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With South Africa reporting another 1,573 new positive Covid-19 cases on Sunday night, various events globally could indicate that current Level 1 lockdown restrictions may face a tightening in the coming weeks or months.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced that the total number of confirmed infections is now 681,289 and recoveries 614,781.
The total official number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country is about to exceed the 17,000 mark, as the minister confirmed another 38 deaths. The official figure now stands at 16,976.
However, as South Africans enjoy more freedom as summer approaches, countries in the northern hemisphere are apparently experiencing what some experts call the “new” seasonal resurgence of the coronavirus.
Despite US President Donald Trump making headlines over the weekend for being hospitalized with Covid-19, some major metropolitan areas are either returning to lockdown or preparing to do so.
This as infection rates increase as Europe and America move from fall to winter.
New York ‘closure’
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday he planned to re-close nine neighborhoods as Covid-19 cases surge in parts of the city, which had largely controlled the pandemic after a catastrophic outbreak.
“Today, unfortunately, is not a day of celebration,” de Blasio said, announcing that he would ask to close non-essential businesses and all schools in nine Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods.
The proposal, which must be approved by state governor Andrew Cuomo, marks a major setback for the city since it was hit hard by the coronavirus in March. The city has lost nearly 24,000 people to the virus.
Paris maximum alert
Paris was bracing on Sunday to be under high coronavirus alert as alarming Covid-19 infection figures appeared to leave the French government with no choice but to tighten restrictions in and around the capital.
Paris’ signature bars and cafes are threatened with complete closure on Monday after Health Minister Olivier Veran announced that only an improvement in Covid-19 infection rates could prevent such a step.
If recent trends were confirmed, “we will have no other choice,” he warned Thursday, saying the new restrictions would mean “no more family gatherings, no more nights out and a total closure of bars.”
But a clemency seems unlikely after France reported 16,972 new coronavirus cases on Saturday alone, the highest daily number since the country began conducting widespread testing.
Madrid is also preparing for the closing
The Spanish capital, Madrid, also woke up on Saturday with a partial blockade that isolated it from the rest of the country.
The new restrictions, which went into effect at 10:00 p.m. on Friday and also apply to nine other nearby cities where infection rates are high, will mean that people will only be able to leave their area for work, school and medical reasons. or legal.
Other global developments:
The new coronavirus has killed at least 1,034,396 people since it emerged in China last December, according to a count from official sources compiled by AFP on Sunday.
At least 34,989,300 cases of coronavirus have been recorded. Of these, at least 24,127,400 are now considered recovered.
Japan’s most famous fashion designer, Kenzo Takada, founder of global brand Kenzo, died in Paris after contracting Covid-19, his spokesman says.
Takada, the first Japanese designer to gain prominence on the highly competitive Paris fashion scene, was 81 years old.
Tens of thousands of worshipers flood the holy city of Karbala in Iraq, including many foreigners despite the pandemic, for the Shiite Muslim pilgrimage to Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
The Iraqi government has allowed 1,500 pilgrims to the event per country. More than 375,000 Iraqis have contracted the coronavirus and nearly 9,500 have died.
Iceland, so far one of the countries that has fared best in the face of the coronavirus, announces a tightening of restrictions after a rebound in new cases since the middle of last month.
Starting Monday, most sports venues, bars and clubs will be closed, while meetings will be limited to a maximum of 20 people.
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