Spain’s prime minister announced Saturday an extension of the country’s lockdown to combat the coronavirus, saying the measures are “bearing fruit” as the number of deaths fell for a second day in a row.

A nationwide 15-day state of emergency was first announced on March 14 barring people from leaving home except for essential outings such as buying food or seeking medical care. It was to end on April 11 after being extended by two weeks.

“The cabinet on Tuesday will again ask for authorisation from parliament to extend for a second time the state of alert until Saturday April 25 at midnight,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised speech.

The extra weeks are “the time that our health system needs to recover,” he said.

Hospitals, in particular the intensive care units, have been overwhelmed by an influx of coronavirus patients.

However, Spain on Saturday recorded a second successive daily fall in coronavirus-related deaths with 809 fatalities. The total number of deaths in the country stands at 11,744, second only to Italy.

The number of new Spanish cases also slowed to 7,026, taking the total to 124,736.

“We know that these three weeks of isolation are bearing fruit,” Sanchez said.

The confinement has allowed “a containment of the avalanche on the hospitals, the care of the sick and saved lives.”

But to “ease up now would have a worse result,” he said, warning of a “second wave” of infections.

“Yes, we are seeing a glimmer of hope,” but ” we are entering a new phase that will not be easy, the transition phase,” said Dr Maria Jose Sierra of the health ministry’s emergencies centre.

Sanchez said he could not rule out further extentions, but said an easing of the strict regulations could be possible if the situation improves.

About 50 arrived from Germany on Friday, after Spain appealed to its NATO allies.

Another shipment was to be sent from Turkey but was eventually requisitioned by Turkish authorities.

Source:  AFP

As the coronavirus crisis enters its sixth week in Italy, Italian farmworkers’ labor union FLAI-CGIL has sounded the alarm over the high number of migrants working in the fields without adequate protective measures.

Last month, in an attempt to contain the virus outbreak, the government ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses also introducing stiff restrictions on activities considered essential.

Social distancing and the use of masks, gloves and disinfectant have been made compulsory in factories, supermarkets and public offices still operating.

However, FLAI-CGIL has warned that as many as 250,000 legally-employed migrants and many more undocumented ones working for little pay in the agriculture sector are at risk of being infected.

The mayor of Bergamo, one of the worst affected cities from Covid-19 in northern Italy, has recently called on the government to speed up the issuing of the yearly decree that regularizes non-EU migrant workers.

The national Farmers’ Association Coldiretti estimates that a quarter of the food produced in Italy relies on the hands of more than 370,000 seasonal workers coming from abroad every year. With just a few days to go before the picking of fruit and vegetables, the situation is becoming alarming.

Unions believe tens of thousands of undocumented migrants could be granted a temporary permit thanks to a clause included in a security decree aimed at curbing migrant flows issued by previous government’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

Source: Presstv

French hospitals recorded their highest death toll in 24 hours with 588 new fatalities from coronavirus, the country’s chief medical adviser told a press conference on Friday, as the total toll including retirement homes rose to more than 6,500.

France’s Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon, announced the figures during a daily press conference, saying a total of 5,091 people had died in French hospitals since the start of the crisis.

Giving a separate tally for nursing homes, Salomon said that a provisional count showed that at least 1,416 people had died at care homes for the elderly after contracting the virus.

French officials started releasing figures for care homes only yesterday. The huge rise in those numbers makes for a total of 6,507 lives lost to coronavirus in France, so far.

Salomon said that the number of known infections rose nationwide to 64,338 from 59,105 on Thursday. The number of patients requiring life support rose to 6,662 from 6,399.

In a televised interview on Thursday night, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe urged the French to respect the lockdown measures imposed since March 17, to ensure a levelling off of new cases of the virus.

“This is the only way for the health service to overcome the peak” of the virus, he said.

Philippe conceded that the nationwide lockdown “would probably be extended” beyond the current deadline of April 15.

With the traditional spring break approaching, Philippe sternly warned the French against considering holidays away, saying there would be checks and fines for those who violated the rules.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

A 36-year-old NHS nurse, who was believed to have had no underlying health issues, has died after contracting coronavirus.

Areema Nasreen died shortly after midnight on Friday in intensive care at Walsall Manor hospital in the West Midlands, where she had worked for 16 years.

Nasreen, who has three children, and was from Walsall, developed symptoms of coronavirus on 13 March, including aches, a high temperature and then a cough. She tested positive for the virus last Friday.

In a tribute posted on Facebook, her friend Rubi Aktar said: “She was the most loveliest, genuine person you could ever meet, she went above and beyond for everyone she met.

“I’m so grateful that I had the honour to call her my best friend, she saw me at my best and my worst and accepted my every flaw. I am so broken that words can’t explain.”

A relative told Birmingham Live: “The immediate family are devastated. Everyone is in shock this morning. She was always so full of life. She was devoted to her job as a nurse, she absolutely loved it.

“She passed away doing what she loved. I’m really sad for the rest of the family, she was a fantastic person.”

The mother-of-three qualified as a staff nurse in January last year and worked at the hospital’s acute medical unit.

She worked at Walsall Manor hospital from 2003, in housekeeping and as a healthcare assistant before studying to become a nurse.

(Source: The Guardian)

Britain reported 563 daily coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, the first time the national toll has exceeded 500, bringing the total fatalities to 2,352, according to official figures.

“As of 5pm (1600 GMT) on 31 March, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 2,352 have sadly died,” the health ministry said on its official Twitter page.

Some 29,474 people have now tested positive, an increase of 4,324 over the previous day, it added.

Britain locked down last week in an attempt to combat the virus, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who himself has tested positive, warned that it would “get worse before it gets better”.

The virus has also hit the royal family, with Prince Charles only coming out of isolation on Tuesday after displaying mild symptoms of the disease.

On Wednesday he released a video message praising the “remarkable” state-run National Health Service. “None of us can say when this will end, but end it will,” he said.

“Until it does, let us all try and live with hope and, with faith in ourselves and each other, look forward to better times to come.”

Source:AFP

French health authorities reported a record 499 new deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday, taking the total to 3,523, an increase of 17 percent in the past 24 hours.

It was the third consecutive day that the rate of deaths accelerated in France, which is now in its third week of lockdown to try to slow the spread of the virus.

The daily government tally only accounts for those dying in hospital but authorities say they will very soon be able to compile data on deaths in retirement homes, which is likely to result in a big increase in registered fatalities.

State health agency director Jérôme Salomon told a news conference that the number of cases had risen to 52,128, a rise of 17 percent in 24 hours, probably due to the fact that France has been ramping up testing

Salomon said 5,565 people were in a serious condition needing life support, up 9 percent compared to Monday, a rate of increase slightly slower compared to previous days. The health system is struggling to cope with the pace of the outbreak.

France has increased the number of beds in intensive care units from 5,000 to about 10,000 since the start of the crisis and it is scrambling to reach 14,500.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

Once again, Spain hit a new record with 849 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours on Tuesday although health chiefs said the rate of new infections was continuing its downward trend.

After Italy, Spain has suffered the world’s second most deadly outbreak which has now claimed 8,189 lives there. The latest figures came a day after the death toll fell slightly, raising hopes the epidemic could be peaking.

Over the same period, the number of confirmed cases rose to 94,417 after another 9,222 people tested positive: a nearly 11-percent increase.

That figure was seen as a setback after a week in which the rate had been steadily failing, with Monday’s figures having shown a rise of just over 8.0 percent.

“It’s true that today we have a slight increase in the number of cases,” said Maria Jose Sierra, from the health ministry’s emergencies coordination unit.

But the downward trend “is continuing”, she added.

This time last week, the rate of new infections stood at around 20 percent.

Now on day 18 of an unprecedented four-week national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus, Spain has sought to dramatically ramp up testing. It is sourcing kits from around the world in order to test some 50,000 people per day, up from the current 20,000.

It has also ordered millions of euros worth of supplies to support its health care system, on the brink of collapse following the massive influx of seriously ill patients and a growing number of medical staff falling sick with the virus.

Madrid is the worst-hit area, counting 3,609 deaths and 27,509 infections.

The regional authorities there are using a massive exhibition centre and a string of hotels to house the sick, and setting up two temporary morgues for the dead, one inside an Olympic-sized ice skating rink.

Source: AFP

The number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the United Kingdom rose to 1,408, according to figures released on Monday. This was a daily increase of 180, a smaller rise than the previous set of numbers.

The figures were accurate up to 5pm local time (1600 GMT) on March 29.

There were a total of 22,141 positive cases as of 9am local time (0800 GMT) on March 30, the health ministry said.

The new figures came as British heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, who had tested positive for coronavirus, emerged out of seven-day self-isolation on Monday. His spokesman said he was in good health.

Last week, his Clarence House office revealed that Charles, 71, had been tested after displaying mild symptoms of the virus and had been in self-isolation at his Birkhall home in Scotland, where he continued to work.

Buckingham Palace has previously said that Queen Elizabeth, who left London for Windsor Castle on March 19 along with her 98-year-old husband, Philip, is in good health.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

Moscow on Monday imposed a lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin asked regional authorities to make similar preparations.

The enforcement of the tough new rules, which were suddenly announced by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin late Sunday, coincide with the beginning of a “non-working” week declared by President Vladimir Putin last week.

The order came days after Sobyanin, a close Putin ally, urged Muscovites to avoid public places, non-essential travel and walks due to the coronavirus epidemic – a recommendation many ignored amid a spell of unusually warm weather over the weekend.

“It is obvious that not everyone heard us,” Sobyanin wrote on his website as he announced the tighter quarantine measures, warning the authorities would steadily tighten control over compliance with the new rules.

Empty streets, strict measures

On Monday, the streets of Moscow were deserted following the closure of all non-essential shops, including restaurants and cafes, but traffic was still seen on the roads in the city centre.

“I ask regional heads to work on the introduction of quarantines similar to the one introduced in Moscow,” Prime Minister Mishustin said at a government meeting.

The new restrictions apply to all of the city’s residents, regardless of age.

Muscovites will only be allowed to leave their homes in cases of a medical emergency, to travel to jobs judged essential, and to shop for food or medicines.

People will be allowed to take out trash and walk their dogs within a 100-metre (330-foot) radius of their homes.

The new isolation rules, which will be policed by a vast system of facial-recognition cameras in Moscow, come into force as Russia closes its borders as part of increasingly stringent measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Scepticism about official data

Russia has so far got off more lightly than many European countries with nine deaths and 1,534 cases, more than 1,000 of which are in Moscow. Russia recorded 270 new coronavirus infections in the past day.

But some doctors have voiced scepticism about the accuracy of the figures given what they say has been the patchy nature and quality of testing, allegations that the authorities deny.

According to a survey by the Levada Center, only 16 percent of Russians fully trust official information about the coronavirus, while 24 percent said they did not trust it at all.

Russia has halted international flights, closed its borders, announced a non-working week from this weekend, and shuttered shops and entertainment venues in Moscow and some other regions.

The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church on Sunday exhorted believers to pray at home, urging people to adhere strictly to authorities’ instructions “before someone dies in our families”.

“Refrain from visiting churches,” Patriarch Kirill said, even though Orthodox services went ahead, including one led by him. Mosques in Muslim majority Chechnya cancelled Friday prayers, Russian news agencies reported.

About 60 percent of Russia’s 144 million people consider themselves Orthodox Christians. But fewer than usual went to church on Sunday and some were wearing masks, according to media reports.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)

France staged its largest evacuation of coronavirus patients to date from hospitals in the hard-hit east on Sunday, increasing efforts to free up intensive care units as officials warned of an influx of serious cases in the coming days.

Two specially equipped high-speed trains carried 36 patients from Mulhouse and Nancy to hospitals along France’s western coast, where the outbreak has been limited so far.

Dozens of hospital workers, flanked by police and soldiers standing guard, spent hours installing four patients in each wagon in an operation that began before dawn.

“We have to free up beds, it’s absolutely crucial…. We’re still seeing an increase in patient numbers,” said Francois Brun, head of emergency services at the regional hospital in nearby Metz.

The evacuations came as Germany sent a military plane for the first time to Strasbourg to transport two patients to a hospital in Ulm.

Around 80 French patients have been hospitalised in Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg, European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin told France Inter radio.

France has been evacuating dozens from the east over the past week, hoping to stay ahead of a crisis that Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has warned will only worsen over the next fortnight.

Overall, more than 4,600 coronavirus patients are in intensive care in France, many with severe respiratory problems requiring ventilators that officials worry could soon be in short supply.

Philippe said at the weekend the government was racing to have 14,000 intensive care beds available soon, compared with just 5,000 before the outbreak began in January.

On Sunday the national health service reported 292 new coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,606.

The daily toll was below the 319 deaths reported on Saturday, but the figures include only deaths reported in hospitals, and not at retirement homes or assisted-living facilities.

Also Sunday the housing ministry announced it would commandeer 5,000 hotel beds to house homeless people during the crisis.

– ‘Battle is only starting’ –

Officials fear the virus may spread quickly at the country’s roughly 7,000 retirement homes, and several have already announced dozens of deaths.

Those figures will start to be reported this week, the prime minister said on Sunday, warning that “the battle is only starting.”

“This war will probably be won on the basis of intensive care beds, and our ability to strategically use all our intensive care resources on the national level,” said Marie-Odile Saillard, director of the Metz regional hospital.

National health service chief Jerome Salomon said 359 more people were placed in intensive care on Sunday.

“This is the most important number to keep track of because it reflects the strength of the epidemic,” he said at his daily briefing.

The government has ordered a billion face masks, mainly from China, but warned that surging worldwide demand for protective equipment means they might not arrive soon enough for medical workers currently facing shortages.

A plane from China carrying 5.5 million masks and other equipment arrived in Paris on Sunday, though the government has admitted it needs 40 million masks each week for health workers alone as the outbreak rages.

“Our first Boeing 777 Cargo has just landed at #ParisCDG with close to 100 tonnes of medical equipment on board, including more than 5 million masks,” Air France tweeted.

France has been on lockdown since March 17 in a bid to limit the contagion, a situation it has extended until at least April 15.

Source: AFP