Fresh virus curbs in EU as US sees record cases
london — England’s 56 million people joined much of western Europe in a second coronavirus lockdown on Thursday, as the United States set a fresh daily record with close to 100,000 new infections.
European governments are struggling to contain a fresh wave of the pandemic, which has now infected more than 11 million across the continent.
The new stay-at-home orders from London came as Denmark said it would cull its entire population of more than 15 million minks after a mutation of the virus was found to have spread to people from the otter-like mammals.
Britain is among the world’s hardest-hit countries with just over a million virus cases and nearly 48,000 deaths.
England’s lockdown follows similar measures in the other nations of the United Kingdom — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — as well as France and Germany.
Parts of Italy will join that list from Friday, with shops selling non-essential goods to be shut in hard-hit areas and people largely confined to their homes except for work, health and emergency reasons.
Authorities have also announced a nationwide curfew be
tween 10.00pm and 5.00am.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said he had no plans for a lockdown but that resolve may be tested after the country set two new records Wednesday — for daily infections, at nearly 20,000, and daily death toll, at nearly 400.
Denmark will cull its mink population of up to 17 million after a mutation of the coronavirus found in the animals spread to humans, the prime minister said on Wednesday.
Health authorities found virus strains in humans and in mink which showed decreased sensitivity against antibodies, potentially lowering the efficacy of future vaccines, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.
The United States recorded its worst ever daily caseload — 99,660, according to Johns Hopkins University — as the winner of the country’s presidential election was still being determined.
There were 1,112 deaths on Wednesday, according to the same tally.
China has imposed fresh travel bans on non-Chinese arrivals from Britain and Belgium, as it guards against a resurgence of the coronavirus by refusing entry to people from two of Europe’s worst-hit nations. —