5L cases bring Europe on its knees

Paris, April 2

Covid-19 has the whole of Europe in its deadly grip as more than 5,00,000 infections — accounting for over half the global tally — have been reported in the continent. It has recorded 5,08,271 cases and 34,571 deaths till today.

Extensive lockdowns and overburdened healthcare systems, coupled with challenges of unemployment have battered the economies of almost all the countries. The worst-hit countries, however, are Italy with 13,915 fatalities and Spain with 10,003 and over 1 lakh confirmed cases.

However, the actual number of cases and deaths is likely to be far higher as many countries are only testing cases that require hospitalisation.

Meanwhile, the WHO voiced deep concern on Wednesday about the rapid escalation in global spread of the virus. “In the next few days, we will reach 1 million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths worldwide,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday. —Agencies

A record 10 million sought US jobless aid in past 2 weeks

• More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — doubling a record high set just one week earlier — a sign that layoffs are accelerating
• Combined with last week’s report that 3.3 million people sought unemployment aid two weeks ago, the US economy has now suffered nearly 10 million layoffs in just the past few weeks.
• The stunning report Thursday from the Labor Department showed that job cuts are mounting against the backdrop of economies in the United States and abroad that have almost certainly sunk into a severe recession as businesses have shut down across the world.

EU chief proposes Europe-wide unemployment guarantee

• The EU on Thursday proposed a bloc-wide guarantee that could raise €100 billion euros to aid strained national unemployment schemes as millions of jobs are hit by the pandemic
• The proposal by European Commission boss Ursula von der Leyen is intended to heal a bitter divide among EU member states over how to respond to the severe economic recession that will result from the epidemic
• In the complex scheme, the bloc’s 27 national governments would give a budget to Brussels so the EU executive could raise money on the markets to fund member states struggling to help the unemployed and part-time workers

Putin extends non-working period

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russians will continue not going to work while receiving pay until the end of the month to combat the coronavirus. “I’ve taken a decision to extend the period of non-working days until April 30,” Putin said in an address, adding that each region can decide what lockdown measures are needed. PTI

Israel’s Health Minister tests positive

Jerusalem: Israel’s Health Minister Yaakov Litzman has been put into isolation after being tested positive for COVID-19, pushing all the top officials, including Mossad chief Yossi Cohen and National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat, at the forefront of fight against the deadly virus into self-quarantine. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier gone into self isolation after a close aide contracted the virus, but has tested negative. PTI

Grand Canyon closed to public

Los Angeles: The Grand Canyon was closed to visitors with immediate effect , making the Arizona landmark visited by millions each year the latest tourist hotspot to shut over the coronavirus pandemic. The closure follows several warnings in recent days by county officials and Navajo Native American leaders over crowds continuing to gather at the natural wonder. Arizona congressman Raul Grijalva said hundreds of visitors were staying in the Grand Canyon Park despite officials instructions to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people. AFP

Snapshots

EUROPE

• n Britain’s PM promised to ramp up testing after his government faced criticism for being slower than some European peers to roll out mass checks.
• n France became the fourth country to exceed 4,000 deaths, while Spain’s death toll topped 10,000.
• n The restrictive measures Ireland put in place last week may well be extended beyond the initial deadline of April 12.
• n Serbia will revoke a decree giving the government control over information on the outbreak, following protests and the detention of a journalist for reporting a major hospital lacked protective gear and properly trained staff.
• n Poland may face a peak in infections in April, government spokesman said

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

• Mainland China logged fewer new infections on Thursday, but measures restricting movement were tightened.
• South Korea will allow coronavirus patients to vote by mail or as absentees in parliamentary elections this month.
• Indonesia to give special assistance to residents of Jakarta within two weeks during the Ramadan holiday period.
• Australia’s most populous state said police enforcement of restrictions on personal movement would last three months.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

•  Iran’s President said the US had missed an opportunity to lift sanctions on his country, though he said the penalties had not hampered Tehran’s fight against the virus which has killed more than 3,100 people in the country.
• Zambia recorded its first death on Thursday.