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| Coronavirus global report: concern over German cases as holidays disrupt French testing | Coronavirus global report: concern over German cases as holidays disrupt French testing |
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| Spain orders town of 32,000 back into confinement; Poland records highest daily case number so far | Spain orders town of 32,000 back into confinement; Poland records highest daily case number so far |
| Germany has recorded its highest rate of infections in three months, France cannot keep up with demand for tests and Finland warned of an “extremely delicate” situation as Covid-19 case numbers continued to tick up across the continent. | Germany has recorded its highest rate of infections in three months, France cannot keep up with demand for tests and Finland warned of an “extremely delicate” situation as Covid-19 case numbers continued to tick up across the continent. |
| New cases in Germany rose above 1,000 for the first time since early May, with the national disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, on Thursday reporting 1,045 infections in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases to 8,700. | |
| The figure is still far short of the peak of more than 6,000 daily cases recorded in early April, but the health minister, Jens Spahn, said the accelerating pace was a cause for concern and that while authorities could cope, the trajectory was a worry. | The figure is still far short of the peak of more than 6,000 daily cases recorded in early April, but the health minister, Jens Spahn, said the accelerating pace was a cause for concern and that while authorities could cope, the trajectory was a worry. |
| “We’re not living in normal times,” Spahn said. “The pandemic is still there – it will continue to be there.” Many Germans had been lulled into “a deceptive feeling that it’s not all that bad”, he said, and had relaxed their behaviour accordingly. | “We’re not living in normal times,” Spahn said. “The pandemic is still there – it will continue to be there.” Many Germans had been lulled into “a deceptive feeling that it’s not all that bad”, he said, and had relaxed their behaviour accordingly. |
| He said people were “getting infected at family parties, at their place of work or at community facilities”. With school holidays coming to an end in some German states, concerns are also mounting that returning holidaymakers will bring home the virus. | He said people were “getting infected at family parties, at their place of work or at community facilities”. With school holidays coming to an end in some German states, concerns are also mounting that returning holidaymakers will bring home the virus. |
| From Saturday, travellers returning to Germany from high-risk regions – currently most countries outside Europe, as well as Luxembourg and northern Spain – will face mandatory coronavirus tests unless they can show a negative recent result. | From Saturday, travellers returning to Germany from high-risk regions – currently most countries outside Europe, as well as Luxembourg and northern Spain – will face mandatory coronavirus tests unless they can show a negative recent result. |
| If the infection rate continued to rise, Spahn said, schools and shops should remain open but tighter restrictions were likely on the size and type of gatherings permitted. “Freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility,” he said. | If the infection rate continued to rise, Spahn said, schools and shops should remain open but tighter restrictions were likely on the size and type of gatherings permitted. “Freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility,” he said. |
| In Spain, the northern region of Castilla y León ordered a town of 32,000 back into confinement for two weeks after 230 cases of the virus were detected, days after two smaller towns in the same region were returned to lockdown following outbreaks. | In Spain, the northern region of Castilla y León ordered a town of 32,000 back into confinement for two weeks after 230 cases of the virus were detected, days after two smaller towns in the same region were returned to lockdown following outbreaks. |
| The regional government of the Basque country, meanwhile, has said there is no longer any doubt that it is facing a second wave of the epidemic. | |
| Speaking on Thursday after 338 new cases were diagnosed in the region, the health minister, Nekane Murga, called for people to remain vigilant and warned them not to underestimate the virus. | |
| “There’s no reason to think the virus is now weaker or less deadly,” she said. “It has the same capacity to spread and infect people as it did in March. It’s infecting more people on a daily basis and it can kill.” | |
| Spain has recorded 33,965 new cases of the virus in the past two weeks, 1,772 of them between Tuesday and Wednesday. | |
| In France, meanwhile, experts said that with many staff on holiday, an already disorganised testing regime was struggling. | In France, meanwhile, experts said that with many staff on holiday, an already disorganised testing regime was struggling. |
| “The virus hasn’t disappeared at all ... Contamination is continuing and amplifying in some regions,” François Blanchecotte, the president of the Union of Medical Biologists, told the Associated Press. “We have to adapt the testing strategy.” | “The virus hasn’t disappeared at all ... Contamination is continuing and amplifying in some regions,” François Blanchecotte, the president of the Union of Medical Biologists, told the Associated Press. “We have to adapt the testing strategy.” |
| On Wednesday the country reported its biggest jump in daily confirmed cases since 30 May, with 1,695 positive diagnoses. | |
| Blanchecotte said tests should be organised at beach resorts or tourist sites rather than just in laboratories, and criticised a government campaign to test 1.5 million Parisians just as dozens of facilities were shutting down for holidays. | Blanchecotte said tests should be organised at beach resorts or tourist sites rather than just in laboratories, and criticised a government campaign to test 1.5 million Parisians just as dozens of facilities were shutting down for holidays. |
| The French government now says it can test up to 700,000 people a week and hit a record high of 581,000 tests over the past week, but the number of new positive cases is growing twice as fast as the growth in test rates, the national health agency said. | The French government now says it can test up to 700,000 people a week and hit a record high of 581,000 tests over the past week, but the number of new positive cases is growing twice as fast as the growth in test rates, the national health agency said. |
| The strategic director of Finland’s health ministry, Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, said on Thursday that the virus was accelerating, with the R number, or reproduction rate, rising to between 1.1 and 1.4, and localised lockdown measures, plus a recommendation to wear face masks, likely to be announced in an “autumn roadmap” next week. | |
| Most of the springtime lockdown restrictions have been lifted in Finland, which has reported 7,512 infections and 331 Covid-19 deaths so far. Large indoor and outdoor gatherings are permitted, restaurants and bars are open as normal and children are due to return to class next week after the summer holidays. | Most of the springtime lockdown restrictions have been lifted in Finland, which has reported 7,512 infections and 331 Covid-19 deaths so far. Large indoor and outdoor gatherings are permitted, restaurants and bars are open as normal and children are due to return to class next week after the summer holidays. |
| “The situation is extremely delicate,” Voipio-Pulkki said. “Some sort of second stage has begun. Whether we can expect a smaller wave or a larger wave depends on how we respond.” | “The situation is extremely delicate,” Voipio-Pulkki said. “Some sort of second stage has begun. Whether we can expect a smaller wave or a larger wave depends on how we respond.” |
| Poland said on Thursday it would re-impose compulsory face masks in all public spaces in nine areas as the number of infections also hit a new record. The restrictions, also affecting sports and cultural events in those areas, mainly in the south and east, will come into force from Saturday. | Poland said on Thursday it would re-impose compulsory face masks in all public spaces in nine areas as the number of infections also hit a new record. The restrictions, also affecting sports and cultural events in those areas, mainly in the south and east, will come into force from Saturday. |
| Face masks are currently obligatory in Poland in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport, but not outdoors. | |
| “We need to wake up a bit,” said the health minister, Łukasz Szumowski, adding that the country as a whole should be vigilant because of the increase. The ministry reported 726 new cases on Thursday, the highest daily number recorded so far. | “We need to wake up a bit,” said the health minister, Łukasz Szumowski, adding that the country as a whole should be vigilant because of the increase. The ministry reported 726 new cases on Thursday, the highest daily number recorded so far. |
| Outside Europe, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said 10 countries accounted for 80% of coronavirus testing in Africa, indicating that in many countries across the continent little testing was taking place. | |
| Covid-19 confirmed cases across Africa have accelerated and are close to hitting a million this week, and experts say low levels of testing in many countries means infection rates are likely to be higher than reported. | Covid-19 confirmed cases across Africa have accelerated and are close to hitting a million this week, and experts say low levels of testing in many countries means infection rates are likely to be higher than reported. |
| In East Asia, the Philippines also recorded a jump of 3,561 new cases, to overtake neighbouring Indonesia as the country with the highest number of confirmed infections in the region: nearly 120,000. | |
| The coronavirus has infected more than 18.8 million people, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, and killed nearly 709,000 people around the world. The highest numbers of deaths have been recorded in the US, Brazil, Mexico, the UK and India. | The coronavirus has infected more than 18.8 million people, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, and killed nearly 709,000 people around the world. The highest numbers of deaths have been recorded in the US, Brazil, Mexico, the UK and India. |