Germany: From May 1st, only voluntary shortened isolation should apply
According to the German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, from May 1st, only a shortened and voluntary isolation of corona infected people will apply in Germany.
Infected and contact persons should only isolate themselves for five days – and not by order of the health authorities, but on the “urgent recommendation”. Only employees in the healthcare sector and in old people’s and nursing homes will have to be isolated for at least five days in the future if they become infected with the corona virus.
Moscow resumes air traffic with 52 “friendly” countries
After months of corona restrictions, Russia has announced the resumption of air traffic with 52 countries. “From April 9, we will suspend the restrictions to combat corona, which extended to scheduled and charter flights between Russia and a number of other countries,” said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The relief affects countries that Moscow classifies as “friendly”. Around half of the 52 countries mentioned are from Asia. In addition, the corona restrictions are also no longer applicable for many countries in Latin America and Africa, while in Europe air traffic is only to be allowed again with Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of Moldova.
However, the lifting of the corona restrictions does not always mean that air traffic will actually start in the country in question, since Russian aircraft would then have to fly through the airspace of countries that they have blocked for Moscow because of the Russian attack on Ukraine. In addition, the Kremlin must also fear that leased aircraft abroad will continue to be confiscated.
Slovakia relaxes corona entry regulations
Anyone entering Slovakia no longer has to register online in advance from Wednesday. As Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky announced, the quarantine requirement for unvaccinated travelers and some other regulations introduced because of the corona pandemic will then no longer apply.
This includes, for example, the obligation to wear an FFP2 mask outdoors if a distance of two meters from people outside the household cannot be guaranteed. FFP2 masks remain mandatory on public transport, inside public buildings and at mass events outdoors.
According to the health authorities in Bratislava, the reason for the easing is the falling number of new infections and hospital treatment of patients because of Covid-19.
Shanghai remains in lockdown after mass testing
The Chinese financial metropolis of Shanghai remains in lockdown for the time being after unprecedented corona mass tests of its 26 million inhabitants. “The city will continue to implement the lockdown and control management and strictly apply the ‘stay at home’ principle,” said the city administration via the WeChat messenger service.
Exceptions only apply to medical treatments. The results of the tests would now be evaluated, as the health authorities announced.
Soldiers and medical professionals are helping to thoroughly test the country’s largest city after a record rise in corona infections. The People’s Liberation Army dispatched more than 2,000 medical workers from the army, navy and logistics, an armed forces newspaper reported. Shanghai, meanwhile, has turned several hospitals, gymnasiums, apartment blocks and other facilities into central quarantine centers.
Lithuania relaxes mask requirement
In Lithuania, masks no longer have to be worn indoors since Monday. Clinics and care facilities as well as public transport are excluded from the regulation – masks are still compulsory there. The government in Vilnius also recommends wearing a mask voluntarily.
According to Health Minister Arunas Dulkys, the decision is based on the epidemiological situation and the easing of pressure on the healthcare system. With 902 corona cases, Lithuania recorded the lowest number of new infections since December. The isolation period for people infected with the corona virus has also been reduced to five days.
Before Lithuania, the other two Baltic states had already abolished the mask requirement in large parts of public life: in Latvia it ended at the beginning of the month, in Estonia on Sunday. In addition, most of the corona measures in the three countries were lifted.
Successful start to the year for Swiss hoteliers
In February 2022, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) counted 2.8 million overnight stays. That is 41 percent or around 828,000 more than in the same months last year. Overnight stays had already increased significantly in the previous months of January (+71%), December (+64%) and November (+95%). The Swiss hoteliers can thus look back on a successful start to the year.
In February 2022, too, the return of foreign guests was primarily responsible for the increase in overnight stays. The number of overnight stays booked by foreigners tripled to 993,000 in the reporting month. But domestic guests are also supporting the hotel industry and booked 9.7 percent more overnight stays in February than a year ago.
Germany: Compromise proposal presented for compulsory vaccination
A group of members of the Bundestag has presented a compromise proposal on general vaccination. From October 3rd, vaccinations will be mandatory for people over 50 years of age. At the beginning of September, the Bundestag should also decide whether vaccination should also be compulsory for 18 to 49 year olds.
It is also important to create a vaccination register, said Green politician Till Steffen. This is primarily aimed at the Union. The proposal is presented by a group of deputies from the traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP. These include Dagmar Schmidt, Heike Baehrens and Dirk Wiese from the SPD, Till Steffen and Janosch Dahmen from the Greens, and Katrin Helling-Plahr and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the FDP.
The Bundestag is to decide on the vaccination requirement on Thursday. So far, none of the drafts has a majority.
British airlines are canceling flights because of corona-positive staff
British airlines have canceled dozens of flights due to corona outbreaks in the workforce. On Monday alone, around 100 connections were affected on the Easyjet low-cost line, including 62 from the United Kingdom, the BBC reported. “As a result of the currently high rates of Covid infections across Europe, Easyjet, like all companies, is experiencing an above-average level of sick leave among employees,” the company said. At British Airways, around 90 flights were affected. Numerous passengers complained about short-term cancellations on social networks.
Corona infections also caused problems at the airports themselves at the start of the English Easter holidays. Because security staff were absent and more people were traveling because the corona rules were lifted, long queues formed at several British airports.
Legend:
Passengers queue for security in the departures area of Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport on April 4th.
Reuters
Sweden opens second booster for people aged 65 and over
Sweden will give a fourth corona vaccination for people aged 65 and over to strengthen their immune system, the health authority announced. “For people aged 65 and over, it has been four months since the last vaccination and the protective effect of the vaccine decreases over time,” the health authority said in a statement.
Sweden had previously offered a fourth vaccination for people aged 80 and over. In early March, Sweden lifted almost all restrictions. It is difficult to estimate the spread of the virus in Sweden as large-scale corona tests have been discontinued. But the number of patients requiring intensive care is the lowest in 18 months.
Legend:
People wait for the corona vaccination in Stockholm in a nightclub that has been converted into a mass vaccination center.
Archive / Reuters
London police impose more Partygate fines
London police have imposed further fines for a lockdown party in Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral. The fines of £50 each were sent by email, the BBC reported. The ceremony on April 16, 2021 marked the farewell of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Director of Communications, James Slack.
Johnson was not present and therefore received no punishment. However, he had to publicly apologize to Queen Elizabeth II. Because the queen sat separately from family members in the church at the funeral service for her husband on April 17, 2021 because of the corona measures. When it became known that a party had taken place in Downing Street the night before despite the contact restrictions in place, there was great outrage.
Johnson was present at several events where the police are still investigating. It is therefore not impossible that a fine will also be imposed on him.
Accelerated testing procedure for Roche’s Covid-19 therapy
The US health authority FDA has granted an accelerated review procedure (“Priority Review”) for the Covid-19 therapy Actemra/RoActemra from the pharmaceutical company Roche for an application for approval. Roche said it was about the intravenous treatment of hospitalized adult corona patients with the drug.
If approved, Actemra/RoActemra would be the first immunomodulator approved in the United States for the treatment of corona patients in hospitals, according to Roche. In June, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for the treatment based on the results of four studies involving over 5,500 patients.
Roche expects a decision on the accelerated FDA review that has now been granted in the second half of 2022. The drug is currently approved in 16 countries worldwide for the treatment of patients with severe or critical Covid-19 infection. In addition, the therapy has been approved for years for the treatment of adult patients with moderately severe to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Shanghai is testing the whole city
Shanghai has ordered all 26 million residents to undergo two more rounds of testing for Covid-19. After residents tested themselves using antigen kits on Sunday and reported any positive results, nucleic acid tests are now being conducted across the city this Monday.
“The main task is to completely eliminate risk points and break the chain of transmission so that we can contain the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible,” said Wu Qianyu, an inspector with the city health commission. The entire Chinese financial hub of Shanghai is essentially on lockdown.
On Sunday, China registered the highest daily level since February 2020 with 13,287 new corona cases. Most infections are currently occurring in the northeastern province of Jilin and in the financial metropolis of Shanghai.
The most important thing of the last few hours
Good morning, we welcome you to a new live ticker about the latest on the corona pandemic. These are the most important messages of the last few hours:
- According to a calculation by the Reuters news agency, more than 488.94 million people worldwide have been infected with Covid-19. Roughly speaking, around 6 percent of the world population has been shown to have the corona virus.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach have once again spoken out in favor of compulsory vaccination.
- China reported 13,287 daily coronavirus infections on Sunday, the highest number of new infections recorded since February 2020.
The live ticker with the reports of the last few days can be found here.