COVID-19: GLOBAL IMPACT
Britain death toll top in Europe
Britain now has Europe’s highest official coronavirus death toll after the latest round of daily figures yesterday showed it overtaking Italy. Only the United States has recorded more virus-related deaths. The British government said another 693 people died in hospitals, nursing homes and other settings after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total to 29,501 — above Italy’s 29,315. Though the UK’s coronavirus-related death toll, when measured on a seven-day rolling basis, has been falling consistently for the past three to four weeks, the country is around two weeks behind Italy in terms of the pandemic. The tallies are likely underestimates because they do not include suspected coronavirus deaths. Taking into account countries’ populations, the UK’s per capita death rate is below those in Italy, Spain and Belgium.
First city in Brazil in lockdown
The capital of tropical Maranha˜o state ground largely to a halt yesterday, becoming the first major Brazilian city to enter a lockdown in the hopes of preventing the coronavirus pandemic from overwhelming the healthcare system of one of the country’s poorest states. Some 1.5 million people in Sa˜o Luı´s and three neighbouring cities have been confined to their homes, except for a handful of essential tasks, like buying groceries and visiting pharmacies. The vast majority of businesses have been shuttered, as have schools and public transport. Parks are closed, and residents cannot go out to exercise. The decree from Governor Fla´vio Dino will last 10 days to begin with and applies to onefifth of the state’s population. The order comes despite President Jair Bolsonaro’s insistence that only the elderly and other high-risk populations should stay home. The president and his followers have repeatedly criticised local leaders who imposed more stringent restrictions in the face of surging coronavirus cases.
Warning of second infection wave
An increase in mobility of just 20 per cent could trigger a second, deadlier wave of infections in parts of Italy, modellers at Imperial College London have warned in a report. The results confirm what similar studies are now pointing to in many regions of the world: that governments have very little room to ease lockdown measures without the virus once again getting out of control. Italy has been one of the hardest-hit nations, with 29,315 fatalities and 213,013 deaths so far confirmed. On Tuesday the government began easing the two-month lockdown, allowing 4.4 million citizens to return to work. The ICL analysis modelled three scenarios over the next eight weeks: maintaining a lockdown, a 20 per cent or 40 per cent rise in mobility. Under the second scenario, Italy could expect to see between 3700 and 5000 additional deaths, while a 40 per cent rise in movement may result in between 10,000 and 23,000 fatalities.
Ireland’s pensioners allowed out
Ireland’s pensioners were allowed to stray beyond their front gates for the first time in nearly six weeks yesterday as the country began the slow process of easing its lockdown.
In a move that will be watched carefully across the Irish Sea, thousands of over-70s who had been strongly advised to self-isolate can now leave their homes for brief spells of exercise. At the same time, the Irish government eased a second restriction on outdoor movement, and is now allowing people to exercise within 5km of their home, rather than the previous limit of 2km.
Iran opens drive in cinema
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought back something unseen in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution: a drivein movie theatre. Once decried by revolutionaries for allowing too much privacy for unmarried young couples, a drive-in theatre now operates from a parking lot right under Tehran’s iconic Milad tower, showing a film in line with the views of hard-liners. Workers spray disinfectants on cars that line up each night here after buying tickets online for what is called the “Cinema Machine” in Farsi. They tune into the film’s audio via an FM station on their car radios. Iran has reported more than 99,000 cases and more than 6300 deaths.