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Here is a summary of the latest news in response to the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, May 8.
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Confirmed cases worldwide: 4,181,077
Confirmed deaths: 283,868
Recoveries / confirmed downloads: 1,493,416.
In Wales, another 12 people have died with coronavirus, bringing the total to 1,111.
Are now 11, 344 confirmed cases of Covid-19, Public Health Wales said Sunday, after 223 More people tested positive for the virus.
Across the country, 2,017 The tests have been carried out in the last 24 hours.
Prime Minister’s ‘road map’ to England announced
Boris Johnson has announced relief from the coronavirus blockade in England.
Johnson’s announcement follows the measures announced in Wales by Prime Minister Mark Drakeford on Friday.
The detail in the Prime Minister’s announcement of the closing rules only affects England, but his broad strategy, which involves paying people not to work without permission, affects Wales.
Johnson’s timetable for ending the blockade in England, therefore, has a great influence on what the Chancellor does to end the permit and what the Welsh Government can do with its own blocking rules.
Johnson said a new alert system is being established to monitor the threat that Covid-19 represents.
He said that now was not the time to end the blockade, and urged people to work from home whenever possible. And he said the UK government “will not hesitate to stop” if there are more outbreaks of the virus.
However, he said he wanted to encourage people in England to do as much exercise outdoors as possible, as long as they followed the rules of social distancing.
“Minor” changes made in Wales as of today
People will be able to exercise more than once a day and garden centers will reopen in Wales starting today.
Prime Minister Mark Drakeford announced on Friday that the country’s blockade restrictions would continue for another three weeks, but three minor adjustments could be made.
This includes allowing people to exercise more than once a day, but must do so locally, as exercise does not involve any significant travel.
Garden centers can reopen if social distancing rules can be followed.
Local authorities can also begin planning how to safely reopen libraries and municipal recycling centers.
Speaking on Sunday, Drakeford said the “stay home” message had not changed in Wales, despite the UK Government issuing a new catchphrase: “stay vigilant, control the virus, save lives.”
Do not travel to Wales to issue an exercise warning
The Welsh government has warned that people in England cannot travel to Wales to exercise.
Attorney General and Senedd member Jeremy Miles made the important clarification after Boris Johnson’s speech that softened the closing rules in England on Sunday night.
Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said those in England can now do “unlimited exercise”, including allowing people to drive to different places with members of the same household.
But Mr Miles said those traveling across the Welsh border could be fined by the police.
Speaking to BBC Wales, he said: “I want to be very clear about this. The position in Wales is very different from the position in England in relation to that.”
“Our regulations do not allow people to get into their cars and drive to destinations in Wales, and this includes people to get in their cars in England.
“We are not allowing that in Wales.”
Police ask for ‘clear’ information
Boris Johnson’s laid-back blocking guide still risks being a set of “loose rules that are left open to interpretation” and is difficult to implement, a police group said.
John Apter, National President of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “What we need from the Prime Minister and the Government now is a clear and unambiguous message and guidance, explaining what exactly is expected of the public, so that my colleagues can do their best to keep an eye on you.
(Image: PA)
“Police officers will continue to do their best, but their work should be based on clear guidance, not loose rules that are left open to interpretation, because that will be very unfair to officers whose job is already challenging.”
Apter noted that Johnson’s statement came after a week of “mixed messages and the release of certain information that, fueled by media speculation, meant that many people acted as if the blockade had already ended.”
The Police Federation awaits further details on the government’s guidance when Mr. Johnson updates Parliament on Monday.
This may also include details about an increase in fines, mentioned by Johnson, for people who break the rules of social distancing. He said the public is encouraged to spend more time outdoors to exercise starting Wednesday.
Union leaders have attacked the Prime Minister’s speech about easing the blockade, accusing him of sending mixed messages that could have “lethal” consequences.
Unions attack ‘mixed messages’
Unions have been urging the government for weeks to make sure workplaces are safe, with plenty of personal protective equipment (PPE), before the closure is eased.
John Philips, GMB’s acting secretary general, said: “More conflicting messages from the government, saying the shutdown is endless, but asking everyone to get back to work.”
“If ministers want the economy to move again, we need strict rules on hygiene and social distancing, enough PPE for everyone, and regulations that employers cannot ignore if they feel like it.”
“The general message is contradictory and confusing, when what people really need is clarity.”
The rail, maritime and transport union (RMT) advised its members not to work if they felt insecure, saying the government was moving away from the message of staying home, which would unleash a surge in passengers on the railways and tubes. starting tomorrow, violating social distancing measures with “potentially lethal consequences” for staff and the public.
National newspapers divided by reaction
National newspapers have reacted to the prime minister’s speech to the nation.
The Sun is frustrated by what it sees as the Prime Minister’s failure to be bolder in easing coronavirus restrictions.
Under the headline: “The blockade has been a terrible mistake,” columnist Trevor Kavanagh describes Boris Johnson’s message as “weak” to stay alert, control the virus, save lives.
“This is a prime minister paralyzed by indecision,” he writes, “kicking himself for unforced errors, terrified of being blamed for each new death.”
The leader of the Daily Telegraph is more understanding. “The blockade cannot go on forever,” he says, “and all the prime minister is urging people to do is use their common sense.”
But it also suggests that Johnson could have gone further, perhaps by lifting restrictions in parts of the UK least affected by Covid-19.
The Western Mail said “a clear message is now so important.”
Confusion about travel plans.
A quarantine imposed on people flying to the UK will add to the confusion of Britons trying to discover their future travel plans, a group of consumers warned.
The Prime Minister has said that “soon will be the time” to start a quarantine period to prevent Covid-19 infection from abroad.
The situation has been described as “chaotic”, with calls for the government to establish a plan to support the travel industry during the crisis.
Addressing the nation on Sunday night, Boris Johnson said: “To prevent reinfection from abroad, I am notifying that the time will soon be, with significantly less transmission, to impose quarantine on people entering this country by airway”.
“And it is because of your efforts to reduce R and the number of infections here that this measure will now be effective.”
Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed that the quarantine measures would not apply between France and the United Kingdom “at this stage,” according to a joint statement.
Downing Street released the statement after the couple spoke on Sunday.
Johnson did not mention sea arrivals, and was not clear whether it would include passengers on internal UK flights or flights from the Republic of Ireland.
Travel expert Simon Calder described the travel advice after the announcement as “puzzling.”
Friends and family in England can meet
Couples and friends living in different homes will be able to meet in parks in England for the first time in nearly eight weeks, under new closing rules.
In a significant change, a government official said that as long as a two-meter distance is maintained, people will be able to sunbathe or converse with someone else from a different home.
It means that couples, friends and family who have been separated for almost two months can finally meet in person, as long as they keep the proper distance from each other.
The new measure, effective as of Wednesday, was initially unclear, as Boris Johnson indicated in his speech that sunbathing could only be done with members of the same household.
He said, “You can sit in the sun at your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports, but only with members of your own home.”
But a government official confirmed Sunday night that as long as they are two meters away, people will be able to sunbathe or converse with someone from another home.
South Korea faces new spread linked to nightclubs
South Korea, the country that has been most successful in controlling the spread of coronavirus cases, faces a growing group of cases linked to nightclubs in the capital Seoul.
The Asian nation has only seen a small number of cases, mainly in people arriving from abroad. However, he has now found a number of cases linked to nightclubs.
“These places have all the dangerous conditions that we were most concerned about,” said a senior public health official.
“We believe there is a need to strengthen the management of such facilities and we urge you to refrain from visiting such facilities as much as possible.”
Doctors fear second wave of coronavirus
A prominent critical care physician in Newport said people who break the blocking restrictions are at risk of triggering a second wave of more deadly coronavirus.
Dr. David Hepburn, who works in the intensive care unit at Royal Gwent Hospital, tweeted on Saturday after media reports over the weekend of the busy VE Day street parties taking place across the Kingdom Joined, including a massive conga on a street.
He wrote on Twitter: “I just saw the conga lines / street parties in the news. The nation has lost its mind. We are looking for a second salary. I am so, so tired and so angry. We have had a few days off and it was starting to feel hopeful. I can’t believe I was so naive. “
He added: “Do it for all of us in hospitals, nursing homes, surgeries for GPs. Do it for all shields, for your next-door neighbor, your strange great-aunt, that grumpy old man who lives on the corner. Do it for your partner who has type 2 diabetes, and do it yourself. “
Speaking to WalesOnline, Dr. Hepburn, who returned to work last month after contracting the virus, said he had spoken to colleagues at other health boards in Wales who had reported an increase in the number of people attending E&E with head injuries and other injuries.
He said those who did not follow the rules were doing so, since they did not believe that the virus would infect them and because there was not enough fear of being punished.
Currently, the police can issue fines of £ 60, reduced to £ 30 if paid within two weeks, for breach of the blockade.
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United States Vice President Mike Pence isolates himself
United States Vice President Mike Pence self-isolates after an assistant tested positive for coronavirus last week.
An administration official said Pence was voluntarily limiting his exposure to other people.
It has repeatedly been negative for Covid-19 since its exposure, but follows the advice of medical officials.
“Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine,” spokesman Devin O’Malley said.
“Also, Vice President Pence has tested negative every day and plans to be in the White House tomorrow.”
Pence’s decision comes after three members of the White House coronavirus task force were quarantined after contacting the aide, Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller said.
Disneyland China reopens its doors
Visitors wearing facial masks entered Shanghai Disneyland when China’s most prominent theme park reopened on Monday in a new step toward reducing coronavirus controls that shut down the country’s economy.
The park, which closed on January 25, will limit the number of visitors and keep some attractions closed according to social distancing guidelines, company executives said.
The reopening joins efforts by businesses and the ruling Communist Party to revive the world’s second-largest economy after a shutdown that triggered its worst depression since at least the 1960s.
“We hope that today’s reopening will serve as a beacon of light around the world, providing hope and inspiration for all,” Shanghai Disney Resort President Joe Schott told reporters.
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