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Coronavirus live news: Spain reports biggest rise in daily infections since lockdown lifted in June Coronavirus live news: Spain reports biggest rise in daily infections since lockdown lifted in June
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French prime minister says full lockdown must be avoided; Japan records 1,274 new cases on Thursday; number of global cases passes 17mFrench prime minister says full lockdown must be avoided; Japan records 1,274 new cases on Thursday; number of global cases passes 17m
Zimbabwe’s agriculture minister Perrance Shiri died from the Covid-19 infection, becoming the first senior government official to succumb to the pandemic, the president Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Thursday.
Shiri, a retired general who helped plot a coup that ousted Robert Mugabe in 2017, died on Wednesday. The late liberation war veteran was declared a national hero and will be buried on Friday during a closed ceremony.
“Now that it is confirmed that Minister Shiri died of Covid-19, we will follow World Health Organisation regulations on how the funeral should proceed,” Mnangagwa said during a funeral wake at Shiri’s home in Harare.
Zimbabwe has recorded 2,879 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 40 deaths.
Young Germans partying abroad on Europe’s beaches and ignoring physical distancing rules are becoming an increasing cause of concern at home, as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the world.
Following widespread reports earlier this month of German tourists revelling on the Spanish island of Mallorca, bars and clubs on the infamous “Bier Straße” were forced by local authorities to close.
Many Germans have since cancelled Mallorcan holidays, and are flocking instead to Bulgaria – particularly to the resort town of Golden Sands on its Black Sea coast.
Large numbers of German travellers are also ignoring government warnings issued earlier this week to avoid areas in Spain, including Catalonia and the regions of Aragon and Navarra, due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases there.
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A heatwave hit Europe on Thursday just as Madrid made wearing masks compulsory to prevent a surge in coronavirus infections, and Julian Martinez said his beard wasn’t making it any easier to keep his face covered in the heat. But the 60-year-old Spanish civil servant wasn’t taking his mask off.A heatwave hit Europe on Thursday just as Madrid made wearing masks compulsory to prevent a surge in coronavirus infections, and Julian Martinez said his beard wasn’t making it any easier to keep his face covered in the heat. But the 60-year-old Spanish civil servant wasn’t taking his mask off.
“I’ve been wearing a mask for so many days in the heat that it doesn’t bother me that much,” he said.“I’ve been wearing a mask for so many days in the heat that it doesn’t bother me that much,” he said.
Temperatures soared across Europe on Thursday, heading above 40C (104F) in places, adding extreme heat to the health warnings of a continent already taking fresh measures to rein in a potential second wave of coronavirus infections.Temperatures soared across Europe on Thursday, heading above 40C (104F) in places, adding extreme heat to the health warnings of a continent already taking fresh measures to rein in a potential second wave of coronavirus infections.
The heat undoubtedly made it more difficult to wear face masks in the Spanish capital. Spain’s meteorological agency said the hot air was coming from Africa and would last until Saturday.The heat undoubtedly made it more difficult to wear face masks in the Spanish capital. Spain’s meteorological agency said the hot air was coming from Africa and would last until Saturday.
In Rome, where the temperature hit 38C on Thursday and was set to go to 39C on Friday, authorities told the elderly and children not to go out in the hottest part of the day.In Rome, where the temperature hit 38C on Thursday and was set to go to 39C on Friday, authorities told the elderly and children not to go out in the hottest part of the day.
The Swiss weather agency advised people to drink plenty of water, eat cool dishes and avoid physical exertion.The Swiss weather agency advised people to drink plenty of water, eat cool dishes and avoid physical exertion.
In Cyprus, the heatwave hit earlier this week, with temperatures already up in the 40s since Monday.In Cyprus, the heatwave hit earlier this week, with temperatures already up in the 40s since Monday.
“It’s really hot. We’re not used to it. We’ve generally got a temperate climate in Brittany,” said Mael Delaunay, 19, enjoying a cool drink with friends on a terrace by the sea in the town of Quiberon in the Brittany region of northern France.“It’s really hot. We’re not used to it. We’ve generally got a temperate climate in Brittany,” said Mael Delaunay, 19, enjoying a cool drink with friends on a terrace by the sea in the town of Quiberon in the Brittany region of northern France.
“They say with global warming, Brittany is going to become like the Cote d’Azur.”“They say with global warming, Brittany is going to become like the Cote d’Azur.”
Back in Madrid, the uncomfortable combination of heat and face masks was driving home the importance of following health advice.Back in Madrid, the uncomfortable combination of heat and face masks was driving home the importance of following health advice.
“Your breath gets very warm - your glasses, there are lots of problems,” said Ana Gonzalez. “But you put it all aside when you think that it’s protection and there’s no choice about wearing it. You forget about the face mask and that’s it. It’s the only way. At least, that’s what I do.”“Your breath gets very warm - your glasses, there are lots of problems,” said Ana Gonzalez. “But you put it all aside when you think that it’s protection and there’s no choice about wearing it. You forget about the face mask and that’s it. It’s the only way. At least, that’s what I do.”
Nepal will reopen its Himalayan mountains including Mount Everest to climbers for the autumn season, officials said on Thursday, to boost the tourism-dependent economy despite rising coronavirus infections.Nepal will reopen its Himalayan mountains including Mount Everest to climbers for the autumn season, officials said on Thursday, to boost the tourism-dependent economy despite rising coronavirus infections.
Home to eight of the world’s 14 tallest mountains, Nepal shut down climbing and trekking in March to stem the spread of the coronavirus, which has so far infected 19,547 people and caused 52 deaths in the country of 30 million.Home to eight of the world’s 14 tallest mountains, Nepal shut down climbing and trekking in March to stem the spread of the coronavirus, which has so far infected 19,547 people and caused 52 deaths in the country of 30 million.
“We have reopened mountaineering and will issue climbing permits for the autumn season,” tourism department official Mira Acharya said, adding that climbers must follow health protocols issued by the government. The autumn climbing season in Nepal runs from September to November.“We have reopened mountaineering and will issue climbing permits for the autumn season,” tourism department official Mira Acharya said, adding that climbers must follow health protocols issued by the government. The autumn climbing season in Nepal runs from September to November.
While infections in many Western nations are falling, South Asian countries including Nepal are still witnessing a steady rise in the caseload.While infections in many Western nations are falling, South Asian countries including Nepal are still witnessing a steady rise in the caseload.
The absence of climbing in the popular April-May season caused Nepal millions of dollars in losses. Hundreds of foreign travellers and some 200,000 sherpas, guides and porters were hit.The absence of climbing in the popular April-May season caused Nepal millions of dollars in losses. Hundreds of foreign travellers and some 200,000 sherpas, guides and porters were hit.
Though the government now wants to reopen climbing, international flights are shut until mid-August and travel restrictions within Nepal remain, meaning climbers will still be kept away in the short term, expedition organisers said.Though the government now wants to reopen climbing, international flights are shut until mid-August and travel restrictions within Nepal remain, meaning climbers will still be kept away in the short term, expedition organisers said.
“Some climbers to smaller mountains may come but I have doubts about big ones,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, an expedition organiser in the capital Kathmandu.“Some climbers to smaller mountains may come but I have doubts about big ones,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, an expedition organiser in the capital Kathmandu.
Nepal on Thursday also allowed the reopening of hotels and restaurants with some restrictions. No conferences, seminars, gyms or casinos would be allowed, said Binayak Shah, vice president of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN).Nepal on Thursday also allowed the reopening of hotels and restaurants with some restrictions. No conferences, seminars, gyms or casinos would be allowed, said Binayak Shah, vice president of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN).
“Now it is (about) which hotel is safe, not which offers better services,” Shah said.“Now it is (about) which hotel is safe, not which offers better services,” Shah said.
Spain reported 1,229 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, topping 1,000 for the second day in a row and marking the biggest rise since a national lockdown was lifted on 21 June, health ministry data showed.Spain reported 1,229 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, topping 1,000 for the second day in a row and marking the biggest rise since a national lockdown was lifted on 21 June, health ministry data showed.
The cumulative total rose to 285,430. That figure was up 2,789 on the previous day and includes results from antibody tests on people who may have already recovered.The cumulative total rose to 285,430. That figure was up 2,789 on the previous day and includes results from antibody tests on people who may have already recovered.
The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said surges in the number of new Covid-19 cases in some countries were driven partly by young people letting down their guard, but that the world needed to learn to live with the disease.The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said surges in the number of new Covid-19 cases in some countries were driven partly by young people letting down their guard, but that the world needed to learn to live with the disease.
“We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again: young people are not invincible,” he told a news briefing in Geneva on Thursday, adding that “[recent] spikes have been driven by young people letting down their guard in the northern hemisphere summer”.“We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again: young people are not invincible,” he told a news briefing in Geneva on Thursday, adding that “[recent] spikes have been driven by young people letting down their guard in the northern hemisphere summer”.
Brazil’s first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro, has tested positive for Covid-19, presidential officials have announced.Brazil’s first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro, has tested positive for Covid-19, presidential officials have announced.
“She appears to be in good health and will follow all the existing protocols,” the presidential communication secretariat said in a statement, adding that she was being cared for by the president’s medical team.“She appears to be in good health and will follow all the existing protocols,” the presidential communication secretariat said in a statement, adding that she was being cared for by the president’s medical team.
The diagnosis comes just over three weeks after Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, announced he had tested positive for the disease. He announced he had tested negative last Saturday and has returned to work after a period isolated in his official residence.The diagnosis comes just over three weeks after Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, announced he had tested positive for the disease. He announced he had tested negative last Saturday and has returned to work after a period isolated in his official residence.
Jair Bolsonaro has faced domestic and international condemnation for his handling for the coronavirus pandemic, which has now claimed more than 90,000 Brazilian lives - the second highest number in the world after the US.Jair Bolsonaro has faced domestic and international condemnation for his handling for the coronavirus pandemic, which has now claimed more than 90,000 Brazilian lives - the second highest number in the world after the US.
On Wednesday, Brazil suffered its highest daily death toll, with 1,554 fatalities registered in a single day, and a record 70,869 new cases. Despite that much of the country is now reopening. On Wednesday it was also announced that foreigners would be allowed to enter Brazil through its airports for the first time since March.On Wednesday, Brazil suffered its highest daily death toll, with 1,554 fatalities registered in a single day, and a record 70,869 new cases. Despite that much of the country is now reopening. On Wednesday it was also announced that foreigners would be allowed to enter Brazil through its airports for the first time since March.
Vietnam began mass coronavirus testing in the capital, Hanoi, banned gatherings in its economic hub and urged tens of thousands of domestic travellers to report to authorities on Thursday, as the country scrambled to contain its first outbreak in 100 days.Vietnam began mass coronavirus testing in the capital, Hanoi, banned gatherings in its economic hub and urged tens of thousands of domestic travellers to report to authorities on Thursday, as the country scrambled to contain its first outbreak in 100 days.
Reuters reports that text messages were sent to all cellphones used by the country’s 95 million people urging anyone who visited the popular coastal city of Danang in July to come forward, after a new wave of the virus spread to six cities and provinces in as many days, with 47 positive cases.Reuters reports that text messages were sent to all cellphones used by the country’s 95 million people urging anyone who visited the popular coastal city of Danang in July to come forward, after a new wave of the virus spread to six cities and provinces in as many days, with 47 positive cases.
Hanoi’s ruling body started the testing of some 21,063 residents who recently returned from Danang, a central holiday getaway that has been a big draw for domestic travellers since restrictions were eased.Hanoi’s ruling body started the testing of some 21,063 residents who recently returned from Danang, a central holiday getaway that has been a big draw for domestic travellers since restrictions were eased.
The southern commercial centre Ho Chi Minh City followed Hanoi on Thursday in shutting entertainment venues and banning gatherings after two people tested positive among 18,000 residents who were recently in Danang.The southern commercial centre Ho Chi Minh City followed Hanoi on Thursday in shutting entertainment venues and banning gatherings after two people tested positive among 18,000 residents who were recently in Danang.
The latest response is in line with a centralised quarantine programme and aggressive testing and contact-tracing system that saw Vietnam lauded for keeping its coronavirus tally to just 464 cases since late January, with no fatalities.The latest response is in line with a centralised quarantine programme and aggressive testing and contact-tracing system that saw Vietnam lauded for keeping its coronavirus tally to just 464 cases since late January, with no fatalities.
Hanoi moved fast to try to prevent a contagion, setting a deadline of Saturday to test anyone who visited Danang recently.Hanoi moved fast to try to prevent a contagion, setting a deadline of Saturday to test anyone who visited Danang recently.
“We have to use full force to test all 21,063 returnees,” city chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said. “All must be done in three days.”“We have to use full force to test all 21,063 returnees,” city chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said. “All must be done in three days.”
Danang has been inundated with visitors taking advantage of promotions to revitalise a tourism sector hurt by border closures and international flight bans designed to keep the virus out. The current surge is traced to Danang, but the source is unclear.Danang has been inundated with visitors taking advantage of promotions to revitalise a tourism sector hurt by border closures and international flight bans designed to keep the virus out. The current surge is traced to Danang, but the source is unclear.
One case, an American, showed symptoms as far back as mid-June, suggesting the virus may have quietly spread in Danang for several weeks.One case, an American, showed symptoms as far back as mid-June, suggesting the virus may have quietly spread in Danang for several weeks.
Some experts say Vietnam could be paying for complacency after stopping the spread, with normal service quickly resuming, face masks used less and domestic travel activity surging.Some experts say Vietnam could be paying for complacency after stopping the spread, with normal service quickly resuming, face masks used less and domestic travel activity surging.
Local scientists believe the coronavirus strain in Danang is more infectious than the strain found earlier in the country.Local scientists believe the coronavirus strain in Danang is more infectious than the strain found earlier in the country.
Clubbers in Portugal will have to wait a little longer to dance the night away, as nightclubs were given the green light to reopen from Saturday but with early closing and no dancefloors allowed.Clubbers in Portugal will have to wait a little longer to dance the night away, as nightclubs were given the green light to reopen from Saturday but with early closing and no dancefloors allowed.
The Portuguese government announced on Thursday that bars and nightclubs can reopen if they wish, but following the same rules applied to coffee shops and bakeries. They will have to shut by 8pm in the capital Lisbon and 1am elsewhere in the country.The Portuguese government announced on Thursday that bars and nightclubs can reopen if they wish, but following the same rules applied to coffee shops and bakeries. They will have to shut by 8pm in the capital Lisbon and 1am elsewhere in the country.
Nightclubs, which were forced to close doors in March when a lockdown to fight the coronavirus was imposed, can use the dancefloor space for tables where people can hang out and grab a bite - as long as social distancing is respected.Nightclubs, which were forced to close doors in March when a lockdown to fight the coronavirus was imposed, can use the dancefloor space for tables where people can hang out and grab a bite - as long as social distancing is respected.
“There is a possibility for establishments like bars to operate like bakeries or cafes,” the cabinet affairs minister Mariana Vieira da Silva told a news conference, saying there were still “no conditions” for the establishments to return to business as usual due to the high risk of contagion.“There is a possibility for establishments like bars to operate like bakeries or cafes,” the cabinet affairs minister Mariana Vieira da Silva told a news conference, saying there were still “no conditions” for the establishments to return to business as usual due to the high risk of contagion.
Worried about the future of the sector and the industry’s capacity to maintain jobs, business owners were not happy with the decision.Worried about the future of the sector and the industry’s capacity to maintain jobs, business owners were not happy with the decision.
“This cannot be true,” Hugo Cardoso, the president of an association representing nightclubs and bars nationwide, told radio station Renancenca. “A nightclub that closes at 8pm? A nightclub that closes before people arrive?”“This cannot be true,” Hugo Cardoso, the president of an association representing nightclubs and bars nationwide, told radio station Renancenca. “A nightclub that closes at 8pm? A nightclub that closes before people arrive?”
Antonio Fonseca, the president of a similar association in Porto, Portugal’s second biggest city, told Portuguese broadcaster RTP the government move was “ridiculous”Antonio Fonseca, the president of a similar association in Porto, Portugal’s second biggest city, told Portuguese broadcaster RTP the government move was “ridiculous”
Portugal initially won praise for its quick response to the pandemic, but a steady count of several hundred new cases per day in and around Lisbon in the past two months has worried authorities at home and abroad.Portugal initially won praise for its quick response to the pandemic, but a steady count of several hundred new cases per day in and around Lisbon in the past two months has worried authorities at home and abroad.
Authorities said the number of cases in the affected areas have dropped, leading the government to downgrade a state of “calamity” across a total of 19 civil parishes around Lisbon to a category of “contingency”, the same level as the rest of the city’s metropolitan area.Authorities said the number of cases in the affected areas have dropped, leading the government to downgrade a state of “calamity” across a total of 19 civil parishes around Lisbon to a category of “contingency”, the same level as the rest of the city’s metropolitan area.
Florida reported a record increase in new Covid-19 deaths for a third day in a row on Thursday, with 252 fatalities in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department.Florida reported a record increase in new Covid-19 deaths for a third day in a row on Thursday, with 252 fatalities in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department.
The state also reported 9,956 new cases, bringing its total infections to over 461,000, the second highest in the US behind California. Florida’s total death toll rose to 6,709, the eighth highest in the nation, according to a Reuters tally.The state also reported 9,956 new cases, bringing its total infections to over 461,000, the second highest in the US behind California. Florida’s total death toll rose to 6,709, the eighth highest in the nation, according to a Reuters tally.
Due to the surge in cases, the Miami-area school district, the nation’s fourth-largest district, said students would not return to classrooms when the new academic year begins in a few weeks.Due to the surge in cases, the Miami-area school district, the nation’s fourth-largest district, said students would not return to classrooms when the new academic year begins in a few weeks.
Florida was among six states on Wednesday that reported single-day records for coronavirus deaths. California, Idaho, North Carolina, Texas and South Dakota also had their biggest one-day increases in coronavirus fatalities since the pandemic started.Florida was among six states on Wednesday that reported single-day records for coronavirus deaths. California, Idaho, North Carolina, Texas and South Dakota also had their biggest one-day increases in coronavirus fatalities since the pandemic started.
California, Florida and Texas are the three most populous state and where about a quarter of all US residents live.California, Florida and Texas are the three most populous state and where about a quarter of all US residents live.
One person in the United States died about every minute from Covid-19 on Wednesday as the national death toll surpassed 150,000, the highest in the world. Deaths are rising at the fastest rate since early June.One person in the United States died about every minute from Covid-19 on Wednesday as the national death toll surpassed 150,000, the highest in the world. Deaths are rising at the fastest rate since early June.
Nationally, Covid-19 deaths have risen for three weeks in a row while the number of new cases week-over-week recently fell for the first time since June.Nationally, Covid-19 deaths have risen for three weeks in a row while the number of new cases week-over-week recently fell for the first time since June.
Libya’s internationally recognised government in Tripoli will impose a full lockdown in areas of the country it controls, it said on Thursday, after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.
Libya, split since 2014 between areas held by the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, managed to avoid an early surge of the pandemic.
However, the disease has been spreading more quickly this month and Libya’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), one of the few bodies that operates across the country despite the conflict, has confirmed 3,222 cases.
Libya’s health system is in tatters after nearly a decade of chaos and war that has fragmented the state, destroyed infrastructure and left many people living in crowded conditions after fleeing their homes.
The main outbreaks are focused in Tripoli, the port of Misrata and in the southern desert town of Sebha, according to the NCDC, though cases have also been confirmed in most other major population centres.
The lockdown will start on Friday and last for at least five days, forbidding all movement outside except to buy necessities, and replacing a partial 9pm to 6am curfew.
Friday will also be the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
Authorities in Benghazi, in eastern Libya, have also imposed restrictions on movement but, with fewer cases confirmed there, have not yet ordered a full lockdown.
That’s all from me Caroline Davies. Thank you for your time.
Japan recorded at least 1,274 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, reaching a record high for the second straight day, according to a report in The Japan Times.
Tokyo reported a record 367 new cases on Thursday as the metropolitan government asked restaurants and karaoke bars to limit their operating hours amid worries over the recent spike in infections across Japan.
Governor Yuriko Koike said the capital is considering issuing its own version of a state of emergency in the future depending on the number of cases in the coming days, the paper reported.
The metropolitan government has asked restaurants, karaoke bars and other stores to limit their operating hours to between 5am and 10pm from 3 August to 31 August to prevent further spread of the virus, Koike said. People in their 20s and 30s accounted for 64% of the cases.
Iceland is tightening restrictions after a surge in virus cases, following three months of gradual easing.
For the past week, 28 of the 31 new cases of Covid-19 identified in the North Atlantic island have been linked to internal transmissions in the country, AFP reports.
Five separate sources of contamination have been identified in the south-west, in particular in Akranes, about 50km from the capital Reykjavík.
The first hospitalisation since mid-May was also recorded on Wednesday.
“We have to react quickly,” the prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, said at a press conference.
The government has tightened assembly restrictions, bringing the limit down from 500 people to 100.
It has reinstated the mandatory two-metre social distance rule, which had been a recommendation since May 22, and for the first time made the wearing of masks compulsory on public transport, domestic flights, ferries and hairdressing salons where the two-metre rule cannot be respected.
All travellers must be tested on arrival to avoid quarantine but tourists visiting the island for 10 days or more will have to take a second test four to six days after their arrival.
These new measures come into effect this Friday at 12:00 GMT for at least two weeks.
Iceland, which introduced a mass testing policy, had returned to near-normal operation with the reopening of high schools, universities and hairdressers on May 4, followed gradually by swimming pools, gyms, bars and nightclubs.
Entry to the country for foreign tourists was reopened on June 15 to travellers from the Schengen area before being extended.
Iceland has recorded 10 deaths from 1,872 cases of Covid-19 since the start of the epidemic, of which 39 are currently active.
Sweden, whose controversial softer approach to curbing Covid-19 has received worldwide attention, said today it would keep encouraging people to work from home when possible, as the country passed 80,000 recorded cases, AFP reports.
The recommendation, which is directed at those “who have the possibility to work from home,” will remain in place until the New Year.
Aimed in part at reducing crowding on public transport, the measure is designed to make things easier for those who need to physically go to work.
The announcement came as officials noted several positive trends in Sweden, with falling numbers of new cases, especially serious cases in need of intensive care.
But the country’s Public Health Agency noted that “if our contacts go up again there is a considerable risk of a new spread during the autumn”.
Hi. This is Caroline Davies taking over the blog for a while. You can get in touch on caroline.davies@theguardian.com
The US economy suffered its worst quarter since the second world war as GDP shrunk by 32.9%, government figures revealed on Thursday, as more signs emerged of the coronavirus pandemic’s heavy toll on the country’s economy.
The fall came as large parts of the US economy shutdown in March in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus across the US. The closures led to a historic number of layoffs and sent unemployment soaring to levels unseen since the 1930s Great Depression.
My colleague Dominic Rushe’s full report is here:
And for more updates on the situation in the US, head over to our US coronavirus live blog:
The ruling African National Congress in South Africa is facing allegations of corruption and conflicts of interest linked to procurement of key medical supplies to fight Covid-19.
South Africa currently has 471,000 confirmed Covid infections, almost half those on the continent and one of the highest totals in the world. The disease has spread rapidly since the easing in early June of a strict lockdown, and now threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems.
The spokesperson for the president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has been forced to take a leave of absence after reports that her husband had won multimillion-dollar government deals for the procurement of personal protective equipment, and the most senior elected health official in Gauteng, the most populous and richest province, has been suspended for four weeks pending the result of an investigation into improper award of similar contracts.
David Makhura, the leader of Gauteng province, told journalists on Thursday that the allegations of graft “have profoundly eroded public confidence in the government ... and undermined the work done by or health workers in the fight against Covid-19.”
The ANC, in power since 1994, has struggled to maintain the goodwill of many South Africans during the pandemic.
In a recent televised address, Ramaphosa pledged a crackdown on any corruption linked to the fight against Covid-19, saying that he was concerned by “instances where funds are stolen, where they are misused, where goods are overpriced, where food parcels are diverted from needy households, where there is corruption and mismanagement of public funds.”
Many observers pointed out that there have been few investigations or convictions for corruption despite repeated allegations made against senior ANC officials for many years.
Germany’s hotel and restaurant federation (Dehoga) has said its members are concerned about their legal obligation to collect guests’ names and addresses so they can be traced in case of a coronavirus outbreak, accusing the police of frequently using the data for other unrelated reasons.
Dehoga’s president, Ingrid Hartges, has called the process “extremely sensitive” and called for clarity from lawmakers, saying that many of its members had been disturbed by what they saw as law enforcer’s misuse of the data.
Under measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus, pubs, restaurants and hotels in Germany are obliged to collect the names and contact details of all guests, so that they can be quickly traced, if it is suspected that someone infected with coronavirus has visited the establishment. The data is to be kept for a month before the establishment’s management is obliged to destroy it.
But a rising number of cases are coming to light of police requesting the contact data in order to pursue criminal prosecutions despite the fact that registration forms which guests fill in, carry the assurance that “data will only be used in case of a coronavirus infection”.
In a letter to its 65,000 members seen by the newspaper group Funke Mediengruppe, Dehoga has expressed its concern about the current situation, cautioning them to ensure that the data is not used for any purpose other than to pursue the virus. Hartges wrote that misuse of the data had the potential to “increase conflicts between patrons and guests”, particularly if guests became reluctant to give their details owing to frequent requests by the police to see the lists.
Elsewhere there are concerns about the lists’ general reliability, over increasing indications that many people are indeed filling out the forms incorrectly, or giving false names. A recent outbreak of the virus which was traced back to a bar in southern Berlin has led to 70 people being quarantined.
But 41 of the guests who were at Brauhaus Neulich on 16 July, gave incomplete or false contact details “meaning that to trace them is extremely difficult to impossible,” according to the health office in the Neukölln district. Eighteen people who visited the bar have been tested positive for the virus.
Whilst the health authorities insist that patrons are responsible for checking the information guests give is correct, Dehoga has said its members cannot be expected to check every guest’s identification against the data they volunteer.
Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, extended its “transitional” social restrictions on Thursday to curb coronavirus transmission, said its governor, as the Southeast Asian country reported 1,904 new infections, health ministry data showed.
The governor Anies Baswedan told a streamed briefing on Thursday evening that the large-scale social restrictions, which have seen schools closed and restaurants or public transportation operate at limited capacity, will be extended for the third time, to 13 August.
“Data shows that there is a hike in cases in Jakarta, and there has not been any improvement from two weeks ago to right now,” he said, adding that there had been clusters found in offices in the capital.
Jakarta, a city of 10 million, reported 397 new coronavirus cases, according to central government data, bringing the total of infections in the city to 20,969, the second largest in the Southeast Asian nation.
Indonesia has reported a total number of 106,336 coronavirus cases, the highest in East Asia. The number of deaths in Indonesia related to Covid-19 rose by 83 on Thursday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 5,058, also the biggest in the region.