Nine French cities now under a one-month curfew; European instances increase to 44% in a week; blocked resistance in the UK
Last modified Mon 19 Oct 2020 09. 29 BST
Millions of Europeans have faced severe new restrictions on coronavirus as governments intensify their efforts to stem the increase in infections, after the World Health Organization reported a 44% ‘very worrying’ increase in European instances over a week.
From Saturday night, Paris and several other French cities pass under a curfew that will last at least a month. England prohibits combined family gatherings in the capital and other areas, and Italy’s most populous region is restricting the opening of bars and postponing events.
The need for action in France was highlighted when the country reported another record number of new cases, with more than 32,000 recorded in 24 hours.
Global cases of the disease, which has killed more than 1. 1 million people worldwide, exceeded the levels seen in the first wave earlier this year, when many countries resorted to national closures to overcome the crisis.
In addition to the death toll, the pandemic has wreaked social havoc around the world.
The United States, which suffered the worst death toll with more than 218,000 deaths, reported a $3. 1 billion deficit in the fiscal year that ended September 30 on Friday.
He also announced that the number of cases had surpassed 8 million, while global infections were also setting a new record.
In an effort to halt the alarming increase in infections and hoping to return to total closures, many governments have tightened measures for the spread of the pandemic, even though some dissidents are responding in court.
About 20 million people in the Paris region and 8 other French cities faced nine o’clock at night. until 6 a. m. curfew from Saturday after cases increased in what was once one of the most sensitive hot spots in Europe.
Many restaurateurs are unhappy with the blow they will suffer.
“The closure at nine o’clock at night will have no effect (on the epidemic),” said Gérard, manager of a Restaurant in Toulouse. “They’re attacking him the right way. “
Britain is the hardest hit country in Europe, with more than 43,000 deaths in nearly 700,000 cases.
But as the government has tightened restrictions, banning indoor gatherings between members of other families in London and several English cities, there has been a growing complaint from some quarters.
Under the new measures, around 28 million other people, part of England’s population, are now subject to strict social restrictions.
Some officials in the North West of England have opposed their cities placing themselves at the point of a new three-tier precautionary system.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declared that local restriction policies are “indolore. “
But the hope is that these measures will be enough to prevent him from a total blockade.
Northern Ireland closed pubs and restaurants on Fridays for a month and extended the holiday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested that citizens stay in their homes as long as possible after 7,830 cases occurred in 24 hours.
“What winter will solve and our Christmas will be in the coming weeks,” he said in his weekly podcast address.
But on Friday, a Berlin court overstepped an early closure order for restaurants and bars, the last legal setback in German national and local governments’ efforts to restrict the transmission of the coronavirus.
In Italy, the rich region of northern Lombardy, the peak affected by the first wave of the virus in February, ordered the closure of all bars at midnight.
Slovakia announced Saturday that it would check all other people over the age of 10 for the virus, while infections are higher there.
“The tests will be free,” Prime Minister Igor Matoviche told journalists in the country of 5. 4 million people, specifying whether they will be mandatory or voluntary.
Poland, the Czech Republic and Belgium have announced a record workload.
In the Czech Republic, the government has asked the army to establish a 500-bed box hospital outside of Prague.
Belgium will impose its own curfew, from until five in the morning, starting Monday, and will also close cafes and restaurants for 4 weeks.
And Poland has closed schools and schools in primary cities, while restaurants must close from nine o’clock at night.
In developments:
Austria, Slovenia and Hungary have announced an increase in the number of cases: in Slovenia, mandatory use of the mask came into force in public spaces on Saturday.
The death toll in Iran is marked at 30,000 dead, the fitness ministry announced Saturday.
Israel is preparing for some blockade restrictions starting Sunday in the first phase of tax discounts last month.
Saudi Arabia has allowed its citizens and internal citizens of the kingdom to pray at one of Islam’s holiest sites, the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, for the first time in seven months, state television reported sunday morning.
New Zealand, which has removed the virus twice, reported its first case in 22 days.
The French community of Wallis and Futuna in the South Pacific recorded its first case of pandemic.