New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 4.9 crore cases and more than 12 lakh deaths.
The UK government has extended its salary support programme as the new lockdown takes effect. A study has found that there’s no ‘patient zero’ — a term used to describe the first human infected by a viral or bacterial disease in an outbreak — in Spain. And the Malaysian government is reluctant to initiate another lockdown despite cases having tripled since October.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.
UK bolsters economic support as it goes into another lockdown
The British government has extended its salary support programme to those on the verge of unemployment because of virus restrictions, reports the Associated Press.
As part of the programme, which was first implemented in March, “the government pays 80 per cent of the wages of people retained by firms, up to 2,500 pounds a month”.
According to the report, this programme, known as the Job Retention Scheme has “helped keep a lid on unemployment”.
The UK has reported 11,23,197 cases and 48,120 deaths so far.
How Spain’s coronavirus nightmare began
In Spain, the genetic analysis of 2,170 patients has revealed that the virus could have entered the country through 519 different ways, reports El País.
According to the report by a team of researchers at the Valencia Institute of Biomedicine, there is no ‘patient zero’ in Spain.
The report lists the “multiple entries” through which the virus may have entered — the 19 February soccer match between Atalanta and Valencia in Milan, which was attended by about 2,500 Valencia fans; Milan Fashion Week, held from 18 to 24 February; and the international contemporary art fair in Madrid, which opened on 2 February.
The study, says the report, also noted, “Tighter border control, coupled with early and local restrictions on movement, would likely have limited the expansion of SEC8 [strain] and thus the epidemic in Spain”.
Spain has reported 13,65,895 cases and 38,486 deaths so far.
Malaysia says total lockdown ‘unnecessary’
Since October, the number of cases in Malaysia has tripled to over 35,400. Despite this, its government is still reluctant to impose a total lockdown, reports The Straits Times.
The report quotes Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions), as saying, “A total lockdown is unnecessary because we are now at the recovery stage with an exit policy.”
The government is, however, planning to enforce strict movement curbs “if the infection rate surpasses the recovery rates”.
Malaysia has reported 36,434 cases and 277 deaths so far.
Greece to go into nationwide lockdown starting Saturday
After France and the UK, Greece will be implementing nationwide lockdown starting Saturday, reports Bloomberg.
The move comes “after a prolonged rise in infections and an increase in the number of patients in intensive care”, the report noted.
It also highlights Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as saying, “If we continued to see the same rate of increase in cases as in the past week we’d have thousands in our hospitals.”
According to the new restrictions, supermarkets, pharmacies, kindergartens and primary schools will remain open, while high schools, secondary schools and all other businesses will remain closed.
Greece has so far reported 36,434 cases and 702 deaths.
After seven ‘doughnut days’, Victoria set to ease restrictions
The administration of the Australian state of Victoria is set to ease restrictions after a week of zero cases, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
The report notes Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews’ comments that Melbourne’s 25-kilometre movement limit and the “ring of steel” separating the city and regional Victoria “could be scrapped” after the seven “doughnut days”.
It also highlights the remarks of Melbourne University Epidemiologist Tony Blakely who said the government’s contact tracing measures were “top-notch”.
Australia has so far recorded 27,645 cases and 907 deaths.
What else we are reading:
Australia has almost eliminated the coronavirus — by putting faith in science: The Washington Post
South Korean ‘sparrows’ try to cap surge of throwaway plastic: Reuters
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