Coffins, chaos and hope
Italian body count soars, Iran an apocalypse in waiting
MANY countries have taken aggressive measures to deal with the coronavirus such as closing their borders.
Mexico, by contrast, has so far taken a “business as usual” attitude. People still crowd street markets picking through piles of fruit and vegetables. Cars and trucks continue to fill the streets and commuters throng subway trains, though in London
EUROPE remains in the grip of the coronavirus, with the total number of cases worldwide nearing 250,000 last night. The total death toll exceeded 10,000 yesterday.
Here’s how countries with major outbreaks have been coping.
Italy has become ground zero for the coronavirus, with one health official in the country’s north yesterday saying they had “stopped counting the bodies” at her hospital.
Italy’s death toll hit 3405 yesterday, compared with China’s 3130 since December.
The army was called in to move coffins away from the stricken Lombardy region in the country’s north because burial services were swamped.
Two doctors died in the Bergamo region, bringing the total of medical-staff victims in Italy to 13.
A ban on opening shops, due to expire on April 3, was extended.
“Use your common sense and act with utmost caution,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians. “We are not underestimating anything and always acting based on the worst-case scenario.”
La Repubblica newspaper, Italy’s biggest, reported 94 per cent of Italians remained in favour of the bans, despite the imposition on their lives.
Citizens caught in the streets not going to the permitted food stores or pharmacies or not travelling to work have been fined $385.
The number of new cases continues to flatline, with none reported yesterday.
The country where the outbreak began has been sending medical supplies and experts across the world as it tries to the volume of traffic is noticeably lower.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his government have said a shutdown of the country would disproportionately hurt poor people and also be a psychological weight on all Mexicans. They say there is no reason to impose major restrictions before health officials deem them claim victory over the outbreak. But China has expelled many foreign journalists, which has made it difficult to verify some of the regime’s claims.
The state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday President Xi Jinping had been in talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Beijing has been applauding the nation’s response to the emergency, but many commentators criticise it for hiding early reports.
Yesterday authorities apologised to the family of a whistleblower doctor who was arrested late last year for raising the alarm about the virus, and who later died of it.
The nation is in crisis, with a death every 10 minutes, according to its own health officials. There are fears it will overtake China and Italy for deaths, as it is woefully underprepared due to remaining necessary. The approach worrying many experts.
And the president’s personal attitude has Mexicans puzzled. He continues to attend mass public rallies, shaking hands and kissing babies. Asked how he was protecting Mexico, Lopez Obrador removed two religious amulets from his wallet and proudly showed them off. strict United States sanctions.
“Based on our information, every 10 minutes one person dies from the coronavirus and some 50 people become infected with the virus every hour,” said Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanput on Twitter.
There have been more than 1200 deaths from 18,000 registered cases, but it is feared the actual numbers are far higher.
Iran had been releasing some prisoners amid fears about the virus hitting jails.
Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert remains in the Evin prison near Tehran. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade statement said: “The Australian government continues to raise Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s case with Iranian authorities. The government will not cease its efforts to secure her release.”
Spain is turning its hotels, which will all close next Tuesday,
“The protective shield is the ‘Get thee behind me, Satan,"’ Lopez Obrador said, reading off the inscription on the amulet, “Stop, enemy, for the Heart of Jesus is with me.”
Lopez Obrador, often described as a leftist, is in fact a nationalist with deep religious feelings.
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into makeshift hospitals as it struggles to contain the outbreak.
Frantic tourists scrambled for flights home after the government announced hotels would be closed to guests.
The country has registered a 20 per cent increase in new cases. The total rose yesterday by 3431 to 17,147. The number of deaths rose 179 to 767.
The death toll remains remarkably low at 0.2 per cent, despite 15,000 cases.
The authorities introduced a fast-paced testing regimen, and have closed schools, bars and restaurants, with only 44 deaths so far.
Most of the cases have been found in the northeast of the country. Christian Drosten, a scientist at Berlin’s Charite teaching hospital, said: “There is a very big systemic difference between Germany and other countries.
“Our regulations for the introduction confidence and minimise the risk,” said Jesus Silva-Herzog, a political commentator and professor at the Tecnologico de Monterrey University.
But, Silva-Herzog added, “I think that what he has wound up doing is minimising the risks associated with the emergency, and sending messages that contradict what is being said almost everywhere else.” of new test procedures are very liberal. In other countries, there is a central authority that does all the testing for new diseases.”
The third day of complete lockdown failed to stop the spike in deaths, with another 108 recorded. Another 1100 patients were receiving intensive care treatment.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said yesterday the virus would be a “massive, brutal hit to our economy”.
Beaches are being closed because many French people are escaping their homes to walk their dogs and exercise.
President Emmanuel Macron said: “When I see that people continue to go to the park, to get together, to go to the beach or to rush in the open markets, it is that they did not understand the messages.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered a glimmer of hope, saying yesterday he believed the coronavirus could be beaten in 12 weeks.
Mr Johnson said: “With ruthless, determined, collective action and scientific progress, we will succeed. If we do this together, we will save many thousands of lives.”
The government wants to keep people doing vital jobs at work, so the children of designated key workers can still attend school. Yesterday marked the first nationwide schools closure in modern times.
The Queen released a statement saying she was certain the nation was “up to the challenge”. Prince Philip, 98, joined the Queen, 93, at Windsor Castle yesterday.
Mobile phone companies are being asked to track if people are following social distancing rules.
The European Union’s chief negotiator for its post-Brexit relationship with Britain has been struck down. Michel Barnier tweeted he was doing well and in good spirits. “I am following all the necessary instructions, as is my team,” he said. “For all those affected already, and for all those currently in isolation, we will get through this.”
Do-it-yourself testing kits are being distributed as health officials try to get a clear picture of the spread of the virus. Gatherings of more than 10 people have been banned, and the elderly have been told to stop using public transport.
It has reported its first coronavirus-related death, an elderly woman. Its borders are closed to foreigners, and next week all schools will be closed. The government has urged Russians to stay home and limit all social contact.