France, Spain re-open:
Death toll hits 277k, infections top 4m
ROME: People in France and Spain, two of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, were preparing yesterday for an easing of lockdown rules as the global number of infections surpassed four million.
In the US, the country with the world’s highest death toll, President Donald Trump faced sharp criticism from his predecessor Barack Obama who said on a leaked tape that Mr Trump’s handling of the crisis was an “absolute chaotic disaster”.
The virus has claimed more than 78,000 lives in the United States, which has recorded more than 1.3 million infections, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Worldwide, the death toll has surged past 277,000 and the number of coronavirus cases surpassed four million on Saturday, according to a tally.
Lockdowns and economic disruption, meanwhile, have pushed millions into unemployment in a historic global downturn.
Amid the barrage of deaths, some European countries cited signs of progress they said justified taking slow steps back toward some version of normality.
French officials on Saturday said the day’s death toll of 80 was the lowest since early April. Nursing home fatalities also fell sharply as France prepared to relax curbs on public movement imposed eight weeks ago.
The easing, to begin today, has brought mixed reactions.
“I’ve been scared to death” about the reopening, said Maya Flandin, a bookshop manager from Lyon. “It’s a big responsibility to have to protect my staff and my customers.”
French health officials warned that “the epidemic remains active and is evolving”, and a state of emergency was extended to July 10.
In Spain, about half the population will be allowed out today for limited socialisation, and restaurants will be able to offer some outdoor service as the country begins a phased transition set to last through June.
Fears lingered, however, of a viral resurgence if restrictions are lifted too quickly, and authorities excluded Madrid and Barcelona, two Covid-19 hotspots, from the first-phase easing.
“The virus has not gone away,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned.
Belgium is also set to ease restrictions today and in some parts of Germany bars and restaurants reopened on Saturday.
One district in Germany’s western North Rhine-Westphalia state remained locked down, however, after an outbreak at a slaughterhouse.
Overall, the situation in Europe was still far from normal.
Britain was reportedly planning to announce yesterday that all overseas visitors will face a mandatory two-week quarantine and the European Union warned against opening borders to travellers from outside the bloc.
Across Europe, commemorations marking 75 years since Nazi Germany’s surrender were cancelled or scaled-down.
In Russia, a soaring number of coronavirus infections forced Moscow on Saturday to pare back traditionally rousing World War II victory celebrations. President Vladimir Putin instead gave a solemn speech at a memorial outside the Kremlin walls, without mentioning the coronavirus.
Russia is now the fifth hardest-hit country, with nearly 200,000 confirmed infections and a rapidly rising caseload.
Global economic figures are pointing to the most acute downturn in nearly a century as the pandemic forced businesses to shutter and badly disrupted supply lines.