New Easter weekend under the sign of confinement

The world begins on Saturday April 11 an original Easter weekend. More than 100,000 coronavirus deaths, including more than 2,100 in 24 hours in the United States, close to becoming the most mourning country, and an epidemic likely to resurface in the event of hasty deconfinement: without processions or traditional masses.

The toll of the pandemic, which continues its meteoric progression and has passed the 100,000 mark, has been particularly severe in the United States, which now counts more than 500,000 cases, and recorded a sad record of more than 2 100 new deaths in 24 hours. With 18,586 deaths linked to the new coronavirus recorded Friday evening by Johns Hopkins University, the country is on the verge of surpassing Italy in the number of deaths (18,849).

Read: Coronavirus: in the air, in the car, on screen… Pandemic-proof Easter

Choosing the right time to reopen the U.S. economy will be "by far the biggest decision of my life," said U.S. President Donald Trump, whose country has the highest number of cases of the new coronavirus.

Like all countries, the United States must be careful not to lift containment measures too early, otherwise the epidemic will spike again, or too late, which could add to the economic cost which already looks very painful.

In New York, the most affected city in the United States, a tribute was paid to hospital staff who died of the virus. About fifteen names were shelled in the cold by as many of their colleagues, who placed their photos on the sidewalk, in front of one of the hospitals.

Masses in containment

For the most important celebration of Christian tradition, it is on screen that the faithful will follow the masses of a confined Pope Francis. They will also follow Sunday mass from home, which closes Easter week.

"Lord, do not leave us in the darkness and in the shadow of death, protect us from the shield of your power", murmured the pope, during the traditional rite of the "Way of the Cross" broadcast in Mondovision from a place Saint-Pierre empty Friday evening.

In Jerusalem, for the first time in more than a century, the Holy Sepulcher will be closed to the public throughout the Easter weekend. A simple mass in camera was celebrated there for Good Friday, which commemorates the crucifixion of Christ.

Besides the United States, the results of the pandemic have worsened in France (more than 13,000 dead) and in the United Kingdom, where a thousand people died in one day. The number of deaths caused by the covid-19 pandemic also tripled in eight days in Belgium with 3,019 deaths recorded. Brazil surpassed 1,000 deaths on Friday.

The timid downward trend in hospital pressure in several countries, however, shows that confinement is starting to bear fruit. And Spain (nearly 16,000 dead in total) announced Friday its lowest number of daily deaths since March 24, with 605 deaths.

"Deadly resurgence"

No question of lowering the guard. The British government has urged respect for containment despite a sunny weekend.

Containment has been extended in Ireland and Italy until early May. And Turkey, which also deplores a thousand dead, confined 31 cities throughout the weekend.

As some European countries prepare for the end of containment, in the wake of China, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed that lifting restrictions too quickly "could lead to a deadly resurgence" of the pandemic .

Experts also warn. "The worst scenario would be some sort of victory party with everyone on the street kissing and congratulating themselves," said David Lalloo, director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

To minimize the risks of post-containment, the German government is preparing to launch a mobile application, inspired by Singapore, to facilitate the individual monitoring of cases and the identification of contamination chains, while the exploitation of data from smartphones arouses a lively debate.

On the same theme, Apple and Google announced Friday a partnership to allow digital tracking of individuals who have been close to infected people "in order to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus", but "integrating user privacy and security".

A "muscular economic recovery"

While the world is about to experience the worst crisis since the "Great Depression" according to the IMF, the energy ministers of the G20 countries have failed to agree on a drop in oil production, to counter the fall in prices caused by the pandemic.

In Europe, on the other hand, the 27 reached an agreement on Thursday providing for 500 billion euros immediately available and a stimulus fund to come of an equivalent amount. A European summit will meet on April 23 to "lay the foundations for a strong economic recovery".

The International Monetary Fund gave the green light Friday to an emergency loan of $ 745 million to Tunisia, while the entire African continent is at risk of a serious food crisis.

Ebola

In the DRC, also affected by the virus, the resurgence of Ebola fever, with a new case detected in Beni (east), three days before the planned official proclamation of the end of the epidemic, is causing concern.

The drama could also get worse in Yemen. In war for five years, and theater of one of the worst humanitarian crises, the country announced Friday the first case of contamination of new coronavirus.

Another frightening medical news: the virus could travel up to four meters from a patient, according to a study carried out in the Chinese province of Wuhan, cradle of the pandemic, and published Friday by the American Centers for Disease Prevention and Control ( CDC). However, this does not specify whether the quantity ejected is sufficient to infect a third party.

While humans are confined, animals continue to enjoy them. After dolphins in the canals of Venice or ducks in the streets of Paris, whales have reappeared off Marseille, along the French coasts of the Mediterranean.

For American astronaut Jessica Meir, who will find an earth upset next week after seven months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), "it's pretty surreal to see what's going on on the planet below we". "I am afraid of feeling more isolated on Earth than here" ...

With AFP

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