25th Jun 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=38 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The Washington Post It wasnt that long ago that Chilean President Sebastin Piera boasted that the country was ready for the coronavirus. Far better prepared than Italy is how he put it in March. And after locking down the population bolstering hospitals and testing aggressively the country did appear to be faring well against the pandemic. With a comparatively advanced healthcare system it kept numbers of cases and deaths lower than in neighboring Brazil Ecuador and Peru. By April officials were touting plans to distribute a firstintheworld immunity passport enabling Chileans who had recovered from covid19 to get back to work. They now appear to have been overconfident. After weeks of soaring infections Chile has now reported more than 250000 cases of the coronavirus seventh in the world and 4500 deaths. Officials said over the weekend that 3000 more deaths were probably caused by covid19. Its 1338.9 cases per 100000 people lead Latin America. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/chile-coronavirus-lockdown-sebastian-pinera/2020/06/23/70e9701a-b4a7-11ea-aca5-ebb63d27e1ff_story.html 24th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

EL PAS in English Spanish education officials have for weeks been debating how to get nonuniversity students safely back to school in the fall for inperson classes. Schools shut down across Spain in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and classes were moved online but educators have been warning about the gaps in access to technology and the risk that some students could be left behind. Central and regional officials are now working toward the goal of getting all children in preuniversity studies back to school despite the logistical problems involved. One of the main issues is how to maintain a safe physical distance between students in facilities with large class sizes and reduced space. https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-06-24/face-masks-and-class-bubbles-spain-prepares-plans-for-a-safe-return-to-school.html 24th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

FRANCE 24 As France eases out of lockdown people are heading back to their old ways of life but these feel so unfamiliar. Though the places are the same the way the French are supposed to navigate life is just different whether its wearing a mask or avoiding a kiss to say hello. What longterm impact are the coronavirus and the twomonth lockdown going to have on French society In this episode of French Connections Plus Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot take a look at the new normal in postlockdown France. https://www.france24.com/en/france/20200624-french-connections-life-after-lockdown-exploring-the-new-normal-in-france 24th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

CTV News Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that further social support measures and incentives for businesses will be introduced as he hailed the nations response to the coronavirus pandemic in the runup to a vote that could extend his rule until 2036. Speaking in a televised address Putin declared that Russia has successfully gone through the most dangerous phase of the outbreak. Together we have proven that we are capable to fulfil the most difficult tasks he said. https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/putin-declares-a-russian-victory-over-coronavirus-but-warns-epidemic-isn-t-over-yet-1.4996886 24th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

BBC Russia is celebrating its biggest public holiday Victory Day with a military parade in Moscow that was meant to be held on 9 May. It is 75 years since the then USSR defeated Nazi Germany. World War Two cost more than 20 million Soviet lives. President Vladimir Putin reluctantly postponed the big annual celebration because of the coronavirus pandemic. But it was rescheduled ahead of a key constitutional vote which could allow him a further two terms in power. Moscows lockdown eased this month but mass gatherings technically remain banned. Soldiers taking part had to go into quarantine ahead of the parade. The number of confirmed cases in Russia rose above 600000 on Wednesday with another 7176 new infections reported over the previous 24 hours. This is however lower than in May when the country reported more than 10000 new cases a day for more than a week. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53152725 24th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Drinkers in Englands pubs will have to give their name before they order a pint and there will be no live acts or standing at the bar the government said in advice for reopening the sector next month. Pubs restaurants and hairdressers will have to keep a record of customers for 21 days to assist the state health services test and trace operation which aims to identify and contain any local flareups of COVID19 and stop a second wave of infections. Live performances including drama comedy and music will also not be allowed the government said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said that pubs restaurants and hotels could reopen in England on July 4 easing the coronavirus lockdown that has all but shut the economy. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-pubs/no-name-no-pint-new-rules-for-englands-pubs-after-lockdown-idUKKBN23V1GS 24th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Russia is holding its postponed Victory Day military parade on Wednesday despite steadily rising coronavirus infections as Vladimir Putin seeks a popularity boost in the runup to a referendum on extending his time in office. The parade celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany and has grown to outsize proportions in the years since Putin came to power at the turn of the century. On 1 July Russians will vote on amending their countrys constitution to allow Putin to run twice more for president potentially extending his stay in the Kremlin to 2036. Online voting will begin less than 24 hours after an estimated 14000 Russian troops as well as tanks artillery and aircraft traverse Red Square in a patriotic display of the countrys military prowess. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/23/russia-hold-victory-day-parade-despite-coronavirus-threat-putin-referendum 23rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

BusinessTech Government has begun introducing new regulations around South Africas advanced level 3 lockdown with more set to be introduced in the coming weeks. Last week President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country will move to an advanced level 3 lockdown with a number of business sectors reopened to the public. Ramaphosa said that many businesses that stopped operating on 27 March when the lockdown first came into effect have not been able to operate. Following discussions with industry representatives provincial heads scientists as well as cabinet Ramaphosa said that restrictions will be eased for https://businesstech.co.za/news/trending/410371/3-new-lockdown-changes-announced-for-south-africa/ 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Independent World Health Organisation WHO officials have warned this is the year of living differently and urged caution in the UK ahead of further easing of lockdown restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce on Tuesday that the hospitality industry can reopen from 4 July with the twometre social distancing rule set to be halved. While the UK has made progress in suppressing the virus Dr Margaret Harris cautioned that the pandemic is not over adding that there is a link between rising reproduction rates and the easing of lockdown measures. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-lockdown-rules-uk-boris-johnson-a9580656.html 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Quint As Asia Western Europe and parts of the U.S. emerge from what will hopefully be the worst of the pandemic the virus in Brazil isnt slowing down. Between late May and midJune the country galloped past Spain Italy and the U.K. in total fatalities which now exceed 51000 the secondhighest toll after the U.S. Its second in overall cases too with more than 1 million confirmed infections. With local officials now lifting quarantines despite continued growth in cases its conceivable that when Covid19 finally recedes Brazil will have been hit harder than any other country. https://www.bloombergquint.com/businessweek/coronavirus-pandemic-brazil-faces-worst-case-scenario 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

CBS News Latin America and the Caribbean on Tuesday surpassed 100000 coronavirus deaths more than half of them in Brazil according to an AFP count based on official figures. The pandemic is accelerating across the region which now has a total of 2.1 million cases with Brazil Mexico Peru and Chile the most affected countries. Brazil has the secondhighest COVID19 death toll in the world after the United States at more than 52640 fatalities out of 1145906 confirmed cases. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-deaths-latin-america-caribbean-top-100000-brazil-hardest-hit-bolsonaro-face-mask/ 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC People in Scotland will be allowed to meet up with two other households indoors from 10 July and pubs and restaurants can reopen from 15 July. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also said the fivemile travel limit will be lifted from 3 July while beer gardens can reopen from 6 July. Hairdressers and barbers can open from 15 July as can holiday accommodation. Ms Sturgeon said the move was possible thanks to the real sustained progress made in suppressing coronavirus. But she said the changes depended on keeping the virus under control and could be reversed if there was a fresh outbreak. And they will not apply to people who are shielding who will be given further advice before the end of July. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53154763 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Nicola Sturgeon has said she is not prepared to put lives at risk in some kind of reckless race with other parts of the UK as she faced criticism for maintaining the 2metre rule for businesses despite having announced plans for school pupils to return from August with no distancing in place. Scotlands first minister set out indicative dates for further easing of the countrys lockdown rules including lifting the fivemile travel restriction from next Friday and reopening beer gardens from the following Monday as weekly data from the National Records of Scotland showed a reduction in deaths for the eighth consecutive week. Continuing to urge caution she told the Scottish parliament Our pace is slightly slower than England but it is in my view right for our circumstances and I hope more likely to be sustainable than if we went faster now. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/24/nicola-sturgeon-no-reckless-race-with-rest-of-uk-on-lockdown-easing 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Testing everyone for coronavirus every week could drive out the coronavirus without a second wave or another lockdown according to scientists. Researchers led by the London School of Hygiene Tropical Medicine said routine testing contact tracing and household isolation could stop Covid19 quite quickly. They said Britain should do a singlecity trial of the system to see whether it could bring down new infections and deaths faster than the current situation. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8451751/Testing-Britain-coronavirus-week-prevent-second-lockdown.html 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accelerated the easing of lockdown rules amid growing political pressure to get people back to work and restart the critical tourism industry. The changes which in parts echo moves announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday are earlier than planned and come as a report showed the economy may not recover until 2024 in a worstcase scenario. Our pace is slightly slower than Englands but it is in my view right for our circumstances Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on Wednesday. Progress in tackling coronavirus means Scots could get back to normality more quickly than we could have imagined a few weeks ago. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-24/scotland-joins-rest-of-u-k-easing-lockdown-amid-economic-pain 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The government has given the green light to a night out in a pub or restaurant in England but gym workouts swimming pools nightclub dance floors and even manicures are still off limits prompting accusations of glaring inconsistencies as the lockdown is eased. The chief executive of PureGym the UKs biggest gym chain said he was bitterly disappointed by the delay in opening its 269 gyms and questioned the governments commitment to tackling obesity. It is a strange war on obesity that sees pubs and restaurants open before gyms said Humphrey Cobbold who highlighted that the company had already safely reopened its gyms in Switzerland and Denmark. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/23/operators-of-gyms-and-pools-query-englands-new-lockdown-rules 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Boris Johnson hailed the easing of lockdown measures from 4 July as the end of hibernation but some experts said the move could allow Covid19 to regain a foothold. They fear the lack of an effective track and trace system and the heightened risk of transmission indoors 97 of superspreader events those with five or more transmissions have taken place indoors. Bars and restaurants face a privacy minefield after being told they must record customers details when they reopen next Saturday. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/24/wednesday-briefing-holiday-hopes-as-pm-eases-lockdown 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Financial Times Frances coronavirustracing app has failed to take off with only 68 people using it to register a positive test result in the three weeks since its launch despite 1.9m downloading it on their phones. The StopCovid app which is meant to automatically inform users if they come into contact with an infected person has sent only 14 notifications to other users. In recent days the pace at which people uninstalled the app from their phones has also picked up even as France lifted its final lockdown restrictions on businesses and schools according to Cdric O Frances junior minister for digital affairs. We can only infer that just as people are not adhering as much to maskwearing and social distancing lately that some do not think they need the app now that the virus is less active he said. It may reflect that French people are simply less worried about the epidemic right now. Olivier Blazy a computer science professor at the University of Limoges questioned whether the app would actually contribute to the public health effort. Adoption has been derisory and the results are ridiculous he said. There were more people involved in the creation of the app than people who have benefited from it. https://www.ft.com/content/255567d5-b7ec-4fbe-b8a9-833b3a23f665 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

WION Residents of the Russian capital emerged Tuesday from a strict coronavirus lockdown a day after Moscow authorities announced they would lift key restrictions. https://www.wionews.com/videos/moscow-center-of-russias-coronavirus-crisis-eases-lockdown-restrictions-308241 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Anadolu Agency Sierra Leone eased COVID19 lockdown restrictions that were imposed to curb the spread of the virus the president said on Tuesday. In a series of tweets President Julius Maada Bio said the country has seen high recovery and discharge rates lower infection rates and proportionally lower death rates. Effective immediately the curfew is adjusted to the period 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. I announce the lifting of the ban on interdistrict travel starting on Wednesday 24th June 2020. Once all measures are in place commercial flights will resume in the very short run Bio said. The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School in consultation with stakeholders has developed comprehensive health and safety guidelines for teachers pupils and communities for the purpose of providing safe environment for students who are taking public examinations he added. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/sierra-leone-eases-coronavirus-lockdown-restrictions/1887279 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Japan Times Japans strength has been the consensus about making necessary changes to daily life to keep infection rates low but when it comes to leveraging the pandemic to think outside of the box its response has been muted https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/06/24/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-struggle-reimagine-post-pandemic-world/ 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

9News Pubs and restaurants in South Australia will be allowed to double their customer numbers from Monday in the latest lift on lockdown restrictions. The state government is lifting the current limit to 50 per cent capacity meaning one person per two square metres in public premises. Businesses will be able to accept more customers without turning people away to comply with current restrictions. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-south-australia-restrictions-lifted-from-monday-june-29/5dad1744-19a4-45fe-869c-9ac94f1f940b 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC EU ambassadors are to continue talks on Friday to plan reopening external borders on 1 July and travellers from the US could be among those not allowed in. Some European countries are keen to open up to tourists but others are wary of the continued spread of the virus. On Wednesday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he expected a solution in the coming weeks. The virus is spreading in the US so it is likely Americans would be barred. The 27member bloc must first agree the measures that nonEU countries should meet before deciding on a safe list. Brazil Russia and other countries with high infection rates would also be left off a safe list according to reports from Brussels. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53161447 24th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post Within the countries in question the new flareups are mostly rooted in identifiable regions where officials launched or expanded aggressive containment efforts this week. German authorities said Tuesday they would impose a new regional lockdown in a district of the countrys northwest to contain an outbreak linked to a meatprocessing plant after more than 1500 workers were infected. Portugal cracked down on mass gatherings. Australias Victoria state reshuttered several schools. An area in the northeast of Spain reintroduced restrictions. Even New Zealand which has just 10 confirmed active cases tightened border measures as an increasing number of citizens abroad began to fly home. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/06/23/countries-around-world-scramble-contain-coronavirus-flare-ups-us-states-remain-open/ 23rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Tennessean Gov. Bill Lee and Nashville Mayor John Cooper are marching forward with plans to reopen businesses and lift coronavirus restrictions despite a worsening outbreak infecting hospitalizing and killing more Tennesseans than ever before. Lee and other state officials said Tuesday they are monitoring the spread of the coronavirus and developing hot spot plans for counties where infections were surging. But the governor didnt provide specifics on if or when he would reverse the reopening of the state. When asked if his administration was treating the outbreak with an appropriate seriousness Lee maintained they were not underestimating the virus. There is a genuine understanding that COVID19 is a serious public health crisis for our state and we take it seriously every single day ... We are encouraged that we have one of the lowest death rates per capita in the country but every single death is a very serious issue for me Lee said. https://eu.tennessean.com/story/news/health/2020/06/23/tennessee-coronavirus-bill-lee-reopening-nashville-moves-third-phase-despite-surging-rates/3241845001/ 23rd Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Guardian At the last daily press conference on Covid19 Chris Whitty the chief medical officer for England pleaded with the public If people dont take mitigation seriously if people hear a distorted version of whats been said that says this is all fine now its gone away and start behaving in ways that they normally would have before this virus happened yes we will get an uptick for sure. So it is absolutely critical that people stick to the guidance that has been given. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/24/boris-johnson-ease-lockdown-england 24th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

BBC Health leaders are calling for an urgent review to determine whether the UK is properly prepared for the real risk of a second wave of infections. The presidents of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons Nursing Physicians and GPs urged the government to examine areas of weakness where action is needed urgently to prevent further loss of life. Is a second wave inevitable Our health correspondent James Gallagher looks closely. The warning comes after the prime minister announced a wholesale easing of lockdown in England from 4 July heres all you need to know on that. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53158132 24th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Independent Medical experts have warned the UK must prepare now for the real risk of a second wave of coronavirus amid growing fears of a renewed outbreak this winter. The warning came in an open letter published in the British Medical Journal after prime minister Boris Johnson announced the twometre social distancing rule would be reduced to onemetre plus allowing pubs restaurants hotels and cinemas to reopen from 4 July. Fitness bosses have criticised the decision to leave gyms out of the next stage of Englands lockdown easing with the chief executive of David Lloyd Clubs blasting the move as completely illogical. Australia has reported its first death in more than a month sparking concerns about a second wave which saw thousands in Victoria queue for Covid19 tests and supermarkets impose new restrictions. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-news-uk-live-boris-johnson-speech-lockdown-rules-update-cases-today-a9580456.html 24th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Guardian By 23 June according to official figures Britain had sustained 306210 confirmed cases of Covid19 compared with Germanys 190862. In Britain 42927 people had died from the virus. In Germany the figure on the same day stood at 8895 deaths. In Britain according to Johns Hopkins University data the current death rate per 100000 people stands at 64.27. In Germany the rate is 10.73. It is a stunning difference. Germans have been six times less likely to die from Covid19 than British people. What explains it One underlying reason is that the UKs health spending level per head of 4000 is only approximately twothirds that of Germany. Another more immediate one is that Germany was much quicker to lock down most German schools closed from 13 March a week before all parts of the UK shops and restaurants closed from 16 March again a week before Britain. As a result Germany was able to begin lifting parts of its lockdown at the end of April. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/24/germany-coronavirus-britain-health-spending-test-trace 24th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Independent Lifting lockdown measures now in England risks a second wave of coronavirus during the winter a former chief scientific adviser to the government has warned. I think its extraordinarily risky Sir David King told Sky News. If we take the long view we know that the winter is a likely period when the virus takes off again. We must therefore aim to completely get rid of the virus from this country before the winter. His warning came a day after Boris Johnson announced the most significant relaxation of the Covid19 lockdown so far telling the public that pubs cinemas hairdressers and restaurants will reopen on 4 July and that the twometre rule will be eased. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-lockdown-uk-sage-david-king-scientific-adviser-a9582386.html 24th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Times President Bolsonaro has been ordered by a federal judge to wear a mask in public after he attended political rallies in Rio de Janeiro without any face covering. Renato Borelli said that Mr Bolsonaro could be fined 2000 reais 387 a day if he continued to disobey a federal district ordinance meant to slow the Covid19 outbreak. Facemasks have been mandatory in public in the city since April. Last week Abraham Weintraub the education minister was fined for failing to wear a face mask at a rally in Brasilia the capital. He shook hands and posed for pictures with demonstrators many of whom also went without masks. Brazil is facing one of the worst outbreaks of coronavirus with more than 1.1 million cases so far and more than 50000 deaths. Mr Bolsonaro has resisted calls for lockdowns saying that his countrys economy could not survive. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/germany-reimposes-lockdown-after-1-500-coronavirus-cases-at-slaughterhouse-dbjvrm756 24th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Guardian A combination of sunny weather and the approaching relaxation of coronavirus lockdown rules in England has led to jubilation on some front pages today as others mark the start of the end of our long national hibernation. Summers back on says the Daily Mail and quotes Boris Johnson urging people to get out and enjoy themselves. It notes however the move is a calculated gamble to head off economic disaster. The Express takes a similar tack. It uses a picture of the prime minister with beer held aloft alongside the headline Cheers Boris Heres to a brighter Britain. It tempers the joy with a message across the top PM were coming out of hibernation but virus still a risk. Metro also uses the pub theme with Get the beers in. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jun/24/end-of-hibernation-what-the-papers-say-about-englands-lockdown-easing 24th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

KGO-TV Disneyland Resort announced on Wednesday that it will delay the reopening of the theme parks and hotel. There was no new date given. The State of California has now indicated that it will not issue theme park reopening guidelines until sometime after July 4. Given the time required for us to bring thousands of cast members back to work and restart our business we have no choice but to delay the reopening of our theme parks and resort hotels until we receive approval from government officials Disneyland said in a statement. Disneyland employee unions had asked the state to delay the parks expected reopening in July out of concerns for health and safety. https://abc7news.com/entertainment/disneyland-resort-delays-reopening-of-anaheim-theme-parks/6265674/ 25th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

MSN Colombias lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus will continue until July 15 President Ivan Duque said in a nightly broadcast on Tuesday. The Andean country has reported more than 73500 cases of coronavirus and 2404 deaths. The current conditions of obligatory isolation where we are returning to productivity and moving towards the reopening of businesses will continue as they are today until July 15 Duque said. Duque first declared a national quarantine to control the spread of the new coronavirus in late March. While certain restrictions have been relaxed the quarantine was due to lift on July 1 https://www.msn.com/en-xl/latinamerica/top-stories/colombia-extends-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-until-july-15/ar-BB15V172 24th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Twitter has launched a new prompt to fight genderbased violence in response to a surge in sexual assaults and domestic attacks during lockdown a company official said on Wednesday. The social network said the feature currently available in 11 countries directs users to local helpline services if they search for terms such as domestic violence or sexual assault. This is the first time that this notification prompt has been made available in multiple locations in multiple languages said Kathleen Reen a senior director of Twitter in AsiaPacific. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-women-tech-trfn/twitter-tackles-violent-upsurge-against-women-in-lockdown-idUSKBN23V1VE 24th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Euractiv.com Coronavirus lockdowns could radicalise more terror suspects the EUs police agency warned Tuesday 23 June saying both right and leftwing violence were on the rise. The pandemics worldwide economic and social impacts could escalate existing discontents Europol director Catherine De Bolle said as she unveiled the organisations latest terrorism trends report. These developments have the potential to further fuel the radicalisation of some individuals regardless of their ideological persuasion De Bolle said in the report. Activists both on the extreme left and right and those involved in jihadist terrorism attempt to seize the opportunity the pandemic has created to further propagate their aims. https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/virus-lockdown-could-fuel-radicalisation-europol-warns/ 24th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

BBC Whether schooling children at home or facing many months living alone lockdown has proven to be challenging for large numbers of people. At the start of May people in many countries including the US India Canada Japan France and Germany were in favour of lockdown measures being prioritised to protect health rather than the economy. About twothirds of Britons said they could cope well with a lockdown that lasted until July but might struggle with much more. More recent polling however suggests that adherence to lockdown measures began to wane even before restrictions were eased. Clearly peoples patience has been tested. Video calls bizarre dreamfilled nights sleep and reduced exposure to daylight have all been blamed for lockdown lethargy. But another unforeseen problem could be tiring you out the disruption to your daily habits. With daily routines shaken up and likely to remain so for the foreseeable future even after restrictions are eased we are now making many more little decisions about our daily lives. This can cause decision fatigue. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200623-the-real-reason-lockdown-is-exhausting 24th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Colombias lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus will continue until July 15 President Ivan Duque said in a nightly broadcast on Tuesday. The Andean country has reported more than 73500 cases of coronavirus and 2404 deaths. The current conditions of obligatory isolation where we are returning to productivity and moving towards the reopening of businesses will continue as they are today until July 15 Duque said. Duque first declared a national quarantine to control the spread of the new coronavirus in late March. While certain restrictions have been relaxed the quarantine was due to lift on July 1 https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-colombia/colombia-extends-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-until-july-15-idUKKBN23V02I 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC About 300 people will have the vaccine over the coming weeks as part of a trial led by Prof Robin Shattock and his colleagues at Imperial College London. Tests in animals suggest the vaccine is safe and triggers an effective immune response. Experts at Oxford University have already started human trials. The trials are among many across the world there are around 120 vaccine programmes under way. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53061288 25th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC Covid19 antibodies tests for NHS and care staff are being rolled out without adequate assessment experts warn. The tests could place an unnecessary burden on the NHS the 14 senior academics say in a letter in the BMJ Last month the government said it had bought 10 million antibodies tests and asked NHS trusts and care homes to make them available to staff in England. Officials say the blood tests to see if someone has had the virus will play an increasingly important role. Some patients and people having routine blood tests in England are being offered them too. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53169618 25th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Indian Express Commenting on the rapid rise in infections and deaths Karim blamed the relaxing of restrictions announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of the fivelevel lockdown strategy https://indianexpress.com/article/world/worst-of-covid-19-is-yet-to-come-in-south-africa-top-scientist-6473476/ 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN Covid19 has brought this nation to its knees Dr. Robert Redfield director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. The country is probably going to spend about 7 trillion because of one little virus Redfield said during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing. Weve all done the best that we can do to tackle this virus. Redfields comments were made as half of US states are seeing spikes in new coronavirus cases and its not just due to increased testing health officials say. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/us/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent Scientists have proposed lifting lockdown completely in a UK city about the size of Southampton to see if coronavirus can be controlled through the weekly testing of residents. A demonstration study is needed on a mediumsized city of around 250000 people to see if regular testing and local quarantines could tackle Covid19 outbreaks according to a paper published in the Royal Society Open Science journal. It is a deep mystery to me why this idea has not gained traction said Julian Peto professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who coauthored the paper with 10 other experts. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-lockdown-lifted-city-southampton-experiment-saliva-testing-a9582811.html 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

New Scientist News Baker felt very moved by the governments decision but also anxious because he didnt know if it would work. As a scientist you feel very worried if youre giving advice when the evidence base isnt totally there yet particularly when its something that could be harmful to people he says. However putting the entire country into home quarantine early on extinguished community transmission and gave authorities time to strengthen testing and contact tracing capacities which were initially really quite woeful says Baker. The country has recorded only 1515 covid19 cases and 22 deaths to date and hasnt had any new locally acquired cases since 22 May. The current active cases are all citizens in supervised quarantine after returning from overseas. On 8 June New Zealand lifted all its restrictions except for its border control measures. There was this amazing sense of relief says Baker. He is proud of New Zealands success but says it is important not to become complacent or smug. Baker warns that other countries that have seemingly got on top of the virus such as China and South Korea have experienced subsequent outbreaks. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2246858-why-new-zealand-decided-to-go-for-full-elimination-of-the-coronavirus/ 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters A second coronavirus wave is a real risk for Britain and local flareups are likely major health bodies said on Wednesday in one of the strongest warnings yet to Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he eases lockdown to help the economy. Britain has one of the worlds highest death tolls from COVID19 but infections have fallen. The government plans to lift many restrictions in England from July 4 to help an economy facing the deepest contraction in three centuries. With fears of renewed spikes of infections concerning leaders around the world some of Britains most eminent health leaders want urgent preparations for such a possible scenario. The available evidence indicates that local flareups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk the medics said in a letter in the British Medical Journal. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain/beware-second-wave-of-coronavirus-medics-warn-britain-idUSKBN23V0Q6 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg A Chinese stateowned vaccine developer secured regulatory approval to test its coronavirus shots in the United Arab Emirates making it one of the first among a slew of global efforts to get the greenlight for the final stage of human trials. Beijingbased China National Biotec Group Co. was awarded approval on Tuesday to conduct Phase III trials for its Covid19 vaccines in the Middle Eastern country the company said in a statement posted on its official WeChat account. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-24/chinese-covid-19-vaccines-cleared-for-final-testing-in-u-a-e 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Health leaders are calling on the U.K. government to prepare for a possible second wave of the coronavirus just as Prime Minister Boris Johnson relaxes the countrys lockdown measures. In a letter published in the British Medical Journal doctors including the presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians warned that local flareups are likely and a second wave is a real risk. Preparing for that possibility is now urgent as is a review of national preparedness they said. The review should not be about looking back or attributing blame the letter said. It should be a rapid and forwardlooking assessment of national preparedness. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-24/u-k-must-prepare-for-second-wave-of-pandemic-doctors-warn 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Washington Post All Americans and all businesses want the country reopened. Mr. Trump has framed the issue falsely as a choice between economic revival and public health. In fact the goal is to reopen intelligently without triggering a fresh tsunami of infections. That will require responsible decisionmaking by state and local leaders as well as companies and individuals. Wearing masks is an essential place to start. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/wearing-a-mask-is-not-a-political-statement-its-crucial-to-beating-this-pandemic/2020/06/23/6c8ba090-b4b8-11ea-aca5-ebb63d27e1ff_story.html 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Courthouse News Service Africas first participation in a COVID19 vaccine trial started Wednesday as nervous volunteers received injections while officials said the continent of 1.3 billion people cannot be left behind. The largescale trial of the vaccine developed at the University of Oxford in Britain is being conducted in South Africa Britain and Brazil. South Africa has nearly onethird of Africas confirmed cases with more than 106000 including more than 2100 deaths. The country late Tuesday reported its biggest oneday death toll of 111. I feel a little bit scared but I want to know what is going on with this vaccine so that I can tell my friends and others what is going on with the study one of the vaccine trial volunteers Junior Mhlongo said in Johannesburg. https://www.courthousenews.com/first-vaccinations-begin-in-africa-for-covid-19-trial/ 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Government scientists floated the idea at the start of the UKs outbreak with the delay stage of its original plan based on allowing the virus to spread slowly. But experts warned that half a million people could die if the country didnt go into lockdown to stop the virus in its tracks and officials have since denied that aiming for herd immunity which could have seen 40million people allowed to be infected was ever the plan. The study hinges on people only being able to catch the virus once then becoming immune to it in future but scientists still havent worked out whether this is true. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8454555/Herd-immunity-develop-just-43-people-catching-Covid-19-scientists-claim.html 24th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Dallas Morning News Many of us are guilty of relaxing and wishfully thinking that the coronavirus pandemic is nearing the end. Summer can bring thoughts of family vacations and trips with friends. People are planning these getaways some responsibly and others less so because we are tired of quarantining. However this virus is still dangerous and the risks of unfettered spread remain. Weve paid a heavy price for containing this virus it would be a tragedy to let it run wild now. Our economy will improve. There will be a time again when social distancing is something that lives only in the past. But at this moment caution and smart thinking remain vitally important. https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2020/06/22/we-should-maintain-social-distancing-to-ensure-that-our-suffering-has-a-purpose/ 23rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Euractiv.com Brussels is ready to loosen its stance on GMOs in order to avoid bottlenecks in clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine involving multiple countries. Current GMO legislation does not foresee situations of urgency resulting in very complex and timeconsuming procedures the Commission argues saying there is considerable variety across member states in the national requirements and procedures implementing the GMO directives. Potential vaccines currently under development by pharmaceutical companies such as Astra Zeneca and Johnson Johnson contain or consist of GMOs. The proposed derogation which still needs to be voted by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers will last for as long as COVID19 is regarded as a public health emergency the Commission said. The relaxed rules will apply not only for clinical trials on a COVID19 vaccine but also for treatments the Commissions communication reads although compliance with good manufacturing practices GMPs and an environmental risk assessment of the products will still be carried out before their marketing authorisation. https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/eu-goes-easy-on-gmos-in-race-for-covid-19-vaccine/ 18th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

POLITICO The working conditions of slaughterhouses are coming under scrutiny as they emerge as hotbeds for infections. A regional lockdown announced Tuesday affecting more than 500000 locals near Germanys industrial heartland offers a laboratory for how Europe can manage new outbreaks of COVID19. That includes thorny questions of how to administer those measures in local communities and whom to blame for contagion. At the moment its a local outbreak said Ralf Reintjes professor of epidemiology and surveillance at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. But if the approach fails in Gtersloh and in other towns such as Gttingen where a tower block is in quarantine he warned Germany will probably have a second wave. https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-coronavirus-second-wave-risk-gutersloh/ 24th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

EL PAS in English A coronavirus outbreak in Spains northeastern region of Aragn has forced regional authorities to take a new step back in the deescalation process. A day after moving three comarcas administrative divisions smaller than a province back to Phase 2 of the national deescalation plan the regional government announced on Tuesday that the comarca of Bajo AragnCaspe would also return to an earlier stage. The move aimed at curbing coronavirus contagions comes in response to an outbreak detected among fruit pickers in Huesca province. https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-06-24/coronavirus-outbreak-forces-new-area-in-spain-to-reintroduce-restrictions.html 24th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

RTL Today French authorities have closed two schools in Paris as a precautionary measure after the discovery of coronavirus cases but they have not been classed as potentially dangerous clusters authorities said Wednesday. France unlike some other European countries which have taken a much more cautious approach on Monday resumed obligatory schooling for all pupils after the coronavirus shutdown. Some schools had already been open at least partially for several weeks after the initial easing of the lockdown. But a school in the 12th district of Paris with 180 pupils has been closed until the end of the week after three cases were discovered the local health authority told AFP. https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/1539141.html 24th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Australian Broadcasting Corporation A case in point despite Seoul saying it believed it was going through a second wave a World Health Organization WHO representative declined to repeat that suggestion when discussing the situation in South Korea on Tuesday. So what actually constitutes a second wave of coronavirus infections And if South Koreas experiencing one now which countries are likely to to be next https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-24/coronavirus-covid-19-countries-second-wave-explainer-south-korea/12385882 24th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Yahoo! News South Korea reported 46 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday after health authorities declared the country was battling a second wave of infections that had been circulating for weeks. The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China but appears to have brought it broadly under control thanks to an extensive trace test and treat programme while never imposing a compulsory lockdown. Social distancing rules were relaxed after a public holiday in early May and the country has since been returning largely to normal. But in the last month the South has seen around 35 to 50 cases a day mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of the population lives. We believe the second wave has been running since it was triggered by the May holiday said Jung Eunkyeong director of Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/south-korea-reports-46-virus-cases-tackles-second-030934816.html 24th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Australia reported its first COVID19 death in more than a month on Wednesday as concerns about a second wave of infections saw thousands of people queue sometimes for hours to be tested for the virus. A man in his eighties died in Victoria state where 20 new cases were reported overnight Victoria Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told reporters in Melbourne. Australia has so far escaped a high number of casualties from the new coronavirus with just over 7500 infections and 103 deaths aided by strict lockdown measures and social distancing rules. Fears of a second wave stem from an upswing in new cases in Victoria Australias secondmost populous state where authorities are trying to contain outbreaks in half a dozen Melbourne suburbs. State Premier Daniel Andrews has asked for military personnel to help operate popup test centres and enforce a 14day quarantine requirement for anyone coming from overseas a spokeswoman said. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-australia/australia-scrambles-to-prevent-second-covid-19-wave-after-first-death-in-a-month-idUKKBN23V02S 24th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Israeli and Palestinian authorities have brought back some coronavirus restrictions after the number of new cases jumped in what officials fear could herald a second wave of infections. Israels cabinet on Wednesday approved legislation to resume the use of Shin Bet counterterrorism surveillance technology to track infections a practice that had been halted on June 9 amid objections by privacy watchdogs officials said. A partial lockdown went into effect in a town in central Israel and several neighborhoods in the city of Tiberias where infection rates were particularly high. The Palestinian Authority put the West Bank city of Hebron and announced that this Fridays public prayers would be suspended though mosques would otherwise remain open in line with health precautions. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-israel-palestinian/israel-palestinians-tighten-restrictions-as-coronavirus-reemerges-idUKKBN23V10T 24th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Newly diagnosed cases of Covid19 and other indicators of the pandemics spread soared in hot spots across the U.S. driving city and state officials to consider slowing or reversing reopening plans. Cases are surging in Texas Florida Arizona and in California which on Tuesday broke its record for new cases for the fourth day in the past week. Even in New Jersey where numbers have been falling Governor Phil Murphy warned that the transmission rate is beginning to creep up. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-23/virus-surges-across-u-s-throwing-reopenings-into-disarray 23rd Jun 2020