Stricter CoV measures: Paris closes cafes, lockdown in New York

In Paris, the highest level of alert had been announced for days. Health Minister Olivier Veran had said on Thursday at the presentation of his weekly status report that only a decrease in the number of infections could prevent a “complete closure” of bars and cafes in the capital.

The numbers have continued to rise, and tightened measures will come into force, as Prime Minister Jean Castex’s office announced on Sunday evening. Bars and cafes in the capital and some suburbs have to remain closed, restaurants, on the other hand, may remain open if they comply with stricter hygiene rules.

Restaurants open – but with conditions

As is now the case in Paris, the highest level of alert had already been declared in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe and in Marseille. In the southern French port city, the restaurants and bars have therefore already had to close – there had been great protest.

In Paris, a maximum of six people are allowed to sit at a table instead of the previous ten, and restaurant visitors are only allowed to remove their masks for eating and drinking. In addition, guests must leave their contact details so that chains of infection can be traced.

“The numbers are what they are”

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo spoke of a “very serious” health situation on Sunday. “There is no justification for denial,” said Aurelien Rousseau, the regional health director. “The numbers are what they are and they weigh heavily.”

In Paris, the incidence was more than 250 cases per 100,000 population on Sunday, according to the regional health authority ARS. The measures now taken should initially apply for two weeks. According to a survey quoted by the broadcaster BFM, 61 percent of residents of the greater Paris area are in favor of a complete closure of bars. According to the previous coronavirus measures, bars were allowed to open until 10 p.m.

With almost 17,000 newly registered coronavirus infections within 24 hours, France, which has around 67 million, recently reached a new high. The death toll since the pandemic began rose to around 32,200. This makes France one of the countries in Europe most affected by the pandemic.

Sharply increasing numbers of infections also in New York

As in Paris, the signs are pointing to tightening in the US metropolis of New York. Due to rapidly increasing numbers, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the reintroduction of restrictions in several city districts. “Unfortunately, today is not a day to celebrate,” said de Blasio on Sunday. He will petition New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to close all non-urgent shops and schools in the affected areas. Cuomo immediately ordered the closings in parts of Brooklyn and Queens, among others.

New York was one of the hardest hit cities in the world by the pandemic in the spring. Almost 24,000 people died in the eight-million-inhabitant metropolis as a result of a coronavirus infection. Strict exit restrictions were in place for weeks. Only a few days ago the children and young people in New York returned to schools after months of distance learning. Restaurants were also allowed to reopen their interiors to guests under strict conditions.

There are large Jewish Orthodox communities in several neighborhoods in which the number of infections is now rising sharply again and which are all in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The most recent increase coincided with the high Jewish holidays around Yom Kippur.

Moscow’s schools are extending their autumn vacation

Despite the rising numbers, the Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, who is responsible for health, spoke out against a general lockdown. However, the Russian capital Moscow, which accounts for a third of new infections, instructed employers to let at least 30 percent of their employees work from home until October 28 so that public transport is less busy.

In addition, the city recommends elderly people and vulnerable population groups not to leave the house. As a further measure against the pandemic, the school holidays in the Russian capital, which began on Monday, have been extended from one to two weeks. After the end of the school holidays, Moscow’s pupils will finally be taught online.

Johnson expects a “very hard” winter

In the meantime, Prime Minister Boris Johnson swore the population in Great Britain to a “very hard” winter. However, there is “hope” that the situation will improve by Christmas, as Johnson said in a BBC interview on Sunday.

In the fight against the virus, according to media reports, the British government is implementing new three-stage restrictions. The catalog of measures also includes the closure of pubs and a ban on all social contacts outside of one’s own household, writes “The Guardian”, citing government documents. The plan is intended to replace and simplify the existing local restrictions.

The country, which has around 66.7 million inhabitants, had recently exceeded the threshold of half a million detected infections. Health officials reported an increase in infections of nearly 23,000 cases on Sunday – more than 10,000 more than the previous day. According to the authorities, the reason for this is the correction of a technical error that prevented several thousand coronavirus cases from being published at the end of September.

Italy is considering nationwide masking requirements outdoors

In Italy, Health Minister Roberto Speranza wants to propose an extension of the coronavirus emergency to January 31, 2021 in parliament on Tuesday, as the newspaper “Corriere della Sera” wrote. This measure gives the government special powers. The state of emergency expires on October 15th.

As early as Wednesday, the current coronavirus measures could come into force in Italy with a nationwide mask requirement outdoors. According to reports on Monday, the planned tightening of the rules should be published by the government in Rome shortly. Individual areas, most recently the Lazio region, had already adopted such precautionary measures in the fight against the pandemic.

The Italian authorities have seen a significant increase in the number of infections in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the pandemic is so far considered under control in the country with around 60.4 million inhabitants. On Sunday there were officially 2,578 newly registered cases, 18 people died with or from the virus disease. The total number of Covid 19 victims in Italy is around 36,000.

Spain: Two more cities sealed off

Due to the sharp rise in CoV numbers, two other Spanish cities in the north-west of the country are largely cordoned off after Madrid and nine municipalities in the surrounding area. The provincial capital Leon with 124,000 inhabitants and the southeastern city of Palenca with 78,000 inhabitants are affected. The measures in the autonomous region of Castile and Leon are expected to come into force on Tuesday for an initial 14 days. Citizens are allowed to leave their homes, but only cross the city limits for a valid reason.

Emergency in the Czech Republic in force

In the Czech Republic (10.7 million inhabitants) another national emergency came into force on Monday night. The government under Prime Minister Andrej Babis had decided to declare a state of emergency because of a “rocket-like increase” in infections.

The state of emergency was in place from mid-March to mid-May. Unlike in spring, the borders should remain open this time. For events and gatherings, a maximum of ten people indoors and 20 outdoors applies. Professional sport has to do without spectators. There are numerous exceptions. Companies and shops are not affected.

No new infections in Auckland

While the rules are being tightened again in metropolises like Paris, New York and Moscow, New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is lifting all restrictions. After ten days without infections within the country, the end of the restrictions is justified, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday. From Wednesday on, there will be no more restrictions in the coastal city with 1.6 million inhabitants.

After local infections with the virus were confirmed in the Pacific state for the first time in three and a half months on August 12, the authorities ordered a lockdown. Since then, gatherings with more than 100 participants have been banned in Auckland, face masks are compulsory on public transport and restaurant guests are required to remain seated.

Prime Minister Ardern warned her compatriots against letting go again after the restrictions were lifted and appealed to the self-discipline of the people. “The virus flare-up is not our only concern, the return of convenience is one of it,” she said. So far, around 1,500 coronavirus infections and 25 deaths have been registered in New Zealand (4.9 million inhabitants).

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