Some form of normality is starting to return to the world as governments are increasingly lifting the strict lockdown measures that they have imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19. In the United Kingdom; McDonald’s have reopened some of its drive-throughs and the government is considering blanket permission for restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars to use pedestrianised streets and open spaces for tables and chairs. It follows an appeal by the hospitality industry to allow more al fresco dining with social distancing which they have labelled ‘The UK’s grand outdoor summer cafĂ©‘. Ok, don’t laugh sunny South Africa; the country does enjoy warm weather at times in the summer and the Brits will probably remain seated even if it pours. Many of the well-known coffee shops have also re-opened and Britons have been queuing to grab a coffee as these shops that have been part of daily life, now seem like a luxury. The Wall Street Journal chronicles the opening up of economies all over the world and cites green shoots of normalcy starting to emerge. It comes as coronavirus cases are still rising in many countries including the US, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. Yesterday a top US scientist who did groundbreaking research on cancer and HIV/Aids, Dr William Haseltine told Reuters that governments should not count on a successful vaccine against Covid-19 when deciding on whether to ease restrictions; he said the virus can be controlled by “identifying infections, finding people who have been exposed and isolating them”. China and other Asian countries, that have already started opening up their economics are using this strategy successfully. As the restaurant sector in South Africa has warned the government that it is in the ICU on a ventilator; it is time to find creative ways of opening up the economy while containing a virus that is likely to be around for the foreseeable future; there are plenty examples of how to do it successfully. – Linda van Tilburg
Coronavirus case count tops five million world-wide
By Chong Koh Ping and Matthew Dalton
(The Wall Street Journal) – The global tally of coronavirus infections passed five million on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, but more green shoots of normalcy emerged in parts of the world as governments continued lifting pandemic lockdown orders.
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All 50 US states have begun reopening in some form as of Wednesday, with Connecticut one of the last to loosen restrictions. Washington, DC, however, remains under stay-at-home orders.
The U.S. has recorded more than 1.55 million confirmed infections and the death toll there has passed 93,400, according to Johns Hopkins. Globally, more than five million people across 188 countries and regions have been infected by the novel coronavirus and more than 328,000 people have died.
In New York state, religious services with 10 or fewer people will be permitted starting Thursday as long as participants stay apart and wear masks. Drive-in services also are permitted.
The re-openings are happening in phases in most states, as they are in Europe and Asia.
In China, where the coronavirus was first detected in December in the city of Wuhan, an annual legislative event began Thursday after a 2½-month delay. Thousands of lawmakers and political advisers from across the country have come to Beijing for the first major political gathering since the pandemic began – an opportunity for Chinese President Xi Jinping to lay out his economic goals.
This year’s session of the National People’s Congress – China’s legislature – will open Friday.
Japan lifted a state of emergency from its second-largest urban region, around Osaka, but kept the restriction in force for the Tokyo area, where new coronavirus infections have been slightly higher but are trending down. The northern island of Hokkaido also remains under the state of emergency.
In Europe, budget airline easyJet PLC said it would restart domestic flights in France and the UK on June 15. “Additional flights will be announced in the weeks to come, as demand rises and confinement measures in Europe are relaxed,” the company said.
Still, French authorities said they were on their guard amid fear that outdoor gatherings could prompt a resurgence of the virus. Most parks in Paris remain closed, but warm weather is drawing people outside en masse. Police on Wednesday tried to disperse people gathered on lawns in front of Les Invalides in Paris.
“The epidemic is not behind us,” said French President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter. “Let’s not let up.”
A number of French retailers are seeking bankruptcy protection, driven in part by France’s national lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Furniture retailer Alinea, which has 30 stores and employs 2,000 people, has taken that step, as have fashion retailers Naf Naf and La Halle.
The World Health Organisation also has warned that the pandemic is far from over. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that in the previous 24 hours, 106,000 new coronavirus cases had been reported to the United Nations health organization from around the world, the highest single-day total since the outbreak began.
“We still have a long way to go in this pandemic,” Mr. Tedros said.
In Brazil, the coronavirus spread worsened on Wednesday as the Health Ministry reported 19,951 new infections and 888 new deaths in a 24-hour period. The South American nation trails only Russia and the US in cases, with 291,579, according to the Health Ministry; the death toll is 18,859.
The situation is similar in another emerging market on the other side of the world: India reported 5,609 confirmed cases for Wednesday, all but matching the record hit the day before. The total tally is now 112,359, including 3,435 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Despite rising cases, the government is moving ahead with plans to resume domestic air travel starting May 25, after the federal home ministry amended its lockdown guidelines late Wednesday.
Railways are already operating special trains to transport migrant workers, and will add 200 general-passenger trains across the country starting June 1 for anyone who wishes to travel.
Singapore, the worst-hit nation in Southeast Asia, with almost 30,000 confirmed infections, is looking to resume business travel with countries including China, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
“There’s no specific timeline; we are working as fast as possible to allow essential business travel,” Singapore Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a TV interview. Singapore hopes to establish a set of health standards that could be recognized by these countries to allow company executives and technical personnel to travel again.
– Write to Chong Koh Ping at [email protected] and Matthew Dalton at [email protected]
