1st Jul 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=42 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

ABC News Canadas largest city has made masks mandatory in public indoor spaces. You have told us you dont want to see a repeat of what you see when you turn on your TV and see reports from the United States Toronto Mayor John Tory said. Toronto city council approved a bylaw and it will come into effect July 7. Dr. Eileen de Villa Torontos Medical Officer of Health said there is growing evidence that shows nonmedical masks can help prevent the spread of COVID19 and noted many cities in the U.S. are seeing a resurgence in cases since reopening. De Villa said she made the recommendation to help Toronto move from Stage 2 of the Ontarios reopening plan to Stage 3. https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/toronto-mayor-masks-mandatory-citing-us-problems-71531015 1st Jul 2020

Lockdown Exit

BBC From the extinction of the daily commute to transforming our relationship with food Covid19 is changing our world already and in some ways it looks set to get better. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200629-which-lockdown-changes-are-here-to-stay 30th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian The prime minister appeared to be responding to the opposition leader who has said keeping the borders closed for months or years is untenable https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/30/jacinda-ardern-decries-dangerous-calls-to-reopen-new-zealand-borders-coronavirus 30th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters European Union governments have agreed an initial safe list of 14 countries from which they will allow nonessential travel from July with the United States among the most notable of absences. The safe countries are Algeria Australia Canada Georgia Japan Montenegro Morocco New Zealand Rwanda Serbia South Korea Thailand Tunisia and Uruguay the European Council said on Tuesday. In addition China would be included if it reciprocated by allowing in EU travellers. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eu-border/eu-agrees-safe-list-of-14-countries-for-travel-resumption-idUSKBN2412B1 30th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Coronavirus cases more than doubled in at least 10 U.S. states including Florida and Texas in the month of June a Reuters analysis on Tuesday showed. Arizona recorded the biggest jump in cases for the month at 294 followed by South Carolina and Arkansas. Cases also more than doubled in Alabama Nevada North Carolina Oklahoma and Utah. Nationally cases rose by at least 43 and deaths increased by 20. Several states have yet to report cases on Tuesday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-june/u-s-coronavirus-cases-double-in-june-in-at-least-10-states-idUKKBN2412PN 30th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The New York Times The Americas is the world epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic and the toll for the whole region could almost treble to 637000 by Oct. 1 the WHO official said though she cautioned that mathematical model projections should not be taken literally but only as planning guides. Under current conditions the pandemic is expected to peak in Chile and Colombia by midJuly but in Argentina Brazil Bolivia and Peru not until August and Costa Rica will not flatten its curve of infection until October she said. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/06/30/world/americas/30reuters-health-coronavirus-latam-peak.html 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

ABC News Berlin Diques oversees the wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable peoples in the world. As a regional president of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest AIDESEP he supervises three regions of remote Amazonia at the Peruvian borders of Colombia and Brazil territories that are home to 15 different indigenous groups. Managing their wellbeing during the pandemic he says is harder than ever. We are in danger of extinction he told ABC News. If one of us got the virus in a remote community and starts the contagion it will be the death of us . . . it will be a genocide. This is my biggest fear. https://abcnews.go.com/International/indigenous-peoples-south-america-face-genocide-coronavirus-pandemic/story?id=71256909 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Financial Times In contrast in far smaller Uruguay which is also favoured by a low population density and much lower inequality and poverty only 25 people have died of coronavirus with just two deaths in the last month. We cannot cry victory just yet. We have to stay alert said Daniel Salinas Uruguays health minister. Last month President Luis Lacalle Pou was briefly quarantined before testing negative for Covid19 after meeting with an infected official from the town of Rivera on the border with Brazil where the death toll has spiralled above 50000. Most agree that Uruguays strong public health system has helped it combat the pandemic. After 15 years of rule by the centreleft Broad Front coalition that invested heavily in the health sector Uruguay has one of the highest numbers of hospital beds per inhabitant in Latin America. https://www.ft.com/content/877791d6-3f50-43f6-9950-cb01b8aa0d43 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

USA TODAY Americans will not be allowed to travel to European Union countries when the bloc opens up to international visitors July 1 the European Council announced Tuesday. Travelers from 14 countries will be welcomed to the EU including Canada South Korea and Australia. But those from the U.S. and many other nations will be barred as too risky because of spiking coronavirus cases in their home countries. Chinese travelers will be allowed to visit if that countrys government confirms a policy of reciprocity the councils announcement said. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/06/30/eu-banning-us-travelers-when-bloc-reopens-post-coronavirus-lockdown/3268154001/ 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Lockdown has been devastating for mental health and the worst could be yet to come a leading charity has said. The mental health charity Mind says a survey has revealed that lockdown has had a dramatic impact on the nations mental health warning that unless action is taken now the problem could grow. Overall there has been a deterioration in peoples mental health regardless of whether they had the mental health problem before lockdown said Megan Pennell the parliamentary and campaigns manager at Mind. The charity said the government must take urgent action not just to address immediate need but to invest in services and put safety nets in place for the future noting stressors including unemployment and housing problems were set to worsen. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/30/uks-mental-health-has-deteriorated-during-lockdown-says-mind 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

EL PAS in English The European Union agreed on Monday to open its borders to a list of 15 countries which have reciprocal deals with the EU and are considered safe due to their epidemiological situation. Under the agreement which needs to be approved by a majority of the 27member bloc travel to and from the following countries will be permitted from July 1 Algeria Australia Canada Japan Georgia Morocco Montenegro New Zealand Rwanda Serbia South Korea Thailand Tunisia and Uruguay. The list also includes China but only if visitors from the EU receive reciprocal treatment given that is one of the conditions for reopening. We should not be guided by whether there are active outbreaks but rather whether they are controlled https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-06-30/as-eu-prepares-to-reopen-borders-spanish-experts-stress-importance-of-coronavirus-safety-measures.html 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Euro Weekly News Concetrated confinements rather than another countrywide lockdown is the way to deal with new Covid19 outbreaks believes Spains Health Minister Salvador Illa. The minister said he is inclined towards surgical lockdowns of specific localities buildings or companies assuming the relevant regional governments are of the same opinion. According to Illa a second wave of the virus in Spain is avoidable if society acts responsibly. If it does happen he believes it will be less intense and smaller scale mainly because the countrys health system is in his view better prepared. At the same time he said it was necessary to work on the basis of the worst possible scenario occurring. https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2020/06/30/no-country-wide-lockdown-but-concentrated-confinements-to-deal-with-new-c0vid-19-outbreaks-says-spains-health-minister/ 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

News.com.au New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has responded forcefully after copping criticism of her governments coronavirus border policies from both sides. The countrys Opposition leader Todd Muller says keeping its current border restrictions in place over the long term is simply untenable and will leave New Zealand on its knees. The New Zealand strategy cannot be that we stay locked up until everybody else gets to zero or we have a vaccine. This country would be on its knees if that was the case Mr Muller said during a speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Just because the virus is present in a country shouldnt mean that nobody from that country has the capacity to visit this country. Weve got to be able to imagine a different engagement with the world than that. Meanwhile some parts of the New Zealand media foremost among them Newshub host Duncan Garner actually want restrictions tightened. https://www.news.com.au/travel/jacinda-ardern-says-opening-new-zealand-border-too-quickly-would-be-dangerous/news-story/530f8217a2593508e19d6b2950d0ba48 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC The EU has decided that from Wednesday EU borders will be reopened to citizens from 15 nonEU countries including Canada Morocco and Australia but not the US Brazil and Russia. China is on the list but subject to a reciprocal agreement still pending. The unanimous decision by the European Council is not legally binding so states can choose not to open up to all those countries. Diplomats spent five days debating the list amid varying pandemic concerns. The socalled safe travel destinations are besides China Algeria Australia Canada Georgia Japan Montenegro Morocco New Zealand Rwanda Serbia South Korea Thailand Tunisia and Uruguay. The UK and four other nonEU states Switzerland Iceland Liechtenstein and Norway are automatically included as safe. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53222356 30th Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

YAHOO! Thailands nightlife will restart with some restrictions this week the kingdom announced Monday part of a return to normalcy as it prepares to welcome business travellers and medical tourists after a ban on foreign entry. So far Thailand has 3169 cases and 58 deaths from the coronavirus a low toll considering the kingdom in midJanuary became was the first country outside China to register a case. But the countrys tourismreliant economy has been hit hard by the border closures while a halt to its infamous nightlife has left the kingdoms informal workers in bars massage parlours and karaoke lounges adrift. Premier Prayut ChanOCha said the most atrisk businesses will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday as there has been no local transmission of the virus for more than a month. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thailand-ease-nightlife-lockdown-allow-entry-foreigners-080926668.html 29th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg As the number of Covid19 cases starts to rise again in many states the question is whether residents of those states will tolerate another lockdown. I used to think so but it is increasingly clear that Americans have become comfortable with a remarkably high number of casualties. There is a mechanism of social conformity at work here. Most people will not tolerate a small risk to their lives to dine out for instance but they might if all their friends are doing the same. The appeal of a restaurant isnt just the food its the shared experience and the sense that others are doing it too. The danger lies in the potential for ratchet effects. If hardly anyone is eating out or going to bars you might be able to endure the deprivation. But once others have started doing something you will probably feel compelled to join them even at greater risk to your life. Consider that in the 1920s the chance of catching a disease or infection from dining out was pretty high but people still went out. Accepting that level of risk was simply considered to be part of life because everyone saw that everyone else was doing it. In similar fashion members of an infantry brigade are usually willing to charge an enemy position so long as they can be assured that all their comrades are too. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-06-30/america-will-need-more-lockdowns-but-americans-don-t-want-them 30th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

Daily Mail Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said clarity is in short supply in the UK. Officials have flipped stances on essential travel and international quarantine. One Leicester MP said messaging on social distancing is at best confusing. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8470829/Six-times-UK-Government-changed-mind-coronavirus-rules.html 30th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Guardian Downing Street has been accused of sowing confusion and anxiety in Leicester after imposing the first local lockdown to combat a surge in Covid19 cases in the city amid growing concern about how the measures will work. As part of hardened restrictions the health secretary Matt Hancock announced on Monday night that schools would shut to most children and reopened nonessential shops would be forced to close for at least two weeks in Leicester. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats backed the lockdown but criticised the governments handling of it and called for clarity over the details. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/30/leicester-lockdown-extension-law-change-matt-hancock-coronavirus 30th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters The state of Bavaria approved plans on Tuesday for universal testing for COVID19 prompting debate elsewhere in Germany about whether to follow suit or stick with the current targeted approach to prevent a possible second wave of infections. Germany has successfully managed to bring the COVID19 pandemic under control with far fewer deaths than most other large European nations despite relatively softer lockdown measures that allowed some social and economic life to continue. But an outbreak this month at an abattoir in the western state of North RhineWestphalia affecting more than 1500 workers has forced a lockdown for 600000 people and raised fears that Germany remains vulnerable despite its early success. Under current rules free tests are available for people who have symptoms such as fever and Germanys 16 states carry out frequent tests among highrisk groups in for example retirement homes hospitals and daycare centres. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-tests/bavarias-free-covid-19-test-for-all-splits-germany-idUSKBN241254 30th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

The Sydney Morning Herald Melbournes coronavirus hotspots will be put back into lockdown from Wednesday in a desperate effort to contain an outbreak of the deadly disease as Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned NSWs biggest threat was not Victoria but increasing complacency within its own borders. The extraordinary steps taken in Victoria which include a request to divert all international flights from Melbourne for the next fortnight came on the same day Queensland announced it would reopen its borders to the rest of the country with the exception of Victoria and the next phase of COVID19 restrictions were eased in NSW. https://www.smh.com.au/national/don-t-relax-nsw-s-biggest-threat-is-not-victoria-it-s-bravado-premier-says-20200630-p557o0.html 30th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

RNZ The business community pinned its hopes on the border reopening as soon as possible and says the governments failed to hold up its end of the deal. Business leaders say billions of dollars of opportunities are on hold while the government and the army fix up mistakes most New Zealanders thought were being managed. The government is frantically trying to plug those gaps while at the same time the Opposition ramps up pressure for the border to open. Almost four million international tourists typically cross New Zealand shores each year and BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope said livelihoods depend on that window opening again. But for now the government isnt even resuming compassionate exemptions let alone allowing international visitors in because there isnt enough confidence in quarantine and managed isolation facilities. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/420127/border-reopening-must-be-priority-business-nz 30th Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters Scammers are posing as COVID19 contact tracers as a way to steal personal information three major U.S. government agencies said on Tuesday describing rapidly evolving fraud related to the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Justice Department of Health and Human Services and Federal Trade Commission warned that fake contact tracers were asking for money and trying to collect social security numbers bank and credit card information from individuals. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-coronavirus-scams/fake-contact-tracing-part-of-rapidly-evolving-coronavirus-fraud-u-s-doj-warns-idUSKBN2413F4 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

MENAFN.COM The Venezuelan government has toughened lockdown measures in hotspot localities as the COVID19 pandemic picks up. Starting Monday 30 percent of the country will return to a strict quarantine after a month of easing restrictions in which a range of enterprises were allowed to reopen across the country on a weekonweekoff basis including banks hardware stores and dentists. https://menafn.com/1100407260/Venezuela-Tightens-Quarantine-in-COVID-19-Hotspots-amid-Record-Daily-Case-Count 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

7NEWS.com.au The US state of Arizona has shut down bars movie theatres gyms and water parks while leaders in several US states have ordered residents to wear masks in public. The moves are a dramatic policy shift amid an alarming resurgence of coronavirus cases nationwide. California has ordered bars in Los Angeles and six other counties to close as the city emerges as a new epicentre in the pandemic. https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/us-cities-among-locations-going-back-into-lockdown-amid-coronavirus-resurgence-c-1133965 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK Indias prime minister on Tuesday warned citizens against flouting rules to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus as he extended a vast social security scheme until November. Several Indian cities prepared to extend their lockdowns to combat the spread of the infection on Tuesday with daily new cases in the country remaining close to 20000. Ever since easing of restrictions started in the country negligence in personal and social behaviour has been increasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a televised address adding citizens were ignoring guidelines on social distancing and hand washing. Under pressure for leaving the poor to fend for themselves early in a stringent lockdown that began in March Modi also announced the extension of a scheme providing free food grains to 800 million Indians at a cost of around 12 billion. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-cases-india/indias-modi-warns-of-coronavirus-negligence-as-some-cities-extend-lockdowns-idUKKBN241131 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Times Germanys North RhineWestphalia state extended its coronavirus lockdown on a district hit hard by an outbreak at a slaughterhouse but lifted the restrictions on a neighbouring area. The districts of Gtersloh and Warendorf last Tuesday became the first in Germany to go back into lockdown since the coronavirus shutdowns began easing in May affecting more than 600000 people. It was the countrys first big setback in tackling the pandemic. Armin Laschet the states premier said that Gtersloh would remain on lockdown until July 7 as a precaution even if testing showed only a limited spread of the virus from the slaughterhouse to the wider population. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-around-the-world-german-lockdown-extended-after-abattoir-outbreak-xzrnqcs52 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

1News Doctors clinics in New Zealand are struggling to get children their routine vaccinations after Covid19 lockdown saw many missing appointments and falling behind in their immunisation schedule. Some GP clinics still havent been able to get in touch with families who missed out leaving doctors around the country worried about the potential fallout. Vicky Maiave a Turuki Healthcare nurse in South Auckland says her clinic had a lot of phone calls from families asking if they could bring their babies to get vaccinated and despite them saying yes they all chose not to. Home visit offers have also been turned down. Mums who have had babies over the Covid period have chosen not to come in and get their babies vaccinated because of the fear of bringing their baby out. Children in New Zealand get injections for diseases such as chicken pox measles mumps rubella and whooping cough as early as six weeks old to four years. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/covid-19-lockdown-sees-many-young-kiwi-children-fall-behind-vaccine-schedule 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK India reported close to 20000 fresh novel coronavirus cases for the second day running on Monday as the financial hub of Mumbai extended its lockdown by a month. There were 19459 new cases reported in the previous 24 hours according to data from Indias federal Health Ministry released on Monday. That is down slightly from Sundays record of 19906 but still sign cases in the country are yet to subside. India lags only the United States Brazil and Russia in total cases. More than 16000 have now died from the disease caused by the virus since the first case in India in January low when compared to countries with similar numbers of cases. But experts fear its hospitals will be unable to cope with a steep rise in cases. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cases-india/daily-coronavirus-cases-in-india-near-20000-as-mumbai-extends-lockdown-idUKKBN2401GY 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK Indias prime minister on Tuesday warned citizens against flouting rules to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus as he extended a vast social security scheme until November. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-cases-india/indias-daily-coronavirus-cases-at-about-20000-as-some-cities-extend-lockdowns-idUKKBN241131 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

CNBC New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday ordered people arriving from any of an additional eight states to quarantine for 14 days amid the coronavirus pandemic. The eight new states are California Georgia Iowa Idaho Louisiana Mississippi Nevada and Tennessee all of which are contending with growing caseloads Cuomo said in a statement. The order has been in place for eight other states since June 24. The order applies both to visitors and New Yorkers returning home from one of the states. Those found breaching the quarantine order could face fines Cuomo has said. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/30/eight-states-added-to-new-york-governors-quarantine-order.html 30th Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

AlJazeera An asylum seeker has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in a sprawling encampment just steps from the USMexico border in Matamoros underscoring the challenges migrants face in protecting themselves from the pandemic. After showing symptoms of the virus last Thursday the migrant and three family members were placed in isolation and tested Global Response Management GRM a nonprofit providing medical services in the camp said in a statement. When results came back on Monday the migrant who had displayed symptoms tested positive and the relatives had negative results. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/coronavirus-case-refugee-camp-mexico-border-raises-alarm-200630164210542.html 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

USA TODAY As I was riding my bicycle around Manhattan last weekend I encountered too many disturbing examples of people in denial and not just against COVID19. While almost all the cyclists wore masks few wore helmets as though to say they were only capable of one health safety action at a time. Most of the pedestrians did not wear masks at all and worse were huddling close together. At the outdoor restaurants I passed the waiters wore cloth masks but none of the customers did as though they believed the myth that this virus could not be spread outside. This was not a city with a consistent protective response against the potential resurgence of COVID19 but rather one rejoicing in the good weather and having broken free of the restrictions of the past three months. Unfortunately the viral storm could return here at any time. We are doing well in New York with only 1 of those tested coming back positive but things are far worse in the South and West with almost 15 of Texans and nearly 16 of Floridians who are tested receiving positive results. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/06/30/coronavirus-wear-masks-socially-distance-new-lockdowns-column/3274637001/ 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC A study has suggested between 7000 and 40000 people could have died from coronavirus in Scotland if the country had not gone into lockdown. Scientists have tried to estimate would have happened if Scotland had copied the approach taken in Sweden where a lockdown was not imposed. Rowland Kao a professor of epidemiology and data science at Edinburgh University led the team which carried out the research for BBC Scotland. He said An obvious question to ask is if Scotland had done something similar to Sweden would we have had a similar outcome without all the restrictions. Although there was no lockdown Sweden relied on voluntary social distancing banning gatherings of more than 50 people and halting visits to elderly care homes. We took the relative amount of transmission going on in Sweden translated that over to Scotland and looked at what the resultant number of deaths would have been had we taken that approach. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53233974 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Medical Xpress More than 40 percent of people diagnosed with COVID19 in one Italian town showed no signs of being ill according to research published Tuesday indicating that asymptomatic carriers may be significant spreaders of the virus. The authors said their research showed how important mass testing and isolating carriers was in containing clusters of the virus. The town of Vo population 3200 registered Italys first death from the disease in late February. It was immediately placed in a twoweek lockdown during which researchers were able to test more than 85 percent of the population for COVID19. They found that 2.3 percent of Vo was infected at the beginning of quarantine compared with 1.2 percent at the end of lockdown and that more than 40 percent of those who tested positive showed no symptoms. The authors of the research published in the journal Nature said their findings showed how rapid case isolation and mass testing was able to effectively eliminate the virus from Vo. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-virus-carriers-italian-town-symptoms.html 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

News-Medical.Net All surface and air samples proved negative for viral genes. If this is true this means that the current cleaning and sanitization requirements alcoholbased sanitizer use at the door of entrance and wearing gloves are adequate to keep the surfaces and air inside the bus virusfree. Meanwhile the use of a facial mask and keeping the windows open during the ride allows free ventilation and prevents the virus from spreading to other passengers through the air. This finding also agrees with earlier studies that show facial masks prevent viral spread by aerosols and droplets emitted by asymptomatic people as does free ventilation of confined spaces such as within a city bus. The end of a lockdown imposed to combat a viral pandemic is always a tensionfraught period as growing numbers of individuals reenter the travel mainstream among other activities. The current study shows that public buses can be safely used to convey passengers even in the presence of about 30 asymptomatic but infected individuals if safety requirements are observed. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200630/Researchers-search-for-SARS-CoV-2-fomites-on-an-operational-Italian-bus.aspx 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CNBC Although many countries have made some progress globally the pandemic is actually speeding up WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a virtual news conference. The virus has infected more than 10.1 million people around the world and killed at least 502634 people according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The single most important intervention is ... tracing and quarantine contacts he said. Six months since the virus started it could be like a broken record to say exactly the same thing but the same thing works. Test test isolate quarantine cases. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/29/who-warns-coronavirus-pandemic-is-speeding-up-as-countries-ease-lockdown-rules.html 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

News-Medical.Net China proposes the use of six traditional medicines as treatments for COVID19. The country reports that 91.6 percent of patients in Hubei province the epicenter of the outbreak in China and 92.4 percent across the country have been treated with TCM. The countrys COVID19 TCM used include three formulas and three medicines which were claimed to be effective in treating infection. These include the Jinhua Qinggan granule which was developed during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic the Lianhua Qingwen capsule a common treatment for flu and colds the Xuebijing injection which was developed during the SARS epidemic the Lung cleansing and detoxifying decoction which has 21 herbal components to improve fever cough and fatigue the Huashi Baidu formula a core recipe developed by Chinese herbal experts and the Xuanfei Baidu granule which contains 13 potent herbal components. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200629/China-imposes-lockdowns-as-new-coronavirus-cases-surge.aspx 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian The World Health Organization is planning to send a team to China to investigate the origins of the Covid19 pandemic in the hope of being better able to fight the spread of coronavirus. Knowing the source of the virus is very very important the WHO directorgeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference on Monday. We can fight the virus better when we know everything about the virus including how it started he said. We will be sending a team next week to China to prepare for that and we hope that that will lead into understanding how the virus started. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/30/global-report-who-to-send-team-to-china-to-investigate-covid-19-origins 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

9News Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd has said Victorias outbreak is a national problem and the Commonwealth will supply 800 additional people to help conduct a testing blitz in the states hotspots. The additional force will be comprised of 200 clinical staff to carry out testing 100 people for door knocking and community engagement and 500 people who will assist with contact tracing. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-australia-cases-update-victoria-outbreak-queensland-borders-covid-19-health-politics-news/b3136296-cd49-4e50-b5cb-cbecf73cf515 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CNBC White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said U.S. health officials are keeping an eye on a new strain of flu carried by pigs in China that has characteristics of the 2009 H1N1 virus and 1918 pandemic flu. The virus which scientists are calling G4 EA H1N1 has not yet been shown to infect humans but it is exhibiting reassortment capabilities Fauci told the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee during a hearing Tuesday. The H1N1 swine flu emerged in Mexico in April 2009 infecting 60.8 million people in the U.S. and at least 700 million worldwide. An estimated 151700 to 575400 people died from the virus across the globe according to the CDC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/30/dr-anthony-fauci-says-new-virus-in-china-has-traits-of-2009-h1n1-and-1918-pandemic-flu.html 30th Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

AlJazeera Scores of vaccine candidates using a variety of approaches are being developed and tested at unprecedented speed. Fauci however cautioned that there is no guarantee ... well have a safe and effective vaccine and he urged Americans to work together to contain the virus. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/fauci-guarantee-effective-covid-19-vaccine-200630173955857.html 30th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Derbyshire Times Derbyshire is one of 36 areas in the England experiencing spikes in coronavirus cases as local lockdowns are discussed in parliament to target locations where the disease appears to be most prevalent. https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/health/coronavirus/derbyshire-among-areas-england-risk-local-lockdown-coronavirus-cases-spike-2898922 30th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian This Saturday lockdown measures in England will ease further with people able to get a pint in a pub have a haircut and see another household indoors. The Guardians heath editor Sarah Boseley looks at whether another lifting of restrictions might result in a second wave and if it does why we are better prepared this time round https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2020/jun/30/lockdown-easing-why-the-uk-is-better-prepared-for-a-second-wave 30th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Scotsman Lockdown restrictions around the world have begun to lift and the UK hospitality industry is set to restart on 4th July but could a second wave of the virus hit the UK This is everything you need to know about a potential second wave of coronavirus infections as lockdown restrictions begin to lift around the world. https://www.scotsman.com/health/will-there-be-second-wave-coronavirus-if-cases-covid-19-could-surge-again-leicester-extends-lockdown-2872312 30th Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Metro China has once again implemented tough restrictions to stop the spread of Covid19 after cases suddenly rose. The nation where the virus originated had largely brought the pandemic under control but hundreds have now been infected in Beijing and cases have emerged in neighbouring Hebei province in recent weeks. Health officials said Sunday Anxin county about 90 miles from Beijing will be fully enclosed and controlled the same strict measures imposed at the height of the pandemic in the city of Wuhan earlier this year. Only one person from each family will be allowed to go out once a day to purchase necessities such as food and medicine the countys epidemic prevention task force said in a statement. https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/29/china-puts-500000-wuhan-style-lockdown-spike-coronavirus-cases-12919415/ 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Colombia Reports Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez on Monday insisted on a second lockdown in Colombias capital effectively ending the economic reactivation promoted by President Ivan Duque. The citys health authorities will raise its alert level to red once Bogotas intensive care unit ICU occupancy rate has reached 75 as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. At that point Lopez wants to impose a second lockdown to prevent the collapse of the healthcare system the mayor has said on several occasions. On Tuesday morning hours before the mayor was set to meet with national government officials the ICU occupancy rate had risen to 73.4 from 71.4 the night before. https://colombiareports.com/bogota-mayor-insists-on-second-lockdown-in-colombias-capital/ 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Extra.ie Lockdown restrictions have been reimposed in some US states as COVID19 infection rates across the country soar. A tally taken by John Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland has shown that some 42000 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the US in the last 24 hours bringing the national total of positive diagnoses to nearly 2.6 million. Although US President Donald Trumps White House administration has continued to blame expanded testing regimes for the rapid surge in COVID19 cases governors in several states have reimposed lockdown restrictions in an attempt to curb coronavirus transmission. https://extra.ie/2020/06/30/news/world-news/lockdown-restrictions-reimposed-us 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Leicestershire Live Nottinghamshire Police have said they will issue fines as a last resort for those who breach the lockdown measures and travel from Leicester to Nottingham this weekend. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a coronavirus spike in Leicester will mean all nonessential shops and schools will close again to all but key worker children. He also said pubs bars restaurants and hairdressers will not be able to open from July 4 in Leicester and some of the surrounding areas. People from Leicester now need to avoid all nonessential travel. The restrictions will be in place for at least the next two weeks. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/stay-away-us-nottingham-police-4277938 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Financial Times Leicester is to be put under a tighter lockdown than the rest of country from Tuesday after the English city reported an increase in coronavirus cases confronting the government with the first test of its ability to control the virus while opening up the economy. Health secretary Matt Hancock said nonessential shops had been told to close on Tuesday and schools asked to shut their doors to the majority of their pupils from Thursday. Classes will remain open for vulnerable children and children of critical workers. But the citys mayor and a local senior doctor criticised the way the testing system was working complaining about the lack of data at local level and efficacy of the track and trace system. A spike of more than 900 cases since midJune which local officials were only made aware of late last week had led Public Health England PHE to support the first big local lockdown. https://www.ft.com/content/5b9ce1f9-35f2-4640-914e-12b8f757b103 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Nottingham Post An expert on infectious diseases has spoken of the importance of social distancing in Nottingham following the extension of lockdown imposed in nearby Leicester. Keith Neal emeritus professor of the epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham has weighed in after it was revealed on Monday June 29 evening Leicester would be placed in a local lockdown. Following an announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock the East Midlands city is set to remain in lockdown for a further two weeks after a significant increase in coronavirus cases in the city which is just 40 minutes drive from Nottingham. Nonessential shops will be shut from Tuesday June 30 and schools are set to close after Mr Hancock said Leicesters sevenday infection rate was 135 cases per 100000 three times that of the next highest city. Concerns were raised as to exactly where the lockdown would be enforced with parts of Leicestershire crossing over Nottinghamshires border. https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/expert-what-nottingham-should-after-4278308 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

BBC Nonessential shops in Leicester have closed suddenly as the government imposed the first local lockdown in the UK. Pubs and restaurants hoping to reopen at the weekend also have to delay plans for at least two weeks while schools will be shut for most pupils. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the city had 10 of all positive cases in the country over the past week while the city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby urged people to stick together as Leicester tackles a rise in confirmed coronavirus cases. Shoppers in the city centre had been enjoying a brief return to a sense of normality before the announcement and many were anticipating a visit to a pub or restaurant this weekend. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-53237059 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

ABC News Victoria has reintroduced stayathome orders for a number of Melbourne suburbs in a bid to contain a surge in new coronavirus cases. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-30/victorian-premier-daniel-andrews-reimposes/12408094 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Bloomberg Australias secondmost populous state is imposing a fourweek lockdown across parts of Melbourne attempting to contain a spike in coronavirus infections thats jeopardizing its economic recovery. From late Wednesday night people across 10 areas will face fines if they leave their homes other than for work or school for care or caregiving for daily exercise or to buy food and other essentials Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters. Government grants will be awarded to Victorian businesses forced to close during the lockdown. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-30/victoria-to-impose-4-week-lockdown-on-virus-hotspot-suburbs 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

New Zealand Herald A decision on whether parts of Victoria will be thrown back into lockdown is likely today as the states hot spot testing blitz comes to an end. Calls are growing for a localised lockdown focusing on the hot spots in Melbourne rather than statewide restrictions coming back. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&ampobjectid=12344267 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

The Guardian Leicester is the first city to experience a local lockdown with nonessential shops and schools closed from Tuesday. Restrictions are set to be in place for two weeks after infections rose with Leicester accounting for around one in 10 of all coronavirus cases in the past week. We want to hear from local people schools and business about their experiences. Were interested in hearing from those who are working directly with the pandemic whether its with the NHS or local test and trace. How do you feel about the local lockdown https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/30/leicester-how-have-you-been-affected-by-the-local-lockdown 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Uzbekistan has imposed an overnight curfew in some parts of the country including the capital Tashkent as it seeks to curb a fresh rise in COVID19 infections following the gradual lifting of a twomonth lockdown. The Central Asian nation had been cautiously lifting a nationwide lockdown that had been in place in April and May. However after a decline in COVID19 cases between midApril and midMay it has once again seen a steady rise. The new restrictions will see residents of red and yellow areas deemed at higher risk barred from leaving their homes between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. except for medical emergencies the government said on Tuesday. Large shopping malls and markets will also be closed on weekends across the country. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-uzbekistan/uzbekistan-imposes-new-restrictions-as-covid-19-cases-rise-again-idUSKBN2410VR 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK Britain has imposed a stringent lockdown on the English city of Leicester following a local flareup of the novel coronavirus overshadowing Prime Minister Boris Johnsons attempts to nudge the country back to normality. The United Kingdom has been one of the worlds worsthit areas with more than 54000 deaths in confirmed or suspected cases though infections have waned and many restrictions are to be lifted across England from Saturday to revive the economy. But the authorities were forced to take action in Leicester a city of around 330000 people where the sevenday infection rate was three times higher than the nextworst city. Leicester in Englands eastern Midlands accounted for 10 of all positive cases in England in the past week the government said. Its depressing Stuart Towers landlord of the Market Tavern pub told Reuters. We were all looking forward to opening Saturday and the next thing you know thats it. What do we do now https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-leicester/britain-locks-down-city-of-leicester-after-covid-19-flare-up-idUKKBN2410Q5 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK Authorities on Tuesday ordered the lockdown of 36 suburbs in Australias second biggest city Melbourne in an attempt to stop a spike in coronavius cases a dramatic departure from the relaxation of restrictions elsewhere in the country. From midnight on Wednesday the first suburbspecific stayhome order will be imposed on some 320000 people the Victorian state Premier Daniel Andrews told a news conference on Tuesday. Residents in the suburbs must stay home unless travelling for work school healthcare exercise or food for a period of four weeks. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-australia/australias-victoria-state-introduces-suburban-lockdowns-to-curb-new-outbreaks-idUKKBN24105W?il=0 30th Jun 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Canada is extending a global travel ban and mandatory quarantine measures that require most travelers to Canada including citizens returning home to selfisolate for 14 days upon arrival the Canadian government said on Tuesday. The mandatory quarantine order is now in effect until at least Aug. 31 while the travel ban for most other foreign travelers is extended to at least July 31 according to federal documents. The measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus were set to expire on June 30. Travel by U.S. citizens are covered under a separate agreement which was extended earlier this month to keep the U.S.Canada border closed to all nonessential travel until at least July 21. U.S. citizens who are not deemed essential are still subject to the quarantine. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-canada/canada-extends-covid-19-international-border-closures-mandatory-quarantine-order-idUSKBN2413AY 30th Jun 2020