Coronavirus epidemic spreads around the world "not ready to deal with it"

Text by: RFI Follow

The new coronavirus continued its devastation around the world on Tuesday which, according to a WHO expert, "is simply not ready to face it". It affects more and more countries: the Covid-19 disease has already infected more than 80,000 people around the world, of which nearly 2,600 have died, mainly in China, and now concerns more than thirty states. .

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The world is " just not ready to face it, " warned Bruce Aylward, the expert who heads the joint WHO / China mission, on return from Beijing on Tuesday. " You have to be ready to handle this on a larger scale, and it has to be done quickly, " he added.

The virus is spreading quickly in Italy

In Europe, Italy is the European country most affected by the new coronavirus with 7 dead and nearly 300 people infected. Three new Italian regions, Tuscany (center), Sicily (south) and Liguria (north-west) have identified contamination.

All the neighboring countries of Italy " are committed to keeping their borders open, because to close them would be a mistake and disproportionate ", during a ministerial meeting in Rome between Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, which were also present in Germany and the European Union. They also decided to “ assess on a case-by-case basis ” the possible cancellation of major events, according to a joint press release.

We wish to be extremely clear that there is no reason to close the borders between our countries. It would be disproportionate and ineffective.

French Minister of Health Olivier Véran

Austria has announced the first two cases of coronavirus in the Tyrol region, bordering Italy. A hotel in the tourist town of Innsbruck, the capital of this region in the heart of the Alps, has been quarantined. An Italian receptionist infected with the virus worked there.

Switzerland has also announced a first case in a region close to Italy, while in Croatia, a young man recently returned from Italy was infected, the first known case in the Balkans.

A new case in Germany " probably infected in Italy, in Milan ", was announced on Tuesday by the authorities of Baden-Württemberg. This brings the number of people infected in the country to 17.

Two new cases in France

Two new cases were confirmed in France, one of which returned from Italy, according to the French Ministry of Health, adding that their state of health did not cause any concern. A total of 14 cases have been detected in France, one is dead and eleven are considered to have been cured.

Case number 13 is that of a young Chinese woman who was hospitalized in Paris who returned from China […] she is negative, but with traces of recent healings. […] The 14th case has just been reported to us. He is a French man who has just returned from a stay in Lombardy […] His condition does not inspire concern.

Pr Jérôme Salomon, Director General of Health (ministry)

The French are " invited " to postpone their trips to the regions of Italy most affected by the epidemic, said Tuesday the Secretary of State for Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari.

In the Canaries, several hundred tourists are confined to a hotel on the Spanish island of Tenerife where an Italian who has been carrying the coronavirus has stayed

Fear of a pandemic

The director general of WHO had warned Monday that the world remained threatened by " pandemic ", namely an epidemic of international magnitude , especially in poor countries.

Algerian authorities announced on Tuesday the first case of a new coronavirus in Algeria, an Italian who arrived in Algeria on February 17. The only confirmed case of disease in Africa had so far been identified in Egypt .

Pompeo demands that Iran tell "the truth".

In Iran, the mission of a WHO team of experts has been delayed, but remains planned. Tehran announced three new deaths on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 15, the heaviest outside of China. Against a backdrop of intense tension between Washington and Tehran, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that Iran speak " the truth ".

In the U.S., the Trump administration plans to spend $ 2.5 billion (€ 2.3 billion) on the disease. US health officials said on Tuesday they expected the epidemic to spread, prompting schools, businesses and local governments to consider precautionary measures such as the cancellation of public events.

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday suspended all flights to and from Iran, a decision that primarily concerns Dubai Airport, the world's largest for foreign passengers. Several countries in the region have announced cases of contamination among people returning from Iran.

In South Korea the situation is " very serious "

In South Korea, the situation is " very serious ", alarmed President Moon Jae-in, while the number of contaminations jumped again to reach nearly a thousand cases. The country, which now has 10 dead, and a thousand confirmed cases is thus the first world focus of contamination after its Chinese neighbor.

Wearing a protective suit and a mask, South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Daegu, the city which concentrates more than 80% of the contaminations in the country, on Tuesday: " The situation is very serious, we have declared a disaster in the special zone, but this measure is not enough. The government will focus its capabilities nationally and in collaboration with Daegu and northern Gyeongsang province, to win the battle against the virus. The government has deployed its assistance services on a large scale throughout the country, sending the army, the police and medical personnel from the private sector. The problem is time and speed ... The government will very quickly release an emergency budget, including special grants and reserve funds. "

Nearby, Japan announced the death of a fourth passenger from the Diamond Princess liner where nearly 700 people were infected. The disease now also affects Thailand and Singapore in Asia.

In China , where the coronavirus appeared in December in Wuhan, in the center of the country, Tuesday's human toll was less dramatic. The country recorded 71 new deaths in 24 hours, the lowest figure in nearly three weeks.

According to WHO, the epidemic has already peaked in this country, where it has infected some 77,000 people, 2,600 of whom have died, according to WHO. Outside Wuhan, still in quarantine, life seemed to resume a little more normal, especially in Beijing where car traffic intensified slightly.

Giuseppe Conte calls for a centralized response

In Italy, concern is high among the population and political controversies have erupted between the government and the presidents of regions. Giuseppe Conte called for coordination of the health response across the country.

While some elected representatives of the League would like to close the borders, including between Italian regions, the President of the Council calls for calm, it is out of the question. No question either that the regions, which have a lot of autonomy, leave in dispersed order with useless or even counterproductive measures, explained Giuseppe Conte.

The warning applies at the municipal level. Sant'Agata de 'Goti, a small town in the Naples region, the mayor admits that she has suspended classes only to calm a wind of panic among the population, after a school trip to Milan when no one is showing symptoms. Since then, coordination has taken place.

“ We met between mayors of neighboring municipalities, to try to go in the same direction, explains Giuseppina Piccoli. Because everyone felt free to do what they wanted. Some have closed schools, others have not. The direction we have chosen is to stick to basic guidelines: you should only worry when someone has symptoms and has been in contact with someone at risk. "

While the number of cases continues to increase in the country, Giuseppe Conte declared that faced with the emergency political divisions had no place in the city and he thanked the regional presidents for their solidarity.

Travelers take precautions in Roissy

In France, without falling into psychosis, travelers at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, in the north of Paris, take their precautions. Some are even equipped with masks to protect themselves.

Mask and protective glasses on the face, Liu Hong Yu hurries into the corridors of Terminal 2 at Roissy Charles de Gaulle. He comes from Beijing, China for a business trip to Europe. And he is surprised by the lack of equipment for holidaymakers.

" I can't believe no one is wearing a mask, it doesn't make any sense . Because you don't know where they come from, who are they ? Are they from Korea, are they from Iran, are they from Italy? You do not know. I think everyone should take care of themselves. "

Chiara also wears a mask. The young student returns from northern Italy, from Bologna to resume classes in France. And it was not checked.

“ My trip went well. They didn't ask me for anything, didn't take my temperature. Nothing. Here in Paris and Italy. I think they should take the temperature, that's what I thought. That they should no longer control, but they do nothing, so ... "

Some travelers take precautions, like Cassia from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She came to visit Europe with her three children.

“ Every hour, we pass hydro-alcoholic gel. We try not to touch things with our hands and we avoid being too close to other people. We thought about canceling the trip, but it was everyone's dream. "

Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport guarantees travelers from Italy the distribution of posters. But also the presence of medical teams to inform them, reassure them and take charge of them.

Anti-Asian Racism Grows

More than a month after the virus spread, anti-Asian racism is developing more and more in France. To combat the proliferation of anti-stigmatizing comments, SOS Racisme launched a new campaign on social media on Tuesday. A campaign that was also revealed Tuesday morning in the daily Le Parisien . For Dominique Sopo, the president of the association, there was an urgent need to react.

We can see that behind the coronavirus epidemic what, for example, manifests itself is this old idea of ​​a yellow danger that reactivates from time to time.

Dominique Sopo, from SOS Racisme

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• coronavirus
• Iran
• South Korea
• France
• Germany
• Spain
• Italy
• Austria
• Japan
• United Arab Emirates

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