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A possible second wave of coronavirus infections has begun to emerge in several countries that have eased their blockades, putting governments around the world in danger as they plot to reopen their severely dented economies.
In China, where the virus has been largely controlled, a cluster of new cases emerged in the central city of Wuhan over the weekend, marking its highest increase since March 11. A 76-day blockade of the city, where the first coronavirus occurred, cases were detected late last year, had been lifted only a month ago.
Another local nest of infections was reported in the north-eastern city of Shulan, near the border with North Korea, representing 17 new infections in China in one day.
South Korea, which has been praised as a global model on how to curb the virus, saw 35 new infections, the most in more than a month, powered by a group in a Seoul nightlife district that emerged just as the country eased their socialization. distancing restrictions.
The capital, as well as neighboring Gyeonggi province and the nearby city of Incheon, closed all clubs and bars over the weekend.
Despite the new outbreak, the director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jeong Eun-kyeong, argued that it was inappropriate to call it a second wave.
“The epidemic is ongoing,” he said.
In Germany, new cases grew again after restrictions were quickly loosened across the country, and each sick person now infects more than one person.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has been under increasing pressure from local leaders to restart social life and revive the economy. Authorities are also dealing with a growing number of large anti-blockade protests in some cities.
In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday established a “cautious roadmap” for the country to return to work, including advice on the use of homemade face coatings, although his efforts to lift the shutdown have been criticized for the lack of clarity that has caused considerable confusion
“Our challenge now is to find a way forward that preserves our hard-earned earnings while easing the burden of the blockade,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is an extremely difficult balance.”
The government has issued a 51-page plan detailing how it would ease restrictions, including rules that now limit people to meet with only one person outside of their home.
Johnson is among workers who fear it is not yet safe to resume work, and members of his party calling for a faster end to restrictions to control damage to the British economy.
Researchers at Imperial College London warned that the country’s death toll, which has already exceeded 32,000, could exceed 100,000 if the restrictions are loosened too quickly.
These warnings come amid a cautious disregard for some of the stricter measures that have been in place in Singapore since April 22, when companies such as pastry shops, barber shops, and traditional Chinese medicine salons were ordered to shut down to contain the spread of Covid-19.
These companies are allowed to reopen today if they follow strict guidelines and restrictions, such as using a digital registration system called SafeEntry to record all entrances and exits, including those of employees and visitors, for tracking digital contacts.
Safe distancing measures are also mandatory in these businesses, as the number of cases in Singapore remains high despite low community size and dormitory work permit holders still make up the majority of Covid-19 cases.
The Singapore Ministry of Health yesterday announced 486 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total count to 23,787.
The sharp drop in new cases came after the Ministry of Health’s decision to suspend testing in a laboratory that had recorded several “false positive” results.
In a set of laboratory results, none of the 33 people who initially tested positive had Covid-19.
Meanwhile, a 68-year-old man became the 21st person here to die of Covid-19 related complications.
REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
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