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Access to a coronavirus vaccine must be fair and universal, the European Commission said.
This is after a large French pharmaceutical company caused controversy, suggesting that if it does get it, it will probably reserve it first for the United States.
On the other hand, in Europe, due to isolation measures, the borders between the Schengen countries have also been closed.
“The darkest winter in modern history could follow”, said a US health official, heard in Congress Thursday night.
In essence, his testimony stated that the Trump administration was unprepared for this crisis. To date, more than 1.4 million people in the United States have been infected with coronavirus, and more than 86,000 have died.
UPDATE 13:40 – Slovenia declares the end of the epidemic and opens borders
Slovenia has declared the end of the COVID-19 epidemic on its territory and has reopened its borders, even if some preventive measures remain in place, AFP reported Friday.
“Today Slovenia has the best clinical situation in Europe, allowing us to end the epidemic” declared in the country on March 12, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Thursday.
Slovenia’s borders will be reopened for all EU citizens, while other countries will have to be quarantined.
Slovenia, a country with 2 million inhabitants bordering Italy, Croatia and Austria, has registered a total of 1,500 contaminations and 103 deaths from COVID-19, with few new contaminations in recent days.
Some restrictions will remain, such as banning public gatherings, wearing a mask, and complying with social distancing rules.
Earlier this week, the Slovenian government announced the lifting of most restrictions starting next week, including the reopening of shopping centers and hotels with fewer than 30 beds.
According to Slovenian public radio, by declaring the end of the epidemic, the state is avoiding the automatic extension, until the end of June, of a set of economic support measures voted to help the population and businesses. Therefore, these measures will end in late May.
UPDATE 13:30 – Bonuses of 500 and 1500 euros for hospital staff.
Hospital staff in France will be rewarded with bonuses of between 500 and 1,500 euros for their efforts during the coronavirus epidemic, the decree on the matter will be published on Friday in the Official Gazette, reports AFP.
All hospital staff members will receive 500 euros, and those who worked in the areas most affected by the epidemic or in institutions where they were hospitalized with COVID-19 will receive 1,500 euros.
This “exceptional premium”, which is not subject to tax, will be granted to those who “have effectively performed their duties” in public health institutions, “between March 1 and April 30, 2020,” states the decree. .
The first was announced in late March by the head of state, Emmanuel Macron, after declaring that France was “at war with an invisible enemy.”
However, its concession remained on hold until the decree appeared, initially announced for early May and which was the subject of intense discussions.
The total budgetary effort for these premiums will be 1,300 million euros, according to the French Ministry of Health.
UPDATE 8:10 – About 1,800 dead in 24 hours in the United States
For the second day in a row, the United States recorded a total of about 1,800 deaths related to the new coronavirus in 24 hours on Thursday, according to the number continuously displayed by the American Johns Hopkins University, AFP notes.
As of 8:30 p.m. Thursday, 1,754 deaths from COVID-19 had been reported in 24 hours.
The United States is the saddest country in the world with a total of 85,813 deaths out of 1,417,350 confirmed cases.
UPDATE 8:00 – More and more Americans are volunteering for clinical trials of vaccines.
Meanwhile, several coronavirus vaccines continue to be developed. And more and more Americans are volunteering for clinical trials. A 20-year-old man from New York donated a kidney last summer, and he is now ready to be tested for the vaccine.
Abie Rohrig, volunteer: “Like the front-line nurses and doctors, I want to take the risk, and that means overcoming this situation, us as a nation and all of humanity.”
We are advancing in an unknown land, warn specialists.
Dr. Robert Charles Read, University of Southampton: “This case is different, we cannot quantify the risk to the volunteers. And when we agree with them, we have to tell them that we do not know exactly what will happen to them.”
UPDATE 7:40 – Five Sailors on USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Test Positive Again
Five sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt were evacuated from the ship after they tested positive again, despite two weeks of isolation on the island of Guam, a US official announced Thursday, AFP said.
The five sailors tested positive for the first time when the crew of the galloping COVID-19 pandemic was evacuated in March on the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.
They were quarantined and considered cured after the tests were negative twice.
Like most of the crew, they returned to the ship preparing to go to sea, but the symptoms reappeared and were tested again.
About 20 sailors they had contact with were also evacuated.
UPDATE 7:30 – What happens in a city divided between two countries: Holland and Belgium.
How strange the situation has become, can be seen in a city divided between two countries, the Netherlands and Belgium.
The European Union is asking for coordination to open its borders. But the pandemic has complicated things everywhere, especially since countries have taken different measures to face this crisis like no other.
The border between the Netherlands and Belgium passes right in the middle of a city. Before, the border was just a line drawn on foot. But everything has become strange due to the health crisis.
Nic Robertson, CNN correspondent: “Belgium is there, and the Netherlands is here. The border crosses this city right in the middle of the road. But the restrictions due to the virus have led to unprecedented situations. Because in Belgium, the severity was greater than in the Netherlands” .
Nic Robertson, CNN correspondent: “Here, the border goes directly through this store. Let’s go in …”
The owner, an artist, Sylvia Reijbroek, is delighted with the special status between two countries. But not the differences between the isolation conditions. Technically, his store is in Belgium …
Sylvia Reijbroek: “The problem is that the law says that the store can only be opened to Belgian citizens.”
Nic Robertson: “Therefore, it can only be sold to Belgian citizens. Because you are in Belgium.
Sylvia Reijbroek: “It is a very strange law to ask people where they are from. Boycott my clients who pay my bills.”
In the Dutch part of the city, the strange situation can be seen in the market.
Nic Robertson: “Normally, there are many people from Belgium who come to this market to buy their cheese.
merchant: “Yes, about 20-30 percent. But now there is no Belgian. The border is closed, so …
The city is caught in the middle of this situation.
The Dutch neighbor says that the inhabitants of the city asked the local authorities, but also the European Union, to clarify the situation.
In this unprecedented crisis of World War II, we can see how quickly a basis for the European project, the space for free movement, can be annulled.
UPDATE 7:20 – French pharmaceutical company wants to prioritize United States over vaccine
Even a possible vaccine against Covid causes disputes and suspicions. A large French pharmaceutical company has announced that if it gets an effective vaccine, the United States will probably have priority.
“We have a partnership with them to share the risks of serum research.” – Said the general manager of the company, who hints that money could dictate everything.
UPDATE 7:10 – The condition of Putin’s spokesman, infected with coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Russia has seen more than 250,000 cases of infection and 2,300 deaths from Covid.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave a terrifying description of how the disease manifests in his case.
He called the virus “the absolute vampire that dries his blood.” Peskov said that the immune system becomes overactive and consumes the lungs.
Peskov is hospitalized in Moscow, as is his wife, who also suffers from Covid.
UPDATE 7:00 – France will require quarantine of people coming from Spain
France intends to apply quarantine measures to people who come from Spain, in response to those decided by Madrid and target anyone who comes from abroad, the French presidency said, the AFP reported on Thursday.
“France will impose this 14-day quarantine from the moment that Spain does so, based on a principle of reciprocity.” The French presidency explained, without stating a specific date, which is still the subject of bilateral negotiations.
But these kinds of restrictions’‘does not represent desire’ ‘ France, stressed the Paris authorities.
Spain, which has just started a very cautious relaxation, announced on Tuesday that it will strictly limit entry to its territory and impose quarantine measures to prevent new cases of coronavirus infection.
