Czech govt to tighten curbs from tomorrow
PRAGUE • The Czech government will tighten coronavirus measures from tomorrow to curb soaring infections and hospitalisations but will seek to avoid the kind of blanket lockdown imposed in the spring, government officials said on Sunday.
The nation of 10.7 million people recorded Europe's fastest rate of growth in new cases per capita in recent weeks after the authorities eased most restrictions during the summer following a tough lockdown at the start of the pandemic.
Steps under consideration include further curbs on outdoor gatherings, more limits on opening hours for restaurants and restrictions on alcohol sales.
So far this month, the Czech Republic has reported more than 43,000 cases, the same number as for the whole of last month. The number of hospitalised patients jumped by 76 per cent to 2,085 in the past week, raising concerns that hospitals may soon be overwhelmed.
REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
Italy set to limit people at weddings, funerals
ROME • Italy is set to ban private parties and limit the numbers of guests at weddings and funerals among new restrictions aimed at curbing a surge in coronavirus infections, according to a draft decree seen by Reuters.
The decree, which could be issued by today, prohibits people from hosting more than 10 guests in their homes or in any other private premises. It also states that no more than 10 guests will be allowed at weddings, and no more than 15 people can be present at funerals.
Italy last Friday topped 5,000 new Covid-19 cases in a single day for the first time since March. Daily infections remained above 5,000 on both Saturday and Sunday. Deaths linked to Covid-19 are far fewer, normally below 30, compared with peaks above 900 per day around the end of March.
REUTERS
France may have to reimpose lockdowns
PARIS • French authorities could be forced to impose new lockdowns in a bid to contain another surge in coronavirus cases that is putting a strain on hospitals, Prime Minister Jean Castex warned yesterday. "If over the next two weeks we see the epidemic indicators worsen, if intensive care beds fill up even more than we expect, we will indeed take additional measures," he said on France Info radio.
Asked about the chances of new stay-at-home orders and business closures specifically, he said that "nothing can be ruled out". But he added "it should be possible" to avoid a nationwide lockdown like the two-month one at the height of the outbreak in the spring.
The national health agency reported a record of nearly 27,000 new daily virus cases last Saturday, and more than 16,000 on Sunday, with the overall death toll now standing at 32,730.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Iran reports daily record of 272 deaths
DUBAI • Iran registered a daily record of 272 deaths from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said yesterday, taking total fatalities to 28,816 in the worst-hit country in the Middle East. A ministry spokesman said 4,206 new cases were identified in the past 24 hours, with the total number of identified cases spiking to 504,281.
Mask-wearing became mandatory in public in the capital Teheran last Saturday.
REUTERS
