The only country that has adopted the correct strategy has been Sweden ie they allow the virus to spread in a controlled manner.
stuff.co.nz
Coronavirus: South Korea reverses on reopenings following nightclub outbreak
08:41, May 11 2020FacebookTwitterWhats AppRedditEmail
8-10 minutes
Ahn Young-joon/AP
More than 2100 nightclubs and bars in Seoul have been forced to close.
South Korea has reported 34 additional cases of the coronavirus amid a spate of infections linked to clubgoers, underscoring the dilemma authorities face as they try to reopen their economies.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed 26 of the 34 new patients were locally transmitted cases, the first time that the daily jump has been above 30 in about a month.
Most of the cases in the past few days were linked to nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon entertainment neighbourhood, after the country began reopening. A 29-year-old man had visited three clubs before testing positive last week.
Seoul mayor Park Won-soon on Saturday ordered more than 2100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos closed and urged others to enforce anti-virus measures, including distancing, temperature checks, keeping customer lists and requiring employees to wear masks.
READ MORE:
* Ten arrested, police officer injured in Melbourne anti-lockdown protest
* Three New York children die from illness linked to coronavirus
* North Korea says Kim Jong-un has praised Chinese president for keeping coronavirus under control
Park said health workers were trying to contact about 1940 people who had been at the three clubs and other places nearby. The mayor said gains made against the virus were now threatened "because of a few careless people".
President Moon Jae-in urged calm on Sunday as his nation continued to work to overcome the "colossal" economic damage caused by the pandemic.
"The infection cluster, which recently occurred in entertainment facilities, has raised awareness that even during the stabilisation phase, similar situations can arise again, any time, anywhere in an enclosed, crowded space," Moon said.
"We must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention," he said.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty-Images
South Korea reported 34 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, the first time the daily jump has been above 30 in a month.
Around the world, countries are wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity without causing the virus to come surging back.
China reported its first double-digit rise in new cases in 10 days on Sunday, saying 14 had been detected, 12 of them domestic infections and two from abroad.
Elsewhere, Belarus, which has not locked down despite increasing case numbers, saw tens of thousands of people turn out to mark Victory Day, the anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat in 1945. That was in contrast to Russia, which skipped the usual grand military parade in Red Square.
Worldwide, at least 4 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus, and more than 275,000 have died, including over 78,000 in the US, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Spain, France, Italy and Britain have reported about 26,000 to 32,000 deaths each.
Germany and South Korea have both carried out extensive testing and contact tracing and have been hailed for avoiding the mass deaths that have overwhelmed other countries. But even there, authorities have struggled to find the balance between saving lives and salvaging jobs.
Health officials in Germany faced outbreaks at three slaughterhouses in what was seen as a test of the government's strategy for dealing with any resurgence of the virus during the easing of the restrictions. At one slaughterhouse, in Coesfeld, 180 workers tested positive.
Italy saw people return to the streets for their traditional aperitivos and revel in fine weather as restrictions there were eased, alarming some public officials.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala warned that "a handful of crazy people" were putting the city's recovery at risk and threatened to shut down the trendy Navigli district after crowds of young people were seen out at aperitivo hour ignoring social-distancing rules.
In Rome, the Campo dei Fiori flower and vegetable market was bustling on Saturday morning, the first weekend Italians were allowed outside for more than just work and necessities.
But confusion about what is now allowed and what is not created frustration for business owners.
Carlo Alberto, owner of the TabaCafe, an Argentine empanada bar that was selling cocktails to a few customers, said that since reopening this week he had been threatened with a fine by the police because of the crowds in front of his bar.
"Am I supposed to send them home? They need a guard here to do that," he said. "The laws aren't clear, the decree isn't clear. You don't know what you can do."
In New York, the deadliest hot spot in the US, Governor Andrew Cuomo said three children died from a possible complication of the coronavirus involving swollen blood vessels and heart problems. At least 73 children in the state have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease - a rare inflammatory condition - and toxic shock syndrome. But there is no proof the mysterious syndrome is caused by the virus.
A Cuomo spokesman said Saturday that the governor was extending stay-at-home restrictions to June 7, but another top aide later clarified that that was not so; the May 15 expiration date for the restrictions remains in place "until further notice," Melissa DeRosa said in an evening statement.
Businesses in the US continue to struggle as more employers are realising their laid-off employees might not return to work anytime soon. US health officials are watching for a second wave of infections, roughly two weeks after states began gradually reopening with Georgia largely leading the way.
Some malls have opened up in Georgia and Texas, while Nevada restaurants, hair salons and other businesses were able to have limited reopenings on Saturday or once again allow customers inside their establishments after nearly two months of restrictions. Meanwhile some national parks have started testing out public access.
The head of the US Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn, put himself in quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person. And the government said it is delivering supplies of remdesivr, the first drug shown to speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients, to six more states. Seven states were sent cases of the medicine earlier in the week.
Elsewhere, Pakistan allowed shops, factories, construction sites and other businesses to reopen on Saturday, while more than 1600 new cases and 24 deaths were reported. Prime Minister Imran Khan said the government was rolling back curbs because it couldn't support millions of families that depended on daily wages.
The government warned that controls would be reimposed if the public failed to follow social-distancing guidelines.
In Spain, health authorities will allow certain regions to scale back their lockdowns starting Monday, with limited seating at bars, restaurants and other public places. But Madrid and Barcelona, the country's largest cities, both badly hit by the scourge, will remain shut down.
"The pandemic is evolving favourably, but there is a risk of another outbreak that could generate a serious catastrophe," Spanish health official Fernando Simon said. "Personal responsibility is vital."
This year's observance of Victory Day in Russia had been expected to be especially large because it is the 75th anniversary. Instead, Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the tomb of the unknown soldier, and a show of military might was limited to a flyover of 75 warplanes and helicopters.
Belarus, though, held a military parade in front of big crowds in the capital, Minsk, despite sharply rising coronavirus infections. Belarus has not imposed restrictions to halt the virus' spread, and authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed concerns about it as a "psychosis."
A fire at a Moscow hospital treating people infected by the coronavirus killed one patient and forced the evacuation of about 200 others. The cause of the blaze was not immediately determined.
stuff.co.nz
Coronavirus: South Korea reverses on reopenings following nightclub outbreak
08:41, May 11 2020FacebookTwitterWhats AppRedditEmail
8-10 minutes
Ahn Young-joon/AP
More than 2100 nightclubs and bars in Seoul have been forced to close.
South Korea has reported 34 additional cases of the coronavirus amid a spate of infections linked to clubgoers, underscoring the dilemma authorities face as they try to reopen their economies.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed 26 of the 34 new patients were locally transmitted cases, the first time that the daily jump has been above 30 in about a month.
Most of the cases in the past few days were linked to nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon entertainment neighbourhood, after the country began reopening. A 29-year-old man had visited three clubs before testing positive last week.
Seoul mayor Park Won-soon on Saturday ordered more than 2100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos closed and urged others to enforce anti-virus measures, including distancing, temperature checks, keeping customer lists and requiring employees to wear masks.
READ MORE:
* Ten arrested, police officer injured in Melbourne anti-lockdown protest
* Three New York children die from illness linked to coronavirus
* North Korea says Kim Jong-un has praised Chinese president for keeping coronavirus under control
Park said health workers were trying to contact about 1940 people who had been at the three clubs and other places nearby. The mayor said gains made against the virus were now threatened "because of a few careless people".
President Moon Jae-in urged calm on Sunday as his nation continued to work to overcome the "colossal" economic damage caused by the pandemic.
"The infection cluster, which recently occurred in entertainment facilities, has raised awareness that even during the stabilisation phase, similar situations can arise again, any time, anywhere in an enclosed, crowded space," Moon said.
"We must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention," he said.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty-Images
South Korea reported 34 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, the first time the daily jump has been above 30 in a month.
Around the world, countries are wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity without causing the virus to come surging back.
China reported its first double-digit rise in new cases in 10 days on Sunday, saying 14 had been detected, 12 of them domestic infections and two from abroad.
Elsewhere, Belarus, which has not locked down despite increasing case numbers, saw tens of thousands of people turn out to mark Victory Day, the anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat in 1945. That was in contrast to Russia, which skipped the usual grand military parade in Red Square.
Worldwide, at least 4 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus, and more than 275,000 have died, including over 78,000 in the US, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Spain, France, Italy and Britain have reported about 26,000 to 32,000 deaths each.
Germany and South Korea have both carried out extensive testing and contact tracing and have been hailed for avoiding the mass deaths that have overwhelmed other countries. But even there, authorities have struggled to find the balance between saving lives and salvaging jobs.
Health officials in Germany faced outbreaks at three slaughterhouses in what was seen as a test of the government's strategy for dealing with any resurgence of the virus during the easing of the restrictions. At one slaughterhouse, in Coesfeld, 180 workers tested positive.
Italy saw people return to the streets for their traditional aperitivos and revel in fine weather as restrictions there were eased, alarming some public officials.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala warned that "a handful of crazy people" were putting the city's recovery at risk and threatened to shut down the trendy Navigli district after crowds of young people were seen out at aperitivo hour ignoring social-distancing rules.
In Rome, the Campo dei Fiori flower and vegetable market was bustling on Saturday morning, the first weekend Italians were allowed outside for more than just work and necessities.
But confusion about what is now allowed and what is not created frustration for business owners.
Carlo Alberto, owner of the TabaCafe, an Argentine empanada bar that was selling cocktails to a few customers, said that since reopening this week he had been threatened with a fine by the police because of the crowds in front of his bar.
"Am I supposed to send them home? They need a guard here to do that," he said. "The laws aren't clear, the decree isn't clear. You don't know what you can do."
In New York, the deadliest hot spot in the US, Governor Andrew Cuomo said three children died from a possible complication of the coronavirus involving swollen blood vessels and heart problems. At least 73 children in the state have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease - a rare inflammatory condition - and toxic shock syndrome. But there is no proof the mysterious syndrome is caused by the virus.
A Cuomo spokesman said Saturday that the governor was extending stay-at-home restrictions to June 7, but another top aide later clarified that that was not so; the May 15 expiration date for the restrictions remains in place "until further notice," Melissa DeRosa said in an evening statement.
Businesses in the US continue to struggle as more employers are realising their laid-off employees might not return to work anytime soon. US health officials are watching for a second wave of infections, roughly two weeks after states began gradually reopening with Georgia largely leading the way.
Some malls have opened up in Georgia and Texas, while Nevada restaurants, hair salons and other businesses were able to have limited reopenings on Saturday or once again allow customers inside their establishments after nearly two months of restrictions. Meanwhile some national parks have started testing out public access.
The head of the US Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn, put himself in quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person. And the government said it is delivering supplies of remdesivr, the first drug shown to speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients, to six more states. Seven states were sent cases of the medicine earlier in the week.
Elsewhere, Pakistan allowed shops, factories, construction sites and other businesses to reopen on Saturday, while more than 1600 new cases and 24 deaths were reported. Prime Minister Imran Khan said the government was rolling back curbs because it couldn't support millions of families that depended on daily wages.
The government warned that controls would be reimposed if the public failed to follow social-distancing guidelines.
In Spain, health authorities will allow certain regions to scale back their lockdowns starting Monday, with limited seating at bars, restaurants and other public places. But Madrid and Barcelona, the country's largest cities, both badly hit by the scourge, will remain shut down.
"The pandemic is evolving favourably, but there is a risk of another outbreak that could generate a serious catastrophe," Spanish health official Fernando Simon said. "Personal responsibility is vital."
This year's observance of Victory Day in Russia had been expected to be especially large because it is the 75th anniversary. Instead, Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the tomb of the unknown soldier, and a show of military might was limited to a flyover of 75 warplanes and helicopters.
Belarus, though, held a military parade in front of big crowds in the capital, Minsk, despite sharply rising coronavirus infections. Belarus has not imposed restrictions to halt the virus' spread, and authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed concerns about it as a "psychosis."
A fire at a Moscow hospital treating people infected by the coronavirus killed one patient and forced the evacuation of about 200 others. The cause of the blaze was not immediately determined.
KNN
