THE CORONAVIROUS ACROSS THE WORLD

The coronavirus has been spreading rapidly across the world, affecting more than 160 countries with 307.000 confirmed cases and 15.000 deaths.  Europe is the centre of the crisis with cases and deaths rising, according to the BBC. 

Unfortunately, Italy’s numbers are soaring, Spain’s hospitals are overflowing, and Hawaii ordered a 14-day quarantine.  Also, in Australia, schools, beaches, clubs and places of worship are closing in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Italy has imposed a lockdown, deployed the army and is risking its economy in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.   Regretfully its toll is growing by the day: by Sunday the country had more than 53.500 cases and over 4.800 deaths.  Our heart goes out to them.

Italy’s struggle is seen as a tragic warning for other countries to observe and avoid, partly because it is paying the price of early “mixed messages” by scientists and politicians.   The people who died in staggering numbers recently were infected during the confusion of a week or two ago.  

The government has sent the army to enforce the lockdown, in Lombardy, which is the centre of the outbreak, where bodies are piled up in churches.   On Friday night, the authorities tightened up the national lockdown, closing parks, and banning outdoor activities like walking and jogging far from home.  On Saturday night, Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, announced further drastic measures in response to what he called “the country’s most difficult crisis since World War II”.  Italy will close its factories  and all the production that is not absolutely essential, on an enormous economic sacrifice intended to fight the virus.

If Italy’s experience shows anything it is that measures to isolate infected areas and to limit the movement of the population must be taken earlier, it must be explained with clarity and strictly enforced. 

Italian health authorities have told the hospitals to restrict testing, amid a scarcity of testing kits and crucial medical supplies.  The shift in the state, which has over 1.500 confirmed cases, suggests that the Italian state may never know how many people are infected.  Because numerous people who only have mild symptoms or who believe that they have come in contact with sick people but are not sick themselves. are being told they do not qualify for testing.

President Trump sent a letter to North Korea’s leader Kim-Jong-un expressing willingness to help fight the coronavirus.

Hawaii orders a 14 day quarantine on arrivals.

“Lockdowns alone will not defeat the coronavirus”, a World Health Organization expert said,  “What we actually have to do, is to find the sick and isolate them.”

The Spanish Government, meanwhile, is extending for another 15 days the country’s state of emergency.   According to the local press, the country’s death toll reaches to 1.720 and the confirmed infected cases to over 28.500.  Madrid has been the epicentre of the disease.

Croatia struck by a severe earthquake measuring  5.2 of the Richter scale, complicated the quarantine measures and sent residents pouring into the streets during the lockdown.   Croatia reported 78 new coronavirus cases bringing the total to 235 but no reported deaths.

Uzbekistan, which has reported 42 cases said it would close their borders on Monday and instructed the residents to wear masks when leaving their homes.

In Iran, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini rejected a reported offer of assistance from the USA to fight the coronavirus citing an unfounded conspiracy theory that … the virus is man-made!  On Sunday an Iranian Health Ministry spokesman announced 29 new virus deaths raising the total to 1.685.

The number of coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic rose to 1.407, while six people have recovered and there have been no reported deaths.

In Belgium, there are 3.400 cases and 75 deaths.   Over the weekend police vans were circulating in Brussels asking people to stay indoors and to observe strictly social-distancing measures.

Poland has less than 500 cases but a hospital was shut down due to coronavirus.

France raised its total to14.459 confirmed cases and 562 deaths on Sunday.

In Pakistan, where Prime Minister Iman Rum Khan has resisted implementing a total lockdown, provincial governments, however, are calling for one that comes with strict measures for those who violate it.  Several provinces have asked for help from the military, which is setting up temporary medical facilities and deploying doctors to help provide civilian medical services.

On Sunday, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson of Britain, sent stern advice to the Nation as it celebrated Mother’s Day “Don’t visit your Mother”.  Mr Johnson wrote on an opinion article published by the Times of London: “We cannot disguise or sugar-coat the threat”.

In Germany to fight the economic effects of the outbreak, officials are proposing to make available 150 billions more Euros to help the country.

In Greece, we have  530 confirmed cases, 19 recoveries and 13 deaths.  We stay strictly at home and tomorrow we might be expecting a lockdown.  Kali dynami!   (Let us all be strong!)  

(I thank ERT, SKAI TV Gr, BBC Kathimerini, Estia, The NY Times for the valuable information)

       

 

 A Meadow Medley by Ann Duke