Covid cases rise in Europe as anti-curb protests grow

Protests held in Australia, Germany, Poland; minister quits to oppose a possible lockdown in Israel

PARIS: Covid-19 cases continued to spike across Europe, with France reporting more than 10,000 new infections and Austrian leader saying his country is facing a second wave.

Globally, 926,774 people died of the virus from more than 29 million cases on Sunday.

Rise in daily infections in France, the largest since the end of the country’s lockdown in May, came after Prime Minister Jean Castex ruled out another lockdown.

“What we are experiencing at the moment is the beginning of the second wave in Austria,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Sunday. He urged citizens to comply with reinforced rules to keep down new cases and suggesting that companies keep employees working from home.

The UK, which has suffered Europe’s deadliest outbreak, recorded more than 3,000 new cases for the third day running for the first time since May. The Department for Health and Social Services reported a further 3,330 cases on Sunday, taking the three-day tally above 10,000.

In Lebanon, 90 UN peacekeepers tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a spokesman for the UNIFIL force said on Sunday, the first reported cases of the illness.

Anger, protest in several cities against lockdowns

Anger is growing over continued lockdowns and restrictions over the pandemic.

Authorities in Melbourne, Australia, arrested more than 70 people for flouting stay-athome orders to protest against lockdown restrictions on Sunday, with some demonstrators clashing with riot police at a market in the city. About 250 people attended the illegal protest - the second in as many days in the city - promoted by coronavirus conspiracy groups on social media.

A prominent Israeli minister resigned on Sunday in protest over an expected government decision to impose another lockdown this week. Housing minister Yaakov Litzman, who was health minister during the initial outbreak of the virus in Israel, criticised the anticipated lockdown measure as extreme.

Some 8,000 people marched against virus restrictions in Munich on Saturday, most of them ignoring a city ordinance requiring the wearing of masks. At least a thousand protested in Hanover, and there was another demonstration in the western German city of Wiesbaden.

In the Polish capital Warsaw, several hundred people joined a similar weekend protest.

AFP Police detain an anti-lockdown protester in Melbourne during a rally on Sunday. Defying stay-at-home orders, the crowd gathered at the central Queen Victoria market where they were met by a heavy police presence. Melbourne continues to enforce strict lockdown measures to battle a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.