Coronavirus: the state of the world facing the pandemic Saturday, April 11

Text by: RFI Follow

Easter weekend takes place without processions or masses. The global toll of the pandemic now exceeds 100,000 deaths. The largest number of patients is in the United States.

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France: 160,000 police officers to avoid departures

The coronavirus epidemic has killed 13,832 in France, with 353 more deaths in 24 hours in hospitals and 290 in institutions for the elderly and other medico-social sites, said Saturday the Director General of Health, Jérôme Solomon.

For the third consecutive evening, the number of intensive care patients registered a decline in 24 hours, with 6,883 patients, 121 less than the day before, he said in his daily press briefing.

The epidemic is lulling, but confinement remains the rule during the Easter weekend. On the 26th day of confinement, 160,000 police and gendarmes were mobilized to control and prevent departures on vacation.

The happy consequence of confinement: the number of road deaths fell by 39.6% in March. On the other hand, there is a worrying number of large speeding tickets.

The general inspector of prisons denounces the public authorities' lack of preparation for the epidemic. It requests the government to release 7,000 additional detainees at the end of their sentences. Sixty inmates have contracted coronavirus, and nearly 900 prison officers are housebound

A Toulousaine woman has just launched crowdfunding to develop a transparent mask that allows lip reading for deaf and hard of hearing people.

According to the Minister of Labor, Muriel Pénicaud, " 8 million employees and more than 700,000 companies benefit from partial unemployment ".

Workers are asked to work "hard" to allow for an economic boost once activity resumes. For the boss of the bosses Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, " we will have to ask ourselves sooner or later the question of working time, public holidays and paid vacation ".

Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly says the military is willing to do more in the coming weeks. She invited the various institutions to express more requests.

Belgium: the army at the disposal of rest homes

Nursing staff are understaffed in retirement homes. The soldiers were requisitioned to help. There are already more than 800 dead in these establishments in Wallonia and Brussels.

Italy: Papal Mass on video

Italy with 18,849 deaths was the most affected country on the planet. He abandoned his sad record in the United States.

The pope announces that he will celebrate, without an audience, Easter Sunday mass in Saint Peter's basilica, then the blessing Urbi et Orbi in front of the empty Saint Pierre square. The ceremonies will be webcast. " A gesture of responsibility, " said the Italian Prime Minister.

200 faithful participated in a ceremony in Puglia, in defiance of the rules of confinement, provoking indignant reactions and the apologies of the mayor.

Spain: more cases, fewer deaths

Spain records a further decline in the daily number of deaths (510 in 24 hours), bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 16,353. But the number of confirmed cases stands at 161,852, about 4,800 more than Friday.

Spain has been under strict containment for four weeks. The government had ordered on March 29 the cessation, for two weeks, of all non-essential economic activities, and this measure will end on Monday.

The authorities now recommend wearing the mask, especially in transport.

UK: Boris Johnson is doing better

Boris Johnson's health continues to improve. " The Prime Minister continues to make great progress, " said a spokesman this Saturday.

There have been 917 additional deaths in the UK in the past 24 hours.

The government is due to rule next week on a possible extension of the containment, which began on March 23 and is scheduled to last until Monday.

In the meantime, the authorities repeat that the distancing measures should not be relaxed.

Germany: cancellation of ceremonies in Buchenwald

The Buchenwald memorial is forced to cancel the demonstrations for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the camp. He is putting online a site paying tribute to the victims of Nazism.

The site is accessible in German, English and French: www.thueringer-erklaerung.de.

Armenia: an additional month of confinement

An additional 30 days of the state of emergency introduced in March have been declared in the country where nearly a thousand people have so far been infected.

The extension of this system has resulted in the closure of schools and the stopping of public transport. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's announcement will be formally approved by parliament next week.

Bulgaria: adopting the euro to combat the crisis

Bulgaria wants to speed up its process of joining the euro zone in order to obtain loans granted only to member countries. These loans are intended to overcome the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Sofia announces that she will apply as early as the end of April and not in July as planned.

The euro area countries will soon be eligible for 240 billion euros in loans from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

United States: the country most affected by the epidemic

The United States now holds a macabre record. 2,100 people died in 24 hours. With more than half a million cases, the United States is home to more people than any other country.

18,780 people died from the disease. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that public schools in the city will remain closed until the end of the school year.

New York remains the most affected metropolis. There is less hospitalization but as many deaths (783 in the last 24 hours). Governor Cuomo quotes Churchill: " It is not the end, not the beginning of the end but may be the end of the beginning ".

In Kentucky, the state says it will register all the license plates of people going to mass and quarantine them for two weeks.

President Trump remains very anxious to revive the economy. " Reopening the country will be the most important decision I will have to make ."

Brazil: the virus in the favelas

Brazil has a thousand cases. Authorities confirm first deaths in favelas, the poorest neighborhoods in Rio. Overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions cause fear of a rapid virus spread.

Canada: 461 deaths

Canada's parliament urgently votes new economic assistance measures against the pandemic. The country has 19,759 cases and 461 deaths

Nicaragua: no precautionary measure

Nicaraguans celebrate Easter without any precautionary measures. Religious celebrations but also popular festivals are organized by the government. The South American Health Organization is concerned and protests. Officially the country has only 6 cases and 1 death.

Ecuador: cardboard coffins

The proliferation of corpses overwhelms the undertakers. The cardboard industry has offered thousands of cardboard coffins but the population is not satisfied. Prisons were used to make wooden coffins. 4,965 cases are listed and 272 deaths.

Russia: a sharp increase in contamination

Russian authorities report a "huge influx" of patients into Moscow hospitals.

According to official figures, the epidemic left 106 dead, including 12 this Saturday, and 13,584 cases were counted there.

Turkey: silence in the cities

First day of confinement in 31 major cities in Turkey. Istanbul (16 million inhabitants) has rarely been so silent.

Only home delivery scooters roam the city streets.

Employees of the municipality go door to door to distribute bread. This 48-hour confinement will end Sunday evening. The pandemic has so far claimed 1,006 lives in Turkey, where more than 47,000 cases have been detected

Iran: partial lifting of containment

Resumption of certain economic activities this Saturday, in the provinces. Tehran, the capital is not affected. This recovery is aimed at activities that present little risk. But schools and universities, restaurants, hotels, sports and cultural centers or hair salons will remain closed. And there will be no collective prayer in the mosques.

The number of cases crossed the 70,000 mark on Saturday and the epidemic killed 4,357

Iraq: death of famous architect

Rifat Chadirji, the father of modern Iraqi architecture, died of coronavirus in Britain where he resided. He was 93 years old.

Israel: no faithful in the Holy Sepulcher

In Jerusalem, the Holy Sepulcher is closed to the public throughout the weekend. The basilica should still host a mass celebrated by the Latin patriarch, in which some members of the clergy will participate. It will be broadcast on the Internet for the faithful. The country has nearly 10,000 cases and 79 deaths

Indonesia: closed prayer places

The government has decided to close mosques and other places of worship to fight the pandemic

India: alcohol prohibition and compulsory withdrawal

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend the confinement established in the country without however specifying the duration.

The measure is still accompanied by a ban on the sale of alcohol. Compulsory withdrawal has led to suicide by some dependent people.

The epidemic killed 206 people and infected more than 6,700 people across the country.

Learn from mistakes

It was the “contempt” for our environment that caused the Covid-19 crisis, said Jane Goodall, 86, a British primatologist dedicated to defending animals and the environment. " But it's time to learn from our mistakes and try to avoid future disasters, " she says.

Our selection on SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus

• Listen to Coronavirus Info , daily chronicle on the pandemic

• Explanation: The origins of the Covid-19

• Analysis: What strategies in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic?

• Practical questions:
→ What is the lifespan of the virus ?
→ How do you treat Covid-19 patients ?
→ Update on ongoing clinical trials
→ How the Institut Pasteur hopes to find a vaccine
→ How to make a mask and use it well

• Doctors' answers to your questions about the Covid-19

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