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The cat suffers from coronavirus
French researchers have identified coronavirus infection in a cat. The Parisian pet was having difficulty breathing and digesting, French media reported on Saturday. The national veterinary school in Alfort, near Paris, announced that around 10 animals had been tested for the Sars-CoV-2. The cat lived with a person suffering from Covid-19.
The veterinary school advised people who have Covid-19 to avoid close contact with their cat. People should wear a mask and wash their hands before petting the animal.
There is no evidence that the virus spreads from pets to humans or other animals, the veterinary school said. Therefore, cases of sick animals are rare; So far there have been cases in Belgium, Hong Kong, or the United States.
US researchers: more than 65,000 crown deaths in the United States
3:40 p.m. – In the United States, scientists say more than 65,000 people have been killed by the virus since the crown pandemic began. This is based on current data from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The number of confirmed infections in the United States was more than 1.1 million, about a third of the more than 3.3 million cases worldwide.
United States President Donald Trump said on April 17 that his government expected between 60,000 and 65,000 deaths as a result of the coronavirus epidemic in the United States. This threshold has now been exceeded. Previous models that the White House had unveiled had predicted at least 100,000 deaths in the United States.
The EU delivers protective masks to Italy, Spain and Croatia
3:35 pm: The EU is making progress in building a strategic reserve of protective equipment in the Corona crisis and is supplying an additional 330,000 FFP2 masks to Spain, Italy and Croatia. EU crisis commissioner Janez Lenarcic announced this on Saturday. Germany and Romania were the first EU countries to agree to stock the common shares.
As protective clothing and masks became scarce and expensive in March, the EU Commission announced the creation of a strategic reserve for all EU countries. The EU finances the purchase in its entirety, but the individual member states assume the purchase and storage. Stocks are taken where they are needed most.
Reproductive numbers of Corona in Sweden fell below 1.0
3.30 p.m .: The pandemic in Sweden disappears: Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell confirmed in an interview with the SVT station that the so-called number of reproductions has been below 1.0 for several days. This means that one Swede infected with the new corona virus infects less than another Swede on average. “That means the pandemic will gradually fade away,” said Tegnell.
A compilation by the Swedish health authority shows that the reproductive rate in the country has remained relatively stable at around 1.0 since April 10. As of April 1, it was still 1.40, on April 25, the last value posted so far, after a decline of several days, it was only 0.85.
Sweden is taking an internationally recognized special route in the fight against the crown crisis. Compared to most other countries, the Scandinavian country has responded to the pandemic with more relaxed measures, kindergartens, schools and other facilities have never been closed. Rather, the government appeals to public common sense to keep its distance and curb the spread of the crown.
However, compared to the rest of Scandinavia, Swedes have a relatively large number of infections and deaths: as of Saturday morning, there had been more than 22,000 infections and more than 2,650 deaths from Covid disease 19.
Spain plans 16 billion euros in reconstruction funds
3:15 pm.: The Spanish government plans to approve a reconstruction fund of 16 billion euros to help regional authorities deal with the social and economic damage caused by the coronavirus, said the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. He also announced that the mask discipline would apply to public transportation starting Monday.
Japan wants to test the antiviral drug Remdesivir at high speed
2:44 p.m.: Japan will accelerate a review by US pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Remedesivir, remedesivir, so that it can be approved as soon as possible for domestic patients with COVID-19, Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said Saturday.
On Friday alone, Remdesivir received emergency approval for COVID-19 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“I heard that Gilead Sciences (in Japan) will apply for approval within a few days,” Kato told reporters. “I issued an instruction, so we will be ready to approve it in about a week.”
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that he tends to extend Japan’s state of emergency by one month, which will expire on May 6. Japan has confirmed nearly 15,000 infections and 517 deaths from COVID-19, according to an NHK count. After falls in Tokyo had slowed significantly since mid-April, they rose again on Friday and Saturday.
The Greens launch the party’s first digital convention
2:31 pm: The Greens have launched the game’s first digital conference in Germany. At the center of the so-called country council, which corresponds to a small party congress, are the crown pandemic and its consequences. In the main motion of the board, which is supposed to vote about 100 delegates at the beginning of the night, says that the costs of the crisis should be shared fairly and that there should be no division of society.
Initially, Federal Director General Michael Kellner encouraged critical analysis of crisis policy and necessary action. “Corona is an exceptional situation.” That is precisely why thought and speech should not stop, “he said.
The country council is carried out entirely on the Internet. The speeches will either be broadcast live or recorded as a video. In addition to the party’s two leaders, Habeck and Annalena Baerbock, group leaders Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Anton Hofreiter will speak. Among other things, former EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is expected to be a guest speaker.
Shops, museums and zoos open in Saarland
02.02 p.m .: All stores in Saarland can reopen on Monday, regardless of size and range. Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) announced on Saturday in Saarbrücken. This would remove the previously applicable rule that only stores with a sales area of up to 800 square meters can be opened. It is now crucial, in accordance with hygiene standards, that only one customer is allowed for every 20 square meters of total space.
The Cabinet also decided on Saturday that, starting Monday, museums, zoos, animal and leisure parks, as well as outdoor playgrounds may also open subject to conditions. Hairdressers, beauticians and educational institutions can also catch up again, Hans said. In addition, at the end of the month an openness concept should be developed with the catering sector. The announced relaxation followed the Bund-Länder change on Thursday.
Long lines in front of Austrian stores.
1.45 p.m .: In Austria, the largest stores can open for the first time in weeks. Austrian media reports on long lines in front of shopping malls, fashion chains, furniture stores and sporting goods stores. Two small stores were allowed to reopen two and a half weeks ago. Restaurants and hotels should gradually reopen from mid-May.
EU warns of restrictions on press freedom
1:37 PM: The European Union has harshly criticized the media obstacles in the crown crisis. “It is very worrying that the Covid 19 pandemic is being used in some countries as an excuse to impose illegal restrictions on press freedom,” said a statement made by Foreign Minister Josep Borrell on Saturday on behalf of the 27 EU countries. .
Press Freedom Day takes place on Sunday. The value of free reports is being remembered around the world. The organization recently warned Reporters Without Borders of new restrictions on the crisis, including allegations against China. Also in the EU country, Hungary, critics fear tightening sanctions over so-called fake news about free reports.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Borrell, emphasized that the crisis shows how important the work of journalists is. In times of uncertainty, access to reliable and verified information is essential without undue influence. “Journalists must be able to work freely,” he continues. Press freedom is the cornerstone of democratic societies.
Business associations demand relief for EU data protection requirements
1:29 pm: In view of the adverse effects of the crown crisis, several business associations are demanding relief from the EU’s data protection requirements. “Unclear regulations and over-regulation affect our companies ‘freedom of action and are counterproductive,” said the managing director of the Federation of German Employers’ Associations, Steffen Kampeter, the “Handelsblatt”. The Secretary General of the Central German Crafts Association, Holger Schwannecke, said that in times of crisis, disproportionate and unreliable bureaucracy requirements made it even more difficult for companies.
Saxony-Anhalt eases contact restrictions
1:14 p.m.: Saxony-Anhalt relaxes contact restrictions that have been in place for six weeks. As of Monday, five people can travel together, even if they don’t live in a home, as the state government decided Saturday. Until now, you were only allowed to escort someone out of the house.
Airports demand operating costs
12.28 p. M .: Most airports remain open, although hardly any planes arrive, now German airports require extensive government assistance. “If we keep airports open in the interest of Germany, we will demand that our operation and maintenance costs be offset by the state,” said managing director of the ADV airports association Ralph Beisel, the news portal “t-online .of”. Otherwise, some locations might not last long. “That would be fatal for logistics in the crown crisis.” The ADV estimates the cost of maintaining all German airports at around 170 million euros per month.
Beisel re-emphasized that capital intensive airports have so far not had access to liquidity aid through the KfW State Bank, because in the vast majority of cases they are publicly owned. As announced by the head of the Federal Ministry of Transport “t-online.de”, the authority is currently developing a framework through which airports can receive state aid. Airports would lose 500 million euros in sales each month.
More than 1.5 million coronavirus infections in Europe
12:24 p.m .: The number of coronavirus infections in Europe has increased to more than 1.5 million. Thus, Europe accounts for almost half of the almost 3.4 million cases of infection worldwide, according to a count by the AFP news agency based on information from the authorities on Saturday. Europe remains the most affected continent with 1,506,853 cases of infection and 140,260 deaths. 3,350,224 cases of infection and 238,334 deaths have been recorded worldwide.
More than 150,000 infections have been reported in five European countries: Spain (215,216 cases and 24,824 deaths), Italy (207,428 cases and 28,236 deaths), Great Britain (177,454 cases and 27,510 deaths), France (167,346 cases and 24,594 deaths) and Germany (161,703 cases and 6,575 deaths). In Russia, where 124,054 cases and 1,222 deaths have been recorded, the daily increase is currently higher.
Experts assume that the officially confirmed figures represent only a fraction of the actual cases of infection, as testing capabilities are also limited in many European countries.
More evidence is ongoing after the Corona case on the Tui ship
08.12: After a positive corona test aboard the “Mein Schiff 3” cruise ship in Cuxhaven, further tests of the crew members are underway. The ship, which was used as a kind of collective transporter for nearly 3,000 employees of the Tui fleet, has been quarantined. According to a spokeswoman for the shipping company on Saturday, results are expected in the afternoon.
The “Mein Schiff 3” has been uninvited since Tuesday, but with 2,899 crew members on board, in Cuxhaven, Tui Cruises had announced the day before. Since the ports were closed due to the crown crisis, the shipping company organized the trip back to their home countries for their employees. The number of people who were now evaluated, the spokeswoman did not provide information on Saturday. But the contact persons of the person in question have been identified.
Merz calls for better business planning options
11:42 am: CDU politician Friedrich Merz calls for companies to have more planning options in the crown crisis. “You have to open up a business perspective,” says Merz, who is applying to become president of CDU, the Zeit Online news portal. One has to tell the catering sector, for example, that it can reopen on this and that date under this or that condition if the situation remains stable until then.
At the same time, it advocates better “expectations management” in politics. “The state simply has to admit and say: We cannot help everyone in this crisis.”
More than 25,000 crown deaths in Spain
11:37: The number of coronavirus deaths in Spain increased to 25,100 on Saturday after 276 people died at night, the Spanish Health Ministry said.
The total number of infected people increased from 215,216 to 216,582 since Friday. Spain has one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world, but it has peaked and the blockade is gradually easing.
Merkel: eight billion euros are missing for the development of the corona vaccine
11:31: Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for international cooperation in the search for drugs and vaccines to contain crown infections. “Today, it is estimated that eight billion euros are still missing for the development of a vaccine,” the foreign minister said Saturday in her weekly video (podcast). He watched the donor conference on May 4, to which he invited the EU Commission. Germany will make a “significant financial contribution”, which it does not yet want to name.
Commenting on the consequences of the pandemic, Merkel said: “We know that it is causing serious damage to our economic, social and social life everywhere. That is why we have to work hard and with great concentration to contain and defeat this virus by attacking one develop vaccine. ” This is one of the noblest tasks to save millions of lives.
Record growth of new infections in Russia
11:27 a.m .: According to the authorities, the number of infections in Russia increases by 9623 to 124,054. This is the largest increase in the country within 24 hours to date. Toteln’s number increases from 57 to 1222.
Habeck: car bonuses only for ecologically exemplary vehicles
11:18 am: In light of premium demands for new car purchases due to the crown crisis, the head of the Greens, Robert Habeck, has formulated the conditions for this. The state should support environmentally friendly vehicles, Habeck said in Deutschlandfunk on Saturday. Furthermore, the bonds and dividends of the companies involved would have to be withheld in case of government financing.
“On the one hand, the auto industry boasts of how well it is doing, what profits it has made,” Habeck also expressed general skepticism about the need for help. “On the other hand, she wants taxpayer money to save her companies. That doesn’t go hand in hand.”
Aid to the auto industry will be discussed Tuesday at an auto summit between the companies and the federal government.
Popular sport is concerned about a wave of people leaving the country
11:15 a.m .: sticky cash registers, endangered livelihoods and no gathering of active people – German mass sport is suffering greatly from the crown crisis. But state sports association presidents are also concerned about long-term volunteering and the future of the club system, according to a survey.
Hesse LSB President Rolf Müller described: “If the sports program is to be suspended for much of this year, some members will consider leaving at the end of the year, simply because they also have less in their pockets. It is important to avoid this,” writes the Hesse LSB President Rolf Müller.
Due to the pandemic, all mass sports are currently suspended. Especially for fans of contact sports like soccer, basketball, or handball, getting back to normal on time could be difficult, and could be time consuming.
Lack of social contacts and lack of movement in society are some of the serious short-term consequences; In the long term, the structures in the numerous sports clubs could also be tested. Not all sports clubs are affected equally. Associations that are largely financed through their membership fees have less difficulty in the short term. In equestrian sport, for example, financial problems are already making themselves felt more clearly.
Hairdresser closure: one in seven reached the scissors
10.55 a.m. – Hairdressers in Germany were forced to close for six weeks, every seventh German citizen cut his hair during this time (14 percent). This was the result of a survey conducted by the YouGov opinion research institute on behalf of the German Press Agency. Another 11 percent sought help and had someone else’s hair cut. Most of the time it went well, only three percent of the third-party edition ended as a disaster (“very unsatisfied”).
On the other hand, more than half (58 percent) said, “I have let my hair grow, but I still wear the same hairstyle.” 11 percent report that they had grown their hair but were combing, styling, or tying it differently now than before the Corona period.
These people can have their new hair professionally trimmed again from May 4. However, according to the survey, around half of Germans are concerned about hygiene and the risk of infection in the salon. 25 percent have “minor concerns” but still want to go, as the YouGov polling institute determined on behalf of the German Press Agency. Another 13 percent of respondents want to go to the salon despite “big” or “big concerns” (8 or 5 percent). 11 percent, on the other hand, definitely want to keep their distance due to the corona virus: “I have great concerns and therefore would not go to the hairdresser at the moment.”
Masks make communication difficult for deaf people
10:49: Impossible lip reading: Because mouth-nose masks cover the lips, many deaf and hard of hearing people cannot recognize that someone is addressing them and reading what has been said about the lips.
Firstly, masks with viewing windows should fix the problem, but the viewing window fogs up when used, as one test showed, says Sonja Grünwald, from the specialist service for the hearing impaired in Rhineland-Palatinate. Some have now started wearing transparent visors. But these would strongly reflect light and many would find wearing visors uncomfortable.
Deaf people not only needed the image of the mouth towards people who do not speak sign language, but also along with the use of sign language, Grünwald explained. Because “a gesture is defined by the position and movement of the hand, facial expressions and the image of the mouth.” It is an additional problem for deaf people that this is now being covered.
Furthermore, communication is currently severely restricted by distance rules and contact restrictions. Close physical contact and touch are an important and natural part of the exchange between and with the deaf, said deaf Katja Krüger of Landesverein Beratung und Integration for the hearing impaired in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Survey: youth were the biggest hamster buyers
10.15 a.m. – According to a survey, especially young people hit medicines, food and hygiene items in the crown crisis. This is demonstrated by a study by market researcher Nielsen on behalf of the Federal Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (BAH), for which around 1,000 people were interviewed in mid-April.
According to this, 43 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 stated that they had bought medicines in excess of the quantity obtained in normal times. In those aged 30 to 39, it was 34 percent. In contrast, only 15 percent of people ages 50 to 59 and 9 percent of people age 60 and older have tampered with medications. As a result, the elderly were well below the 23 percent average.
It wasn’t just for medications that younger people in particular bought in stock. About twice as many young people invested in food, soap, or toilet paper as older people. Large homes with a high level of education are particularly harassed, it is often the parents who have created supplies for their children. Low-income households were reluctant to do so.
Robert Koch Institute: new figures on the crown epidemic
10:42 a.m.: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin reported 161,703 people infected with the coronavirus in Germany on Saturday, an increase of 945 from the previous day. Johns Hopkins University (JHU), based in the US city of Baltimore, reported 164,077 infected people. The RKI, which only takes into account the electronically transmitted figures from the federal states and updates its list once a day, has recorded 6,575 deaths so far, the deaths of JHU 6,736. The number of people recovered was approximately 129,000.
According to RKI estimates, the number of views as of Friday remained at 0.79. This means that ten infected people infect about seven to nine more people. According to the RKI, around 129,000 people in Germany survived the infection. As for other countries, experts also expect a large number of unreported cases in Germany.
According to federal state statistics, Bavaria has a particularly high number of registered infections with more than 42,900 cases and at least 1,886 deaths, North Rhine-Westphalia with more than 33,000 cases and at least 1,261 deaths, and Baden-Württemberg with more than 32 100 confirmed cases and at least 1403 deaths.
The crisis of the Crown hits the driving clubs particularly hard: “An alternative would be battles”
9:38 am: The corona virus pandemic is particularly harsh for equestrian clubs in German popular sports. Unlike many other clubs, where gaming stops, spending remains high, several presidents of regional sports associations reported. “Several riding clubs, for example, are already losing € 12,000 each. They needed the money to feed the animals. The alternative would be the killing. The situation is particularly dramatic,” said Andreas Vroom, president of the State Sports Association. in Bremen.
“Unlike balls or a balance beam, they also have to eat during suspension from the sports business, regularly to grass or farrier,” said the president of the Hesse State Sports Federation, Rolf Müller. These costs “could not currently be adequately covered by revenue.” Due to the crown crisis, all mass sport stopped in mid-March.
The Chinese city of Harbin is fighting new infections
9:49 am: In China, Heilongjiang Province is struggling against the resurgence of the epidemic. While the restrictions are loosening in the remaining parts of the country, the provincial capital Harbin, with 10 million inhabitants, is stepping up its measures. There, restaurants are no longer temporarily allowed to serve meals indoors, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV, citing an order from authorities. The province borders Russia. Many of the infections found in Heilongjiang were brought from there. Therefore, the provincial government already imposed certain entry bans.
More young gray seals near the shore
9:29 am: Fewer tourists, less shipping: Young gray seals appear more and more on the German Baltic Sea coast this year. Endangered animals seem to benefit from the calm at sea and on the coasts provided by the crown crisis.
“There are a lot of them on Lanugo’s skin, the baby’s white skin,” said Linda Westphal, a seal researcher at the German Maritime Museum in Stralsund. Animals are less disturbed at sea because there is significantly less shipping traffic. And they arrive at the almost deserted coasts.
According to Westphal, young animals were reported mainly around the Greifswalder Bodden, on the south-east coast of Rügen, in the Strelasund estuary and near Greifswald. The island is the most widely used berth on the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Gray seals are protected in Germany and are considered highly endangered. The last gray seal was officially killed in Germany 100 years ago. With more than 38,000 animals, marine mammals have now reached approximately half of the 19th century population of approximately 80,000 to 100,000.
India forces all workers to use tracking app
9:23 am: In India, all public and private sector employees must use a crown tracking app. The Interior Ministry announces this order. The application, which was developed by the authorities, is intended to warn users if they can come into contact with people who were later diagnosed with Covid-19 or who are strongly suspected of this disease. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is beginning to loosen restrictions on public life in certain areas. Applying is one of the augmented control measures flanking relaxation.
Organizations demand 100 euros of emergency aid for the poor.
9:20 am: The crown crisis particularly affects the poor, that is why the beneficiaries of social security benefits should receive 100 euros more per month, demand the main representatives of unions and social organizations in the crown crisis. Because they need more money for basic food, protective clothing, hygiene and communication, and less support, low-income people are in increasing need, according to a joint call published Saturday by the association Der Paritätische.
Millions of Hartz IV and Basic Old Age Security recipients lived on inadequate support services even before Corona, according to information in a letter attached to Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD). The situation had worsened dramatically for them with the crown crisis.
Therefore, the call is supported by the main representatives, including DGB, Arbeiterwohlfahrt, Diakonie, VdK and SOVD, Tafeln and Attac.
The White House blocks Fauci’s hearing in the US House of Representatives. USA
7:55 am: The White House blocks a hearing scheduled by the leading adviser and immunologist of the United States government, Anthony Fauci, about the crisis of the crown in the United States House of Representatives. Deputy White House spokesman Judd Deere said Friday night (local time) that it was “counterproductive” to have people working on anti-virus measures present in congressional hearings. These could be heard “in due course”.
