‘46 days in the house was enough’

Emerging from lockdown

BEIJING, May 3, (AP): From the United States to Europe and Asia, people in many parts of the world are emerging from their homes as virus-related restrictions begin to ease and springtime temperatures climb.

But the global pandemic took a turn for the worse elsewhere. India on Sunday reported more than 2,600 new cases, its biggest single-day jump. That followed record increases in neighboring Pakistan and Russia the previous day.

China, which reported two new cases, saw a surge in visitors to tourist spots, many newly reopened, after a relaxation of domestic travel restrictions ahead of a fiveday holiday that runs through Tuesday.

Nearly 1.7 million people visited Beijing parks on the first two days of the holiday, and Shanghai’s main tourist spots welcomed more than a million visitors, according to Chinese media reports. Many spots limited the number of daily visitors to 30% of capacity or less, keeping crowds below average.

Masks were worn widely, from runners in Spain to beach-goers in the southern United States. In New York City’s Central Park, joggers moved past each other without a glance on Saturday, and a steady stream of folks left tips for a trio working their way through a set of jazz standards alfresco.

“It’s great to have an audience after all these weeks,” saxophonist Julia Banholzer, a native of Germany, said. “All my dates have been canceled through September, and I don’t know if any will come back this year. New York is a tough place, but this is just another tough period we need to get through.”

Neighboring New Jersey reopened state parks, though several had to turn people away after reaching a 50% limit in their parking lots. Margie Roebuck and her husband were among the first on ing,” Pritzker said of the increase of cases, pointing out that the infection rate has dropped a bit.

The news conference also came a day after protests against the governor’s restrictions in the sand at Island Beach State Park. “Forty-six days in the house was enough,” she said.

In Spain, many ventured out Saturday for the first time since a lockdown began on March 14.

“I feel good, but tired. You sure notice that it has been a month and I am not in shape,” Cristina Palomeque said in Barcelona. “Some people think it may be too early, as I do, but it is also important to do exercise for health reasons.”

Vigilant

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez asked citizens to remain vigilant. COVID-19 has caused more than 25,100 deaths in Spain.

“Until we have a vaccine, we are going to see more outbreaks,” Sánchez said. “What we need to guarantee is that these outbreaks do not put our national health system in danger.”

The divide in the United States between those who want lockdowns to end and those who want to move cautiously extended to Congress.

The Republican-majority Senate will reopen Monday, while the Democratcontrolled House of Representatives stays shuttered. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to convene 100 senators gives President Donald Trump, a Republican, the imagery he wants of America getting back to work, despite health worries and a lack of testing.

In India, air force helicopters showered flower petals on hospitals in several cities Sunday to thank doctors, nurses and police who have been at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic. U.S. Navy and Air Force fighter jets flew over Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., on Saturday in honor of health care workers.

The number of confirmed cases in downtown Chicago and at the Capitol in Springfield. Pritzker said he was troubled that some protesters in Springfield carried signs with Nazi imagery, including swastikas.

India neared 40,000 as the country of 1.3 billion people marked the 40th day of a nationwide lockdown that has upended lives and millions of jobs. The official death toll reached 1,301.

Russia announced 9,633 new cases Saturday, and Pakistan, nearly 1,300, both one-day highs. More than half of Russia’s new cases were in Moscow, which is considering establishing temporary hospitals at sports complexes and shopping malls to deal with the influx of patients.

The virus has killed more than 240,000 people worldwide, including more than 66,000 in the United States and more than 24,000 each in Italy, Britain, France and Spain, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Health experts warn a second wave of infections could hit unless testing is expanded dramatically.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and those with health problems, it can cause severe illness such as pneumonia, or death.

There are economic factors to consider as well. The shutdown of businesses has plunged the global economy into its deepest slump since the 1930s and wiped out millions of jobs.

Singapore announced Saturday it will let selected businesses reopen from May 12 in a cautious rollback of a two-month partial lockdown, and Sri Lanka said the government and private sector should resume work from May 11 “to ensure a return to normalcy in civilian life and to revive the economy.”

Bangladesh, which opened thousands of garment factories last month, confirmed 552 new cases on Saturday. The South Asian country’s health care system is fragile, and authorities say they would not be able to provide ventilation and intensive care support for more than 500 people at one time.

“The meaning of that swastika is unknown to people or if it is known, it was a demonstration of hate among us,” the governor said. But, he added the number of people who have expressed similar views is a tiny fraction of the “millions of people in this state who are helping each other.”

As he has done several times, Pritzker said he wants the restrictions removed as quickly as anyone else, but not until it is safe to do so. (AP)

6,228 cases in Minn:

The Minnesota Department of Health said Saturday that nearly 500 people tested positive for COVID-19, putting the state over 6,000 cases.

Officials said 21 of the 24 deaths in Saturday’s report occurred in long-term care facilities, including one Clay County resident who was at least 100 years old.

The state also reported the death of a Hennepin County resident in their 40s who had no underlying health conditions.

The state’s death toll stands at 395. A total of 6,228 tests have come back positive.

“We continue our work along with many partners around the state to protect Minnesotans and prevent additional deaths,” Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said in a statement.

“It is very important for all Minnesotans to do their part in that effort by following social distancing guidelines and other public health recommendations.” (AP)