UK to announce mandatory 14-day visitor quarantine

The coronavirus has infected more than 3.9 million people and has killed more than 270,000, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University based on official data.

Here are the latest pandemic updates from around the world:

United Kingdom

The British government is reported to announce a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travelers to Britain as part of measures aimed at preventing a second peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Times says British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make the announcement in a speech to the nation on Sunday.

Under the measures, which are expected to be implemented in June, all passengers arriving at airports and ports must provide an address where they will immediately isolate themselves for 14 days.

The document reports that “authorities will carry out random checks,” with penalties for those who do not comply with the rules, including “fines of up to £ 1,000” and deportation.

A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry told PA: “We do not comment on leaks. The goal remains to stay home to protect the NHS and save lives. “

The aviation industry is asking the government to reveal details of the proposal amid concerns that the measures could have serious repercussions for the travel and tourism sectors.

“We need to see the details of what they are proposing,” he said in a statement to BBC Airlines UK, which represents British Airways, EasyJet and other UK-based airlines.

Responding to earlier speculation that a mandatory quarantine would be part of the government’s coronavirus measures, Airlines UK issued a statement saying the proposal “would effectively kill international travel to and from the United Kingdom and cause immeasurable harm to the airline industry. aviation and the UK economy in general. “

He added: “No one will go on vacation if they cannot resume normal life for 14 days, and business travel would be severely restricted.

“It will also make it almost impossible for aviation to resume soon, further delaying the UK economic recovery.”

United States

A day after the White House confirmed that US President Donald Trump’s personal valet had tested positive for the virus, Trump told reporters that Katie Miller, press secretary to US Vice President Mike Pence, had also been infected. She is married to Stephen Miller, Trump’s chief aide and immigration policy politician, and frequently travels with Pence. Consecutive diagnoses of people close to Trump, Pence, and the inner circle of the White House raised questions about whether the highest levels of government are adequately protected against infection. “We have taken every precaution to protect the president,” White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters.

According to a Reuters count, more than 77,000 Americans died from Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, of more than 1.29 million confirmed cases. Older people and people with underlying chronic diseases have been the most vulnerable. But New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reported Friday the death of a 5-year-old boy from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be related to the coronavirus, highlighting a possible new pandemic risk for children. .

Italy

Italy has become the second European country to record more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths.

The Health Ministry recorded 243 deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of people who died in the country to 30,201.

Italy was the first country in Europe with a major Covid-19 outbreak.

Authorities said many more are likely to have died of the infection at home or in nursing homes without being diagnosed.

With 1,327 more cases reported in the 24-hour period ending Friday night, Italy now has 217,185 confirmed coronavirus infections. About 11,000 more people have recovered from the disease who are currently positive for the infection.

Lombardy in the north remains the worst affected region, accounting for almost half of the latest cases recorded on Friday.

Health and government authorities are concerned that the partial relaxation earlier in the week of some closure measures, such as the reopening of public parks and gardens, could see an increase in cases if people ignore social distancing rules.

Spain

Spain’s health minister said the government will relax restrictions on the movement of just over half the country’s population next week.

Salvador Illa said that the areas that have met the objectives to alleviate a national closure of almost two months represent 51 percent of the 47 million Spaniards.

Starting Monday, locations that qualify for the next phase of gradual relaxation of restrictions will be able to reopen outdoor seating areas for smaller restaurants and bars, with 50 percent of their available seating capacity.

Social gatherings of up to 10 people, family gatherings, open-air markets, religious services and museum openings will also be allowed, albeit with some limitations.

The Madrid region, which leads Spain with more than 64,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and most of Catalonia, with more than 51,000, did not qualify for the partial lifting of restrictions.

Spain has reported 26,299 deaths from Covid-19 and 260,177 confirmed cases.

South Korea

Authorities reported 18 new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours, including 12 in the capital Seoul, as health workers rush to trace contacts after detecting a large number of transmissions linked to club attendees.

Figures released by the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday raised national totals to 10,840 cases and 256 deaths.

Most of the new cases are believed to likely be related to nightclubs in Seoul’s Itaewon Entertainment District, which suddenly stopped on Friday night after reports of the broadcasts.

Authorities said they detected at least 15 infections related to a 29-year-old man who visited three clubs last Saturday before testing positive on Wednesday.

The infections raised concerns about a wider spread of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area, where about half of South Korea’s 51 million people live.

Germany

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased from 1,251 to 168,551, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose from 147 to 7,369, according to the count.

The Bundesliga season will restart on May 16, the German Football League (DFL) said, making it the first European league to resume in the middle of the

coronavirus epidemic. The DFL said the season would resume under strict health protocols, with no fans allowed at stadiums and various games, including the Ruhr Valley derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, which will take place on the day of the relaunch. – PA / Reuters