friday, pushing its nationwide tally to 262,843.
    The country has struggled to get daily increases below 10,000 for days.
    But it looks as though President Vladimir Putin has run out of patience with the virus, reports our Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford.
    He is keen to end the lockdown and has sent millions of workers back to factories.
    "For the first time in his active political life, Putin is faced by a problem which is absolutely not under his control and which broke all of his plans," says Chatham House political analyst Nikolai Petrov.
    Read more here

    N Korean propaganda shows citizens visiting shops and parks

    BBC Monitoring - The world through its media
    North Korea has unveiled footage of people in Pyongyang spending time outdoors, in a move seen as a response to foreign reports about the country struggling to contain Covid-19.
    The state-run DPRK Today website uploaded two three-minute clips on 13 May showing citizens visiting department stores and parks with family and friends. Most of the employees and visitors are wearing masks.
    Although there was no direct mention of Covid-19, a shop assistant quoted in the video said there were enough groceries to meet demand, and one visitor said she came out for shopping at least three times a week.
    Though Pyongyang denies having coronavirus cases, news reports have emerged in recent weeks suggesting North Korea is struggling with a lack of supplies and witnessing a panic-buying spree.

    Slovenia first in Europe to declare itself virus-free

    Guy De Launey, BBC Balkans Correspondent
    A decree declaring an end to Slovenia's coronavirus outbreak will come into effect at the end of this month. Prime minister Janez Jansa said his country had "the best epidemiological status in Europe".
    Neighbouring states may dispute that point. Montenegro has reported no new cases of Covid-19 for more than a week, and only eight active cases. Slovenia has reported just 35 cases in the past two weeks.
    The official end of the epidemic will allow EU citizens to cross at certain border points without having to quarantine. People from non-EU countries will still face a two-week isolation period.
    The timing of the decree allows Slovenia to claim to be the first European country to declare victory over Covid-19, but there is also an element of expedience. It prevents the automatic extension of emergency aid for businesses and individuals, which will now cease at the end of the month.

    Germany to relax quarantine for EU and UK arrivals

    Germany will ease quarantine rules for visitors arriving from the EU and the UK, the interior ministry says.
    On Wednesday it began to open some border crossings with Austria, France and Switzerland. The country said it is aiming for "free travel" in the EU by June.

    Wales considers 'cautious' welcome for summer tourists

    Today Programme - BBC Radio 4
    Earlier, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he wanted to open "some aspects of tourism" in the summer season.
    "It will have to be very careful and cautious and it will have to be with the consent of the community in places where tourism visits," he said.
    It comes as Drakeford publishes the lockdown exit plan for Wales, setting out a traffic light system for progressive easing of restrictions on education, social life and business.
    He said that unlike in England, there would be no proposed dates for steps like reopening schools, as the Welsh government wanted to focus on progress in reducing the transmission of the virus rather than setting a fixed timeline.

    Mass testing under way in Wuhan

    A massive testing programme is under way in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus first emerged in December.
    Officials hope to check all 11 million residents. They have already tested 3 million people since April, state media say. Authorities want to establish the number of asymptomatic cases present in the city.
    It comes after Wuhan recorded its first new case for more than a month last weekend, with an additional five new confirmed infections reported on Monday.
    Photos from the city show long queues at testing sites. You can read more about the programme here.

    Photos of crowded Indonesian airport spark anger

    Resty Woro Yuniar - BBC News, Jakarta
    Photos of a packed airport in Indonesia have triggered an uproar online.
    On Thursday passengers filled Soekarno-Hatta airport, near Jakarta, after domestic flights reopened with restrictions in place. Those allowed to fly include state officials, workers for private and state-owned enterprises catering to essential services, and people needing emergency medical care, among others.
    They also need test results proving they’re Covid-19 negative, or a health certificate from a local hospital.
    Airport operators said they would try to maintain physical distancing in every area, but many are upset that rules are not being firmly enforced.
    The anger followed another breach of distancing rules when Jakartans flocked to the country’s first McDonald’s branch on Sunday to mark its closure after 30 years in operation.


      :tweet:  :Left Quotes: Pejalan:
    Masih mau menghambat orang-orang pergi Jumatan? Masih mau wanti-wanti warga tak boleh sholat Iedul Fitri di masjid?

    Dua fenomena di bawah ini; Terminal 2 Bandara Soetta dan McD Sarinah, Jakarta, warga dibiarkan berhamburan sementara sholat ke masjid, dipersulit.
    Coronavirus - 15th May Ex9i2x10Coronavirus - 15th May Ex9ju110
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 15th May Empty Re: Coronavirus - 15th May

    Post by Kitkat Fri 15 May 2020, 15:34

    China urges co-operation after Trump threat to cut ties

    China has urged the US to help strengthen co-operation in the fight against coronavirus, following renewed criticism of its response from President Donald Trump.
    The Chinese foreign ministry said the two governments should be "fighting the virus together", but added that this would require the US "to want to work with us on this".
    On Thursday President Donald Trump threatened to "cut off the whole relationship" with China, as he continued to accuse Beijing of not doing enough to stop the spread of the virus.
    The relationship between the two countries could worsen further after the US Senate passed a bill calling for Beijing to be punished for human rights abuses in Xinjiang. As many as one million Muslim Uighurs have been sent to "re-education camps" in the province.

    London's congestion charge is back - and going up

    The congestion charge in London will be reinstated on Monday and will rise from £11.50 to £15 from 22 June.
    London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the "temporary" increase was intended to encourage the public to walk or cycle rather than drive, at a time when people are urged to avoid crowding onto public transport.
    The hours are also being extended: the congestion charge will now apply from 07:00 to 22:00, seven days a week. A system of reimbursement for NHS workers will be extended to care home workers, however.
    The low emission zone and ultra-low emission zone - which impose levies on high-polluting vehicles - are also returning on Monday.

    German economy shrinks and other headlines

    If you're just joining us, here are Friday's main developments so far:

    • Germany's economy, the largest in Europe, has shrunk by by 2.2%, the worst figure since 2009 and the financial crisis
    • The US could face its "darkest winter in modern history" because of the coronavirus pandemic, a former top health official has told Congress
    • Some National Health Service managers have tried to stop doctors speaking publicly about shortages of personal protective equipment in the UK, the BBC has been told
    • The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have opened their borders to one another, creating a coronavirus "travel bubble"


    • More than 1.5m people have recovered from the virus worldwide, but 300,000 people have died


    Lonely hearts in lockdown hit by romance scams

    Scammers are using lockdown to trick lonely people out of cash with false promises of future romance, a victims' charity has warned.
    One 62-year-old widow said she lost thousands of pounds to a man claiming to be an American living overseas, before discovering she was the victim of a criminal gang working in shifts.
    The fraudsters posing as the woman's long-distance suitor started grooming her before the pandemic, but the virus gave them a chance to get more money from her.
    Read the full story


    Mob smashes up ward in row over patient's body

    Riaz Sohail - BBC Urdu, Karachi
    Coronavirus - 15th May F27f7010
    Police in the Pakistani city of Karachi have arrested 10 people for vandalising a hospital ward after staff refused to hand over the body of a relative who died of Covid-19.
    Video footage showed broken windows and furniture in the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
    Its director Dr Seemi Jamali said 37 coronavirus patients were being treated in the ward that was smashed up.
    The 60-year-old patient had been referred on Wednesday when his condition deteriorated, and died the following evening.
    “The relatives who were camping close to the hospital wanted us to hand them the body immediately, but we refused because the rules require us to first inform the district health officer, and then call in the Edhi Trust volunteers who clean the body, wrap it in plastic sheets and ship it for burial.”
    Relatives then stormed the ward, breaking furniture, windows and computers, and took the dead body downstairs.

    'Surge' in bird of prey killings in UK since lockdown

    Claire Marshall - Environment correspondent, BBC News
    Coronavirus - 15th May 29265510

    British wildlife charity the RSPB says it has been "overrun" by reports of birds of prey being illegally killed since the lockdown started over seven weeks ago.
    Species that had been targeted include hen harriers, peregrine falcons, red kites, goshawks, buzzards and a barn owl.
    The RSPB described the crimes as "orchestrated".
    It said the "vast majority" of killings had connections with shooting estates, or land managed for shooting. Some birds of prey are known to feed on pheasant and grouse chicks.



    Police in England and Wales issue 14,000 lockdown fines

    Coronavirus - 15th May Cae7e210
    Officers have been patrolling areas such as beaches to enforce coronavirus regulations

    More than 14,000 fines for alleged breaches of lockdown regulations have been handed out by police in England and Wales.
    The UK's largest force - the Metropolitan Police in London - also issued the most penalty notices, with 906. By contrast, Warwickshire Police issued only 31.
    Welsh police forces were responsible for 799 of the fines, issued between 27 March and 11 May, compared to 13,445 in England.
    The largest number of fines issued in a single day was on 11 April, the Saturday of the Easter weekend, when 600 penalty notices were handed out.

    Measures 'could differ across England'

    Some lockdown measures could be "eased at different rates" in different parts of England, the government says.
    The prime minister's spokesman said the roadmap for lifting the UK's restrictions talked about being "responsive to local infection rates" and that "could lead to some of the measures being eased at different rates in different parts of the country".
    But he added that this approach could also see some measures being re-imposed in some parts of the country and not others.

    'No lockdown' Sweden defends policy

    Sweden controversially opted to avoid a lockdown – a decision defended by Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who says “there is no one-size-fits-all” in this crisis.
    He said some media had misreported Sweden’s policy and insisted that “life is not carrying on as normal”. “Many are staying at home,” he told a news conference.
    Social distancing is voluntary, but surveys suggest that most Swedes are doing it. The prime minister said the government’s public health recommendations were to be obeyed - “this is not friendly advice”.
    He also said the government had failed to do enough to protect the elderly. The vast majority of Sweden’s 3,529 deaths so far have been among the over-70s, the BBC's Maddy Savage reports.
    Sweden, with 10 million inhabitants, has not closed its borders, but has advised against travelling abroad.

    Austria allows restaurants and cafes to reopen

    Bethany Bell - BBC News, Vienna
    Coronavirus - 15th May 15433910

    I am writing this from a Vienna cafe - something which in normal times I do frequently, but which hasn’t been possible for two months.
    The coffee and the apple strudel are as good as ever, but there are far fewer guests because strict social distancing rules apply.
    Cafes and restaurants have to ensure that there is at least a metre between each table.
    A maximum of four adults are permitted at each table, along with their children. All the serving staff are wearing face masks.
    Coronavirus - 15th May 5922c110

    Normally I wouldn’t make a reservation to come to a cafe, but now customers are being encouraged to do so to help with social distancing and tracing in the event of an outbreak.
    Many restaurant owners say it will be a struggle to pay the same overheads with fewer customers and tourists.
    In an attempt to stimulate business, Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig has announced that all Viennese households will receive a voucher of up to €50 (£54; £44) to use in one of the city’s restaurants or cafes in the coming months.

    US vote on $3tn virus relief package

    US Democrats are expected to push a $3tn (£2.4tn) coronavirus stimulus package through the House of Representatives today.
    The 1,800-page legislation, dubbed the Heroes Act, would provide a second round of stimulus cheques for millions of Americans and fund various sectors such as local governments, healthcare systems and the postal service.
    The wide-reaching bill also includes a section which requires passengers to wear face masks on aeroplanes and public transport, and a so-called "Heroes Fund" which would give extra pay to key workers.
    The White House has threatened to veto the bill and accused Democrats of trying to pass "ideological wish lists", while Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it "a totally unserious effort".

    Wales exit plan 'puts people's health first' - Drakeford

    The Welsh government has revealed its roadmap for easing lockdown measures.
    Announcing the exit plan, First Minister Mark Drakeford said it would be based on a traffic light system - moving towards a "green zone" under which the most restrictions would be lifted.
    Drakeford said the strategy "isn't just a plan to get people back to work" and "puts people's health first".
    "We know just how much everyone wants to see their family and friends and this has been a key consideration for us," he added.
    No dates were provided for when changes could be made and Drakeford said the government would move "carefully and cautiously" in easing the lockdown.
    A total of 1,164 people have died in Wales after testing positive for Covid-19, according to Public Health Wales (PHW) figures.
    Follow the latest on this story here.

    Over 12,000 Covid deaths in England and Wales care homes

    Official figures show that 12,256 residents of care homes in England and Wales died with Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificates.
    That's more than a third higher than previously quoted figures - because some of the residents were admitted to hospital before they died, and so were counted in the main hospital statistics.
    The figures from the Office for National Statistics cover the period between 2 March and 1 May. They provide the most extensive picture yet of the damage done by coronavirus in the social care system.
    Covid-19 became the leading cause of death for men in care homes and the second leading cause for women.
    In total, there were 45,889 deaths of care home residents, more than a quarter of which involved coronavirus.
    Read more about the struggle care homes have faced

    More on Germany's quarantine easing

    Here's a bit more detail on that report that Germany is relaxing its quarantine rules for arrivals from the Schengen passport-free zone, the rest of the EU and the UK.
    Visitors will still be required to quarantine for 14 days if they are coming from a country with "elevated infections", an interior ministry spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
    Some areas of Germany, including North Rhine-Westphalia, have already eased their rules.
    As of 9 April, visitors to Germany have been required to go directly to their accommodation and stay in isolation for 14 days. Exceptions include commuters, seasonal workers and police and health authorities.
    The quarantine rules will still apply to visitors from countries outside Europe.

    Macaque monkey trial offers hope

    A vaccine against coronavirus appears to have provided protection against the disease Covid-19 in six rhesus macaque monkeys.
    In a trial in the US, involving researchers from the US government's National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Oxford, the animals were given the vaccine before being exposed to SARS-CoV-2.
    The trial then found that the monkeys had less of the virus in their lungs and airways compared to a control group of monkeys which was not given the vaccine.
    Rhesus macaques have similar immune systems to humans and the vaccine is now undergoing human clinical trials.

    New York City extends lockdown until 28 May

    New York City's lockdown has been extended until 28 May at the earliest.
    New York State governor Andrew Cuomo announced the extension, while easing the shutdown in other parts of the state.
    It has already been announced that Broadway theatres will be closed until at least early September. It is not known when schools will reopen.
    The stay-at-home order had been set to expire on Friday.
    Cuomo announced in a tweet that five regions of the state could now begin reopening non-essential businesses.

      :tweet: :Left Quotes: Andrew Cuomo:
    The Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, the North Country, and Central NY are ready to begin Phase 1 of reopening tomorrow.
    The others can be UN-PAUSED the moment they hit their benchmarks.
    New Yorkers be proud. Your actions bent the curve.
    Coronavirus - 15th May Eybpj410


    Coronavirus deaths in English hospitals rise by 186

    Another 186 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in England, bringing the confirmed number of deaths in hospitals to 24,345, according to NHS England.
    A total of 2,053 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 46 from 2,007 on Thursday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.
    Public Health Wales said a further nine people have died after testing positive, taking the total there to 1,173.
    Overall figures for the whole of the UK will be announced later by the Department of Health and Social Care.

    League One football fails to agree end to season

    Football clubs in League One have failed to agree whether to end the season early after talks today with the English Football League.
    The 23 clubs, which are in the third tier of English football below the Premier League and the EFL Championship, will meet again on Monday.
    BBC Sport understands there is a general acceptance among clubs in both League One and League Two that resuming the current campaign is impossible because of a lack of money.
    But on Thursday six clubs said they had "no desire for voiding the season, points-per-game scenarios or letting a computer decide our footballing fate".
    Read the full story here

    Russian MPs spotted wearing ‘anti-coronavirus crosses’

    BBC Monitoring - The world through its media
    Coronavirus - 15th May B34f5710

    Members of the Russian parliament have started wearing badges that purportedly protect the wearer from coronavirus, reports say.
    The badges, which feature a white cross design and appear to be of the type falsely falsemarketed as “virus stoppers” in Russia, were spotted at a recent meeting of the State Duma lower house
    However, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) says the active ingredient in such products, the bleaching agent chlorine dioxide, is harmful and calls claims that it helps against Covid-19 “fraudulent”.
    “Chlorine dioxide products have not been shown to be safe and effective for any use, including Covid-19”, the FDA says.
    President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has also been seen wearing a similar kind of product.
    When asked by reporters if he was sure the badge worked, he said: "To be honest, I’m not sure if it helps in any way. I’ve read that many experts say it can be harmful.”
    On Tuesday, Peskov confirmed he had been diagnosed with the virus and is being treated in hospital.
    Kitkat
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    Coronavirus - 15th May Empty Re: Coronavirus - 15th May

    Post by Kitkat Fri 15 May 2020, 21:34

    UK death toll rises by 384

    A further 384 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, the latest daily government figures show.
    It brings the total death toll - including those reported in hospitals and the wider community - to 33,998.
    The figures also showed that 133,784 tests were carried out or posted on Thursday.
    It is the fourth time the government has met its 100,000 a day target, according to its criteria.


    Tennis suspension extended by three weeks


    Russell Fuller - BBC tennis correspondent
    The suspension of professional tennis has been extended by a further three weeks until at least 31 July.
    The majority of the men's ATP and women's WTA Tour events affected were due to take place on clay courts in Europe.
    The WTA has formally cancelled four of its events, but left the door open to staging tournaments in Karlsruhe, Germany and Palermo, Italy at a later date.
    The ATP has also not ruled out rearranging some events.There will be an announcement next month on the tournaments scheduled for North America in the run-up to the US Open, which is due to start on 24 August.

    What do we know about diabetes and Covid-19?

    Philippa Roxby - Health reporter, BBC News
    A quarter of patients who died in hospitals with Covid-19 in England had diabetes, a condition that causes blood-sugar levels to become too high.
    In the UK, about 90% of adults with the condition have type 2 diabetes. Being overweight can increase your risk of developing this type and is also known to increase the risk of being seriously ill with Covid-19.
    Why? Because the more fat your body is carrying, the less efficiently the lungs and heart are working. Fatty tissue can also give rise to inflammation and cause the body's immune system to overreact.
    Other risk factors for type 2 diabetes - such as having high blood pressure and being from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background - are also associated with risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
    Although experts say the threat to people under 40 is very low, there have been calls for better support for people with type 2 diabetes, particularly if they are working outside the home.

    Brazil loses second health minister in clash over coronavirus

    Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has lost a health minister for the second time in a month.
    Nelson Teich resigned after less than a month in the job having replaced Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who was dismissed.
    Bolsonaro on Monday declared gyms and hair salons as essential services that can stay open through the new coronavirus outbreak, but Teich said his ministry had not been consulted.
    Brazilian media say the final straw appears to have been Bolsonaro's backing for chloroquine as a treatment, despite it being of no proven benefit.
    Brazil is the hardest hit country in Latin America with a tally of over 200,000 confirmed cases of the virus and nearly 14,000 deaths, since the outbreak began, according to health ministry data.

    UK news round up

    We'll be bringing you the daily briefing by the UK government in about half an hour.
    In the meantime, here's what's happening in the country today:


    Infection rate rises again in UK

    The infection rate in the UK has risen close to the point where coronavirus cases could begin to increase, government scientific advice says.
    The so-called "R-number" shows the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to. It needs to be below one to reduce the spread.
    Health officials previously thought that the R was between 0.5 and 0.9.
    But the revised figures from the scientific advisers group Sage suggest it now sits between 0.7 and 1.0.
    The rate and the number of live cases help the government decide when and how much to ease lockdown restrictions.
    Read more from our Health and science correspondent James Gallagher.

    What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

    Today's government press conference was led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. He was joined by the deputy chief medical officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries, and Dr Nikki Kanani, a medical director with NHS England.
    Here's what they told us:

    • A further £600m ($730m) has been made available to care homes in England this week, on top of other injections of money over the past few months
    • All care home residents and staff will be tested for coronavirus by June
    • Each care home will have a named clinical lead from the NHS. They will also get help with accessing technology to help residents speak safely to GPs and other health workers
    • Care homes should be transparent with families about the situation within the home
    • Younger disabled people in care homes should have access to testing but the priority is older people because they are most vulnerable


    • The R-number - or the average number of people infected by each infected person - is somewhere between 0.7 and 1


    Analysis: Hints of wider reform to UK care sector

    Helen Catt - Political correspondent
    Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer's accusation earlier this week that the government had moved too slowly to protect care homes ramped up the already significant pressure on its handling of this area of the pandemic.
    Today's briefing was a reasonably robust response from the health secretary, insisting that the government had tried to throw a "protective ring" around care homes “from the start”.
    But his defence was tempered by an awareness that many people have died and those with relatives living in such homes will be deeply worried.
    So, we got another big pledge on testing.
    A re-stating of a big cash injection for infection control.
    And a hint too towards wider reforms.
    These are all potentially steps forward and a deeper look at the care sector - considered by many to have been long neglected - is likely to be welcomed.
    But the government will need to show a significantly improving picture - and quickly - to stem the concerns.

    Trump touts 'Operation Warp Speed' for vaccine development

    Trump is currently speaking about vaccine development, and has announced “Operation Warp Speed”.
    “That means big and it means fast,” he said, calling it “unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project”.
    “Its objective is to finish developing and then to manufacture and distribute a proven coronavirus vaccine as fast as possible," he said.
    “We’d love to see if we can do it prior to the end of the year. We think we’re going to have some very good results coming out very quickly."
    There are currently no vaccines to protect the body against the disease caused by coronavirus.
    Trump said "Operation Warp Speed" will target more than just vaccine development.
    “In addition it will continue accelerating the development of diagnostics and breakthrough therapies," he said. "The great national project will bring together the best of American industry and innovation, the full resources of the United States government, and the excellence and precision of the United States military.”
    His comments come a day after a former top US health official leading the government agency trying to develop a vaccine told Congress the country could face its "darkest winter in modern history".

    Brazil health minister resigns - world round-up

    Here are the latest key global coronavirus developments:

    • Nelson Teich has resigned from his position as Brazil's health minister after less than a month in the job following disagreements over the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis
    • Germany's economy shrank by 2.2% in the first three months of this year as the coronavirus pandemic pushed it into recession, official figures indicate
    • New York City extended a two-month lockdown, even as parts of the state began to open up on Friday. Governor Andrew Cuomo extended various emergency measures, some to 28 May and others to 13 June
    • Slovenia became the first EU country to declare the Covid-19 epidemic over, but is leaving some protective measures still in place
    • Air pollution is increasing again as traffic returns to the roads in Asian countries
    • Babies born to surrogate mothers have been left stuck in Ukraine because of coronavirus lockdown measures
    • The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have opened their borders to one another, creating a coronavirus "travel bubble"


    UK PM quizzed by backbench MPs over lockdown

    Jessica Parker - BBC political correspondent
    The UK prime minister is reported to have told a virtual meeting of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbench MPs that the government will be taking “grandmother steps” out of lockdown.
    Asked about speculation around public sector pay freezes, Boris Johnson again suggested that there’s no intention of going back to “austerity”.
    It is understood there was some criticism of the recent government messaging - and the fact that the prime minister chose to deliver his roadmap via a TV address on Sunday night rather than to Parliament.
    There were also questions, from backbench Tory MPs, about the re-opening of churches and schools.
    One senior Tory told the BBC that the overall mood of the meeting was “relief” that MPs were able to engage with the prime minister.

    WHO wants further study of Kawasaki-like syndrome

    The World Health Organization says it is studying a possible link between Covid-19 and a Kawasaki-like inflammatory syndrome that has affected children in Europe and the US.
    "Initial reports hypothesise that this syndrome may be related to Covid-19," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. He called on clinicians worldwide to help "better understand this syndrome in children".
    In April, NHS doctors were told to look out for a rare but dangerous reaction in children.
    This was prompted by eight children becoming ill in London, including a 14-year-old who died.
    Doctors are describing it as a "new phenomenon" similar to Kawasaki disease shock syndrome - a rare condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. Symptoms include a rash, swollen glands in the neck and dry and cracked lips.
    Read more about the medical condition here

    France not exempt from UK quarantine - PM's spokesman

    Theo Leggett - BBC International Business Correspondent
    The UK has denied that travellers from France will be exempted from its planned quarantine measures.
    Under the plans - announced last weekend - people arriving in the UK from abroad will be obliged to isolate themselves for 14 days.
    Initially, the two governments said the exemption would apply to any travellers between France and the UK, and any future steps would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner.
    The policy attracted criticism from other governments and the EU. Some experts suggested it would be unworkable.
    But today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said there was no French exemption, and that the original statement referred to co-operation to manage the common border.
    It now appears that those exempted from the policy could include freight drivers - to allow the flow of goods to continue - and people working on Covid-19 research, but not ordinary travellers.

    Mass testing scheme begins in Moscow

    Sarah Rainsford - BBC Moscow Correspondent
    Moscow has launched a mass screening programme for coronavirus antibodies, inviting people chosen at random from various age groups to clinics across the city.
    The hope is that the test results can allow the authorities to map their way out of lockdown, despite uncertainty over how much immunity to Covid-19 the antibodies actually provide.
    Three dozen Moscow clinics are collecting intravenous blood samples, which are sent to laboratories for analysis overnight.
    Russian doctors believe the method, known as IFA, is more accurate than express-testing used elsewhere.
    It identifies the Immunoglobulin M antibody (IgM), which appears when the body is fighting a new infection, and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) which shows that someone has previously been infected.
    Swabs for Covid-19 itself are taken at the same time.

    How Vietnam kept virus at bay

    How did a country with a population of 97 million people, record only just over 300 cases of Covid-19 and not a single death?
    That country is Vietnam. It implemented extreme measures as soon as it recorded its first case on 23 January.
    In came travel restrictions, close monitoring and then closure of the border with China. Health checks were increased at other borders.
    "This is a country that has dealt with a lot of outbreaks in the past," said Prof Guy Thwaites, director of Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City.
    "The government and population are very, very used to dealing with infectious diseases and are respectful of them, probably far more so than wealthier countries," he said. "They know how to respond to these things."
    Read more here

    Club Bruges declared Belgian champions

    The pandemic has left European football leagues in a state of flux as they figured out how to conclude their respective seasons.
    Today, the Belgian top flight, like its Dutch and French counterparts, provided closure to its own competition by announcing Club Bruges as champions.
    It was a fairly easy decision because the Club had a 15-point lead over Gent with one match left when the season was suspended.
    It was also announced that Waasland-Beveren would be relegated while Gent would enter next season's Champions League.
    The German Bundesliga restarts this weekend behind closed doors, while the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and Spain's La Liga are hoping to resume in the second week of June.

    Police warn Londoners against weekend gatherings

    Police have warned Londoners against taking part in "spontaneous or planned mass gatherings" in public this weekend.
    "Games of football ...outdoor concerts or parties, protest, marches or assemblies are still not permitted", the Met's Ch Supt Karen Findlay said.
    Officers "will engage and encourage people to comply" with public health regulations, the force added.
    Some restrictions have been eased in England, where two people from different households are now allowed to meet in public, and sports in which people can keep apart are now allowed - such as tennis or golf.
    Social distancing of two metres still has to be observed, although police do not enforce this guidance because it has not been written into the law.
    The warning came as latest figures show police in England and Wales issued more than 14,000 tickets for alleged breaches of lockdown laws.
    The minimum fine for breaches has recently increased from £60 ($73) to £100 (reduced to £50 if paid within two weeks), while repeat offenders can also face fines of up to £3,200.

    Tobacco-based vaccine 'ready for human trials'

    One of the world's largest cigarette companies, British American Tobacco (BAT), says it is ready to begin human trials on a tobacco-based coronavirus vaccine.
    In a statement, the firm said it was using proteins from tobacco leaves, which have generated a positive immune response in pre-clinical trials.
    The maker of famous brands such as Lucky Strike said human trials could begin in late June, pending approval by the US Food and Drug Agency.
    It raised eyebrows after announcing plans for the jab in April, saying it could produce up to three million doses a week if it received government support.
    But it's not the only tobacco firm to do so - industry rival Philip Morris International is also working on its own vaccine.

    Are US states reopening ahead of White House guidelines?

    Reality Check
    At today’s press conference in the White House Rose Garden, President Trump talked up the reopening of the US, saying that “as of this morning almost every state has taken steps to begin reopening”.
    He added: "Tomorrow will mark 30 days since we released the White House guidelines for a safe and phased opening of America - that's what we're doing."
    But some states have eased restrictions before meeting the reopening criteria proposed by the Trump administration - and Dr Anthony Fauci, the White House's top infectious disease adviser, has said he's concerned some states are opening up too soon.
    Read more in our piece on the reopening guidelines and whether states are meeting them.

    Rugby summer tours postponed - sports round-up



    Health minister did not see eye-to-eye with Brazil president

    Katy Watson - BBC South America correspondent
    To lose one health minister was awkward, but to lose two in less than a month is not only embarrassing for Jair Bolsonaro but deeply worrying for Brazil.
    The country has become the latest coronavirus hotspot and rather than politicians trying to tackle it together, the pandemic has turned political. The leader of the country is failing to provide direction for a population who really needs it.
    Nelson Teich didn't give any reasons for his departure, merely saying "life is full of decisions and I decided to leave" - but he didn't see eye-to-eye with his boss on the use of chloroquine and his health ministry was excluded this week when Bolsonaro decided to include beauty salons, hairdressers and gyms as essential services.
    It appears the job of health minister to Bolsonaro is a thankless task at the moment - but it’s a difficult job vacancy at the worst-possible time in Brazil.
    Kitkat
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    Coronavirus - 15th May Empty Re: Coronavirus - 15th May

    Post by Kitkat Sat 16 May 2020, 18:20

    Summary of today's government briefing

    These are the main headlines from today's government briefing:

    • Education Secretary Gavin Williamson confirms there have been 468 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of people to have died in the UK after testing positive for Covid-19 to 34,466
    • Williamson says, as part of a cautious phased return, children in reception, Year 1 and Year 6 will be allowed to return to school on 1 June, but only if rates of infection are decreasing
    • He says policies such as reduced class sizes, keeping children in small groups and "rigorous hygiene" will create a "safer system" when schools open
    • The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 is 10,484, down from 11,872 this time last week
    • The latest daily total of 136,486 tests is the highest daily figure so far in the United Kingdom


    No plans to start new school year in August

    Today's government briefing has come to an end, with an emphasis from Education Secretary Gavin Williamson that the government remains committed to a phased reopening of schools in early June - providing the five tests are met and transmission rates remain low.
    It means many pupils will remain at home until September, with only a limited return for certain school years being considered.
    Nonetheless, Mr Williamson said there are currently no plans to start the new school year in early August.
    He said: "We are looking at different initiatives that we could maybe look at rolling out during the summer period", but added he would not divulge more information on those initiatives yet, as there was "a little bit more work to do on them".

    In pictures: Lockdown eases in England

    People in England have been urged to stay local and avoid travelling to beauty spots this weekend, despite the easing of lockdown rules.
    This is the first weekend since the rules were relaxed in England, allowing people to spend as much time outside as they want "for leisure purposes".
    Many took the opportunity to head outdoors as the sun came out in parts of the country.
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    Sunbathers relaxed on the beach in Brighton

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    However, South Bay sea front in Scarborough was quiet, with attractions remaining closed

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    An ice cream van served walkers at The Roaches in the Peak District

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    People in Barbican, east London enjoyed a game of tennis, after restrictions on outdoor sports were eased

    Watford manager warns of 'threat' to returning football players

    Watford manager Nigel Pearson has warned against the Premier League returning too soon.
    On the day that the German football season reopened for business, Pearson told the Times that players' lives could be in danger if matches were restarted too quickly during the coronavirus pandemic .
    "God forbid we have a fatality," he told the Times. "People are closing their eyes to the threat."

    Analysis: Government's position on schools unchanged

    Jonathan Blake - BBC political correspondent
    Gavin Williamson went out of his way to stress the benefits of going back to school on 1 June but mindful of the fact they need to get teachers on board if that is to work.
    He stressed the benefits of letting children mix with their peers, particularly the benefits on their mental health.
    The education secretary said they had been listening to the unions, which oppose the measure, adding that the longer schools were closed, the more children would miss out.
    He didn't want to say anything confrontational, and it doesn't seem the row has escalated. But there was no shift in the government's position.
    There are mixed messages from government, governors and unions - so teachers and parents will be wondering who to listen to.

    How do I self-isolate?

    UK officials are encouraging social distancing to help protect the public. They also say people should self-isolate at home for at least seven days if they develop a fever of above 37.8C or a persistent cough.
    Under the new rules, if you live with others, everyone should stay at home for at least 14 days. People self-isolating should limit contact with family members or flatmates as much as possible: staying at least two metres (six feet) away at all times and sleeping alone.
    Cleaning surfaces, eating separately and regular hand washing will also help protect others you live with. You should also avoid sharing towels, toiletries or other household items with someone in isolation and, where possible, avoid sharing a bathroom at all.
    We have more on self-isolation as well as specific advice if you live with others, including your family.

    How a market became India's latest cluster

    Aparna Alluri - BBC News, Delhi
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    The Koyambedu market is one of the largest in Asia

    India is nearing two months of a countrywide lockdown and is grappling with 50,000 active coronavirus cases.
    But in all that time, grocery stores and food markets have been allowed to stay open, classed as essential services.
    The centre of India's biggest cluster is now focused on Koyambedu, a vegetable market in Chennai with a far-reaching trail that's as tangled as the country's food supply chain.
    Unsurprisingly, it has sparked a public row over who is to blame. But it has also revealed the challenge of regulating India's bustling, crowded food markets, where space is a luxury and social distancing a fantasy.
    Spread over 65 acres in the heart of Chennai, the Koyambedu market is one of the largest in Asia. Wholesale and retail shops selling grains, fruits, vegetables and flowers draw tens of thousands of buyers every day. Add to that the shop owners, truck drivers and daily-wage labourers and it amounts to around 100,000 people, on average.

      Current date/time is Thu 28 Mar 2024, 15:40