Many countries, where quarantine appears to be beginning to pay off and a reduction in the spread of the coronavirus epidemic is being observed, are gradually easing the restrictions, although the report covid-19 is still heavy, with the 40.000 mark exceeded in the US.
Premiere in Europe, the continent that counts almost two thirds of the 164.000 dead worldwide from the epidemic. Germany will today allow the reopening of most stores with an area of less than 800 square meters. With more than 135.000 cases and about 4.000 deaths, the epidemic in Germany is "under control and manageable," said German Health Minister Jens Spann.
"The success of this stage, however, is" fragile, "warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "We will not be able to live our old life for long," added Armin Lasset, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the German states hardest hit by covid-19.
Many countries in Europe - including France (with almost 20.000 dead), Spain (almost 20.500) and Italy (more than 23.600 dead) - have seen declining new cases and deaths after weeks of rising rates, allowing in their governments to consider phasing out restrictions in the coming weeks.
"We are not out of the health crisis," but "the situation is gradually improving, slowly but surely," French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Sunday. France, the fourth deadliest country in the world in terms of death toll after the United States, Italy and Spain, will consider phasing out the restrictive measures from May 11 onwards.
"Our life after May 11 will not be exactly the same as before quarantine. "We have to learn to live with the virus," Philip warned. In Italy, the first relaxation measures will be taken after May 3, authorities said. But little by little, companies can open, although not with all their workforce and taking strict preventive measures.
In Spain, the head of the emergency center Fernando Simon announced that for the first time since March 22 the daily death toll fell below the limit of 500, to 410 deaths. The makeshift morgue set up on an ice rink in Madrid, a symbol of the million dead due to covid-19, will close on Wednesday and April 27 and after that children will be able to leave their home, for the first time since March 14.
In Norway, where authorities believe they have "brought the virus under control", kindergartens will open today and the ban on staying in a secondary residence will be lifted. The second stage will follow after April 27, with the gradual opening of colleges, high schools and universities.
In Britain, on the other hand, the quarantine that took effect on March 23 was extended for at least three weeks on Thursday, with the government not yet ready to lift the restrictive measures. In Britain, more than 16.000 hospital deaths from the coronavirus have been reported, a death toll that does not include the dead in nursing homes or homes.
For the World Health Organization, the pandemic has not yet been brought under global control, with "steady or rising numbers" in Britain and Eastern Europe.
1.997 deaths in the US in 24 hours
The death toll from the new coronavirus pandemic in the United States has risen by nearly 2.000 in the past 24 hours to a total of 4.661 as of Sunday night, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The daily death toll of 1.997 deaths is higher than the previous one (1.891 dead) in the country that mourns the most pandemic victims on the planet.
Mexico: 36 new deaths and 764 new cases
Mexican Undersecretary of Health Hugo Lopez-Gatel told reporters Sunday that 686 people had fallen ill so far. COVID-19 in the country, while the cases of infection from SARS-CoV-2 now amount to 8.261 in total. Last year, the Mexican Ministry of Health reported 650 deaths and 7.497 cases of the new coronavirus infection.
12 new confirmed cases in China
The National Health Commission announced today that as of midnight yesterday Sunday recorded 12 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, a number reduced compared to 16 of the previous one, and no deaths in mainland China.
Eight of the cases were imported, according to the term used by the National Health Commission (Ministry of Health) when referring to travelers arriving in China from abroad infected.
Of the remaining four cases of transmission in the community, three were located in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, which borders Russia, and one in Inner Mongolia. Authorities recorded 49 new cases of asymptomatic coronavirus carriers. To date, the official Chinese authorities report 4.632 deaths from the disease COVID-19 out of a total of 82.747 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The measures in New Zealand are extended until April 27
The Government of New Zealand has decided to extend the measures imposed to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus for a week, after which the lockdown will begin to gradually ease, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden informed the citizens of the country today.
New Zealand will begin easing "Alarm Level 4" measures from "23:59 on Monday, April 27, one week from now," Prime Minister Ardern told a news conference. Then measures of "Alarm Level 3" will be implemented for two weeks, before we re-evaluate how we are going and make new decisions, in the cabinet of May 11 ", added the head of the Government.
As of Sunday, New Zealand had recorded 12 deaths from the disease COVID-19 and 1.431 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection.