Sunday 19 April 2020
Defeating COVID-19 is like trying to master a jigsaw with millions of pieces, they are all there but it’ll take time, dedication, focus and commitment to look beyond the next single piece and imagine what comes further down the line.
Here’s a ´starter for 10´, could lifting restrictions too soon be a bit like saying “the parachute has slowed us down, let’s ditch the parachute”? That’s a real though provoker for the weekend.
Globally, governing bodies are faced with momentous and life changing decisions that will go down in history as either victorious or disastrous. Let’s hope that wherever we are, we are on the victorious team.
Yesterday, I reported on some of the European countries who have announced the easing of restrictive measure, today is the turn of the others.
Spain, the second country in Europe with the most deaths, authorised a partial return to the workplace as of Tuesday, focusing on sectors such as construction and industry. Ten million masks have been distributed by the authorities to be made available to passengers at metro and train stations and at bus stops. In confinement since March 14, extended at least until April 25, Spain banned all non-essential economic activities on March 30. The phase of lifting the confinement is expected to begin in two weeks time and will be “very progressive” said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez last Sunday.
The plan, still in preparation, announced in early April, involves isolating infected people and launching a study to determine the percentage of the infected population and how many people are immunised. Spain, with about 46.9 million inhabitants, has reported 191,726 confirmed cases and 20,043 people have lost their lives as a result of COVID-19
Finland. Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced on Wednesday the lifting of what is described as “the sanitary fence” imposed on March 28 on the capital, Helsinki, the main focus of the virus in the country, maintaining restrictions on the rest of the territory. Schools, high schools and universities will remain closed and gatherings of more than 10 people remain prohibited. Finland, with 5.5 million inhabitants, has registered 3,369 cases of infection and 75 deaths since January 29.
Denmark started, on Wednesday, the gradual reopening of schools, starting with nurseries and primary schools, which will be followed on May 10 by the next levels of education. The final exams of the secondary schools will not be carried out, achievements will be awarded depending on the classifications of students on continuous assessment. Restaurants, cafes, bars, hairdressers, massage parlours, shopping centres and nightclubs remain closed and gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited. Churches, libraries and sports venues will remain closed until at least May 10. Denmark, with a population of 5.8 million, has 6,879 cases and 321 deaths at the time of writing.
Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced a progressive easing of restrictions beginning on April 20, after Health Minister Bent Hoie announced that the epidemic is “under control” in the country. From April 20, daycare centres reopen and the ban on travel to holiday homes at weekends is lifted. Also, from April 20, the offices of activities such as physiotherapy or psychology may reopen.
In a second stage, beginning on April 27, school establishments, including universities, will partially function again, as well as hairdressers, massage clinics and dermatological treatments. The ban on cultural and sporting events, the closing of borders, quarantine and self-isolation measures, teleworking whenever possible, and the closure of restaurants, cafes and bars remain in force. With a population of around 5.4 million, Norway has reported 6,791 cases and 136 deaths, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures.
Lithuania announced this week the reopening of commercial establishments that have a direct exit to the street, giving priority to repair shops, laundries and shoemakers, with a limited number of customers inside and provided that each customer is not in the store more than 20 minutes. Shopping centres, gyms, sports clubs, restaurants and bars remain closed, as defined when the general confinement was decreed in the country on March 16. Schools and universities are not expected to reopen before September. Lithuania, with 2.8 million inhabitants, has 1,149 cases of infection and 32 deaths, according to official figures available at the time of writing.
Czech Republic Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek announced on April 7 the lifting of the mandatory use of 
a mask for people who practice cycling, running or other outdoor sports activities. People no longer have the obligation to wear a mask, imposed in March to all people circulating in public spaces. On April 20, craftsmen’s shops, farmers’ markets and car dealerships are allowed to reopen. The five-stage plan of reopening shops and other facilities will not enter the final stage until June 8.
Small weddings and outdoor training activities of professional athletes and players of team sports will be permitted but under strict sanitary measures. Borders remain closed, but the ban on travelling abroad was partially lifted on Tuesday, April 14, business trips were allowed together with those for health reasons or visits to family members, provided that travelers adhere to 14 days of quarantine after returning to the country. Concentrations of more than 10 people are still prohibited. The Czech Republic, with 10.65 million inhabitants, has reported 6,433 cases of infection, 169 of which were fatal.
Slovenia. Large Slovenian companies, closed since mid-March, were allowed to resume activity on Tuesday April 14. From that day on, they were also able to reopen car workshops, construction sites and hardware and appliance stores. The Slovenian Government announced “soon” the lifting of restrictions on movement and assembly. With 2 million inhabitants, Slovenia registered 1,268 cases of coronavirus and 61 people have lost their lives. Now, we watch and wait to see if those thrown away parachutes were successful enough.
Elsewhere, a study in the US has emerged which found that the number of people infected with COVID-19 could be as much as 85 times higher than previously thought. Research from Stanford University, published on Friday, tested samples from 3,330 people in Santa Clara California and found the virus to be 50 – 85 times more common than official figures indicate.
Cases of coronavirus have also been reported among staff at more than 50 of Amazon’s US warehouses, some workers have walked out amid concerns and officials have called on the buildings to be shut down. Mr Trump has been accused of endorsing civil disobedience by calling for certain states to be ´liberated´. Thousands of people are preparing to attend protests against the “stay at home” orders. The protests are backed by wealthy conservative groups apparently promoted by the President.
Figures released from the UK report that of those hospitalised suffering from COVID-19, 15,464 people have died. This is an increase of 888 on the previous 24 hours. I admit to a sharp intake of breath as that hit my live news feed.
Stay safe, stay home and save lives, the parachute will only tolerate a certain amount of pressure before it breaks.
Positive news to end on………..more than half a million people worldwide have recovered from COVID-19. Three donkeys went for a wander through the deserted streets of Beaulieu Hampshire. Staff at New York Presbyterian Hospital sing and dance to “Don’t Stop Believin” when COVID-19 patients are discharged. In Australia, giant pumpkin growers have vowed to continue their focus on next season despite the coronavirus restrictions. Garry Smith and Dale Oliver grow Atlantic Giant pumpkins which can weigh up to 740kg! (1,630lbs)
Louise Birch.
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Saturday 18 April 2020
Lions lying on the road in Kruger National Park, or maybe lionesses wandering onto the local golf course for a swift 18 before enjoying a drink at the 19th hole with the local hyenas, sights not normally seen but the wildlife are taking advantage of the quiet and venturing into places they’d normally avoid. The temptation to start singing “the lions sleep tonight” is only a whim away!
New Zealand has recorded its lowest ever number of new infections with 8 people found to be infected after conducting 4,241 tests in a single day, including one random testing station set up outside a supermarket in the resort town of Queenstown. Just 4 days remain of what is described as a level four lockdown, the Prime Minister is set to announce the next move on Monday.
Indonesia has reported 407 new cases taking the total confirmed to 5,923. It has now surpassed The Philippines as the country with the highest number of infections in South-East Asia. The government in Indonesia has been accused of failing to act quickly after initially playing down the threat of the virus.
Russia has reported 4,069 new cases in the 24 hours preceding the writing of this report. The previous day there were 3,448 new cases recorded. Vladimir Putin has warned officials to brace for “complex and extraordinary” scenarios in Russia.
Myanmar has announced it is releasing almost 25,000 prisoners under a presidential amnesty marking the
Reuters: Ann Wang
traditional new year celebrations this week. It is not unusual for mass amnesties to be announced for the Thingyan holiday but this year the number is the highest in recent memory. Myanmar has confirmed 85 cases of coronavirus and 4 deaths since March 24. The statement from the President did not say if the release of prisoners was related to the potential for inmates to contract the virus due to the close quarters of the prison.
Below is a list of some of the European countries, most of which are members of the European Union (EU), which announced an easing of the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus, in all cases subject to the consolidation of the downward trend of contagions and respect by rules such as distancing, disinfecting sites or wearing a mask. There are 15 countries in total that have announced measures to relax restrictions, those not covered today will feature tomorrow.
Switzerland announced a three-phase plan for the gradual reopening of businesses and schools. From April 27, hairdressers, physiotherapists and psychologists can reopen doors. Doctors’ offices, currently limited to urgent situations, may return to work and, at funerals, direct family members will be able to be present. On May 11, primary schools reopen, and on June 8, vocational and secondary schools and universities, as well as museums, libraries and zoos. Also on June 8, in principle, the remaining stores, bars and restaurants will be allowed to reopen. Major public events, such as concerts or football games, do not yet have a start date. Confirmed cases since February 25 are 26,336 with 973 lives lost. Switzerland has about 6.8 million inhabitants
Austria reopened small commercial establishments with less than 400 m2 on Tuesday as the first step in a roadmap to reactivate economic activity announced last week by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Larger commercial establishments will be allowed to open on May 1, but restaurants, hotels or hairdressers will only be allowed to open from mid-May, with special care.
Final university and secondary school exams will be held, but schools will remain closed until mid-May and universities will keep distance classes until the end of the school year. Major public events will remain banned at least until the end of June and there is no date set for the reopening of cinemas and theatres swimming pools, sports venues and gyms, which have been closed since March 16. Since February 25, there have been 14,370 confirmed cases and 393 people have died. Austria has around 8.85 million inhabitants.
Italy, on Tuesday, authorised the reopening of bookshops, stationery stores and baby clothes and the resumption of forest sappers activities. However, the reopening of some types of store does not extend to the entire Italian territory, with some regional authorities maintaining the restrictions. Lombardy and Piedmont (north), regions most affected by the pandemic, are to keep stores closed, Lazio (centre), which includes the capital, Rome, postponed the reopening until next week and Veneto (northeast) only authorised the opening two days per week.
Despite a reduction in contagions and deaths over the past few days, the Italian Government maintains confinement measures, saying it hopes that, as of May 3, the country will be able to enter “phase 2”. The Italian plan is for a gradual and controlled lifting of restrictions, scheduled for mid-May, it calls for a strengthening of local health networks to screen cases identified for treatment and to test population samples to determine how many Italians have been infected, if they are immune and how, how many and in what areas they can return to a normal life.
Italy also plans to impose the use of a generalised mask, to dictate scrupulous social distancing and to have certain hospitals for the exclusive treatment of covid-19, which will remain open in the event of a second wave of infections, so that other hospitals can be dedicated to other patients. Since the confirmation of the outbreak in Italy, there have been 165,155 confirmed cases and 21,647 lives lost. Italy, with 60.36 million inhabitants, is currently the hardest hit country in Europe,
Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday announced the reopening, on May 4, of primary and secondary schools and commercial establishments with an area of up to 800m2. Libraries, archives and museums reopen on April 20, but cultural and sporting events remain banned until at least August 31. Restaurants, bars and pubs remain closed and religious celebrations in churches, synagogues, mosques are not allowed. There have been 130,450 confirmed cases and 3,569 deaths registered since January 28. With about 83 million inhabitants, Germany is the fifth European country most affected by the pandemic.
Poland Polish Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski announced the easing of some restrictions on containment measures in place since March 13. According to government spokesman Piotr Mueller, the measures are expected to go into effect on Monday, April 20, and involve allowing more customers inside establishments and churches and lifting some restrictions on outdoor activities, namely with the reopening of public parks and forest areas. Schools will remain closed. Since March 5, Poland has reported 7,582 confirmed cases and 286 people have died. Poland has 38 million inhabitants.
France President Emmanuel Macron announced the extension to May 11 of the confinement in force, a date from which some of the measures enacted on March 17 will begin to be lifted. As of May 11, the majority of the population is no longer in confinement, but those over 65 and chronically ill will be obliged to remain at home until a date to be announced. For this risk group, the government plans to distribute masks for mandatory use in essential trips.
Schools will be gradually reopened as of May 11, according to a plan to be announced at the end of April, but the prediction is that universities will not reopen until the summer. Bars and restaurants will remain closed with cultural and sporting events prohibited. France has reported 105,155 confirmed cases and 17,146 lives lost since January 24. The country, which has a population of 67 million, is the third European country most affected by the pandemic,
Belgium extended the measures of social confinement and detachment which started on March 18 until May 3 but with some changes. Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès announced that they can reopen DIY and garden stores, under the same conditions as grocery stores and food stores. From now on, there can also be visits to nursing homes, limited to a family member, as long as there are no symptoms of infection with the new coronavirus. Schools will remain closed until further evaluation, and the holding of major events remains prohibited until August 31. Since February 4, Belgium has registered 33,573 confirmed coronavirus cases and 4,440 deaths. The country has 11.4 million inhabitants
Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has announced the first phase of the “exit strategy” from the confinement. From April 20, construction, recycling and gardening can resume activity and hardware and gardening stores can reopen. On May 11, date subject to further confirmation, universities and secondary schools will reopen and, on May 25, crèches and primary schools. Shops, bars and restaurants remain closed, with no date yet to reopen, and cultural and sporting events remain banned at least until July 31. The PM assured that the country has a reserve of 6 to 7 million masks, which will be distributed to the population. The country has reported 3,373 confirmed cases and 69 people have died. Luxembourg has around 614,000 inhabitants.
UK. Figures released from the UK show that a further 847 people have now lost their lives to COVID-19. The figures show hospital deaths only and bring the total to 14,576. The UK is facing a further 3 weeks under the current lockdown restrictions. A recent survey conducted by YouGov reports that only 9% of Britons want life to return to ‘normal’ with more than 54% of the 4,343 polled saying they wanted to make changes in their own lives and for the country as a whole to learn after the crisis.
USA. US President Donald Trump has issued guidelines for reopening the country with 3 phases, each dependent on states meeting certain criteria. States who meet phase 1 will have opened on Friday with a further 29 reopening relatively soon according to Mr Trump. Full details can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/ .Latest figures from USA show a further 28,711 confirmed cases and 2,350 deaths.
Total number of cases worldwide – 2,206,676
Total number of deaths worldwide – 148,663
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 558,440
Daily mail
Ending with some “feel good” stories………In Copenhagen residents joined in with a mass workout from their balconies whilst maintaining social distancing. Venice locals have reported clearer waters which has led to wildlife appearing, swans and fish have been spotted. In Chicago, penguins Edward and Annie have been treated to a tour of the Shedd Aquarium – they’ve had a walk around the staff reception areas and have even visited the sharks, staying safe behind the glass…..
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Louise Birch
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Friday 17 April 2020 – By Louise Birch
“It’s going to be hard but hard does not mean impossible”
I thought I would start with a little inspirational quote today. At this challenging time, it feels we are being tested, not to show our weaknesses but to discover our strengths. What greater strength is being discovered than that of everyone playing their part in the battle we are currently facing, be it all the frontline key workers, everyone staying home stopping community transmission or the decision makers of the world.
There is some encouraging news for Ireland where the death rates appear to be stabilising. The number of people in intensive care in Ireland has also declined slightly. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer for Ireland has said “Whilst a number of these parameters are going in a positive direction, it is clear that we need to keep going in our efforts, on an individual level, to limit the spread of this virus” At the time of writing, the figures from Ireland showed 12,547 confirmed cases of infections and the official death toll stands 444.
Much further afield, the number of coronavirus deaths reported in Iran was below 100 for the third consecutive day on Thursday. A further 92 people have died bringing the total to 4,777. Iran currently has had a total of 76,389 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan, has asked the Taliban to declare a ceasefire in an effort to fight the virus as the number of confirmed cases reached 840. In Kabul, 37 new cases have been confirmed. The capital city, with a population of 6 million, is under full lockdown. In Kandahar, testing has been halted due to a lack of testing kits. The area has seen a surge of infections as thousands of Afghan migrants returned from Pakistan. Kandahar went into full lockdown on Wednesday.
In Nigeria, it has been reported that security forces enforcing the lockdown have killed more people than the virus itself. Nigeria has imposed a total lockdown in the capital Abuja as well as in Lago, a city of 21 million people. Other regions have set restrictions, security forces including the police and army have been deployed to enforce those measures. At the time of writing, there have been 373 confirmed cases and 11 deaths since February 28. These figures are from WHO official sources however they do differ from figures seen elsewhere where the figures are higher.
Africa has suffered in the race to obtain testing kits and other much needed medical equipment, according to John Nkensagong, director of the African Centre for Disease Control. He says that around 15 million tests would be needed across Africa in the next 3 months. More than 1 million tests will be rolled out across Africa from next week in an effort to address a gap in assessing the number of cases on the continent, according to the head of the African Union’s health body. With the number of cases above 17,000 on Thursday, officials believe that there are more out there undetected due to the testing shortage.
Europe is still in the eye of a COVID-19 storm according to Hans Kluge, WHO Europe’s regional director. In an online briefing, Kluge told the media “There is no fast track back to normal, case numbers across the region continue to climb, in the past 10 days the number of cases reported in Europe has reached close to 1 million” About 50% of the global burden of COVID-19 is in Europe and more than 84,000 people have lost their lives.
In The Netherlands, a study of blood donors has discovered that around 3% have developed antibodies against this new coronavirus. The percentage equates to several hundred thousand people in a country where the population is 17 million.
Germany reports an increase in the number of confirmed cases for the second consecutive day, this is at a time when the country is preparing to lift restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. There were 2,866 new cases on Thursday and 2,486 reported on Wednesday. Sadly, the daily death toll also increased for the second day, 315 on Thursday as opposed to 285 Wednesday.
Spain recorded 5,183 new cases between Wednesday and Thursday bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 182,816. Over 19,000 people have lost their lives in Spain although questions remain over the official figures from Spain. The health ministry figures have been based only on the deaths where positive tests for coronavirus have been carried out.
The flagship of the French naval fleet, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, has created a puzzle for the French Defence Ministry. Some 668 sailors, one third of 1,767 crew, have tested positive for coronavirus. Given that the nuclear-powered vessel had allegedly no contact with the outside world since it went to sea on March 15, it has people scratching their heads as to how this has happened. However, it was docked on the western coast of France between 13-15 March and sailors were given shore leave. This was 2 days before the strict measures imposed in the country. France has had 102,533 confirmed cases since January 24 and 15,708 deaths.
Italy has been offered a “heartfelt apology” from the European Union for failing to help the country at the start of the outbreak within the country. More than 21,000 lives have been lost although it appears the country may be through the worst of this pandemic. At the start of the outbreak both France and Germany reportedly placed restrictions on the export of face masks despite warnings from the European Commission that the actions could undermine the collective response to the virus.
In UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said that 9 out of 10 people dying with coronavirus in the UK have an underlying health condition with heart disease and dementia being the most common pre-existing condition. The UK is in lockdown and will remain so.
There are warnings that it is too soon to start easing restrictions despite the progress in mainland Europe where certain containment measures have started to be relaxed. UK ministers have made it clear that the current containment measures will not be relaxed. Before scientists recommend lifting COVID-19 restrictions, sustained improvement in four main factors will be needed: the rate of infection; numbers of newly confirmed cases; hospital admissions and; daily reported deaths. Latest figures from UK show a further 861 people have died in UK hospitals bringing the total to 13,729.
Across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump claims that the country has come through the worse of the pandemic, he says the peak in new cases is over as he looks to reopen the economy. Mr Trump is quoted as saying “We’ll be the comeback kid, all of us”. Figures from the US now show 604,070 confirmed cases and 25,871 deaths. An increase of over 25,000 new cases and over 2,300 new deaths.
Total number of cases worldwide – 2,107,676
Total number of deaths worldwide – 136,992
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 526,341
Information and statistics from
The positive news heading towards the weekend……In Oregon USA, WW2 veteran William Lapshcie celebrated his 104th birthday after recently recovering from coronavirus. In Genoa, a 102 year old woman survived and a 103 year old Iranian woman recovered after spending a week in hospital. A UK couple who recently got married donated the 400 meals for their cancelled wedding reception to hospital staff.
Have a safe happy weekend everyone!
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Thursday 16 April 2020
The difference in reactions to the COVID-19 is stark and in some cases alarming, none more so than the decision by US President Donald Trump to withdraw funding from The World Health Organisation (WHO) citing mismanagement of the pandemic and bias towards China as being his primary reasons. On the other side of the globe, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and ministers will take a 20% pay cut in support of those hit by this catastrophic disease. 
Doubtless there will be further significant reaction to the US decision, it has certainly raised a few eyebrows including those of Microsoft founder Bill Gates who is clearly at odds with the decision making the comment “Their (WHO) work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organisation can replace them. The world needs WHO more than ever”.
The far-reaching damage to the Global economy is a discussion for the future, I want to concentrate on the here and now.
New Zealand believes the country has turned a corner after a four-week lockdown. PM Ardern has praised residents for mounting what she describes as a “wall of defence” which is “breaking the chain of transmission”. It has been suggested that the lockdown could be relaxed sometime this week. The approach in New Zealand has been described as a sprint, the country abandoned plans to mitigate or suppress the disease, opting to eradicate it entirely within its borders. Since the onset, there have been 1,078 confirmed cases and 9 deaths. In the 24 hours preceding this report, only 6 new cases and 0 deaths, encouraging figures which certainly reinforce the stay at home save lives message. 
Australia, on the other hand, is taking a more marathon like approach. Although the country is seeing a steady decline in numbers of new cases, indications are that social distancing measures are likely to remain in place, in some form, until September. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has said that Australia is in a better place than he thought they would be at this point. Australia has registered 6,416 cases of COVID-19 and 61 deaths since January 25. Just 50 new cases and 0 deaths at the time of writing.
Other counties who have not implemented a full lockdown, opting for more relaxed restrictions such as closing education facilities, banning public events and limiting public transportation, include Ukraine (3,372 cases and 98 deaths), Slovakia (769 cases and 2 deaths), Lithuania (did go into lockdown over Easter) 1,070 confirmed cases and 24 deaths. Interestingly, these countries were extremely rapid in closing borders to non-residents.
Exploring the lockdown restrictions implemented across the Globe has revealed interesting and perhaps thought-provoking strategies.
Panama and Peru both implemented restrictions on the days people could go outside based on gender. In Peru, men only outside days are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In Panama, ladies´ days are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. However, the restrictions in Panama have already caused difficulties within the transgender community with at least one transgender woman being detained for being outdoors on the wrong day. In both countries, Sunday is stay at home for everyone. Peru has reported 7,519 cases of the virus with 193 deaths since March 7. Panama lists 3,472 confirmed cases and 94 deaths since March 10.
Dubai was locked down on April 4, a Police permit is required for every trip outdoors and then only one family member is allowed outdoors at any one time. No allowance has been made for exercise or dog walking. The remainder of the United Arab Emirates have been under an overnight curfew since March 26. The reported figures from this region are 4,521 confirmed cases and 25 deaths.
Saudi Arabia locked down the capital and 2 Holy Cities on March 25, Jeddah was locked down on March 29 and all major cities followed on April 6. A nationwide curfew from 3pm to 6am has been extended. There have now been 5,369 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 73 deaths since March 2. Latest figures from Saudi Arabia show 435 new cases and 8 new deaths in the 24hrs preceding writing this report.
The hotspots that we are following include the UK where a further 761 people have lost their lives to COVID-19 bringing the total to 12,868. The UK government is unlikely to change the lockdown restrictions currently in force.
The figures in the USA are reported as 24,446 new confirmed cases bringing the total since January 20 to 578,268. A further 1,504 people have died bring the total to 23,476. Although startling, the figures reported are lower than the previous day. Politics in the USA appears to be making headline news, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says that Donald Trump is spoiling for a fight with governors over when states may reopen their economies.
However, there is slightly better news for Spain where the figures are falling daily. Spain reported 523 deaths as opposed to 567 the previous day. The overall number of cases in Spain appears to be holding at 3% a day, previously it was a daily average of 12% at the end of March and 20% mid-March.
Total number of cases worldwide – 2,023,664
Total number of deaths worldwide – 128,894
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 492,409
Photo: PA
Now for the positives. Let’s hear it for Connie Kitchen, 106 years old, lived through 2 World Wars and has beaten COVID-19, Connie is believed to be the UK’s oldest patient and she has left hospital. It seems dancing, cycling and playing golf have stood her in good stead, together with home cooking and the occasional McDonalds! Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China, built in less than 2 weeks to tackle COVID-19 is closing. The hospital was constructed to deal with the massive increase in patients needing hospital care however after the last 4 patients have been moved to a permanent hospital, it will close its doors. Fingers crossed this is a hospital closure we can applaud.
And finally…..another great story of positivity… Tom Moore, a 99-year-old British war veteran, completed 100 laps of his garden on Thursday, and has raised as of this morning more than £12 million for the NHS. Retired army captain Moore, who has used a rollator to move around since breaking his hip, set himself the target of walking the 25 metres around his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday on April 30.
Photo: Private
He stated that “For all those people who are finding it difficult at the moment: the sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away,” said Moore, dressed in a blazer and tie and displaying his war medals, after completing his walk. He was saluted by an honour guard from the Royal Yorkshire Regiment as he completed his journey….
Quote of the day from Captain Tom after completing his walk……
“You’ve all got to remember that we will get through it in the end, it will all be right, it might take time…..at the end of the day we shall all be okay again.”
Source: Reuters
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Wednesday 15 April 2020
“Facial protection is going to become the norm in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak”
This is a quote from Dr David Navarro, the WHO’s COVID-19 envoy, who has said people will need to become accustomed to a new reality.
Many countries in Asia have long seen their citizens wearing facemasks as part of their normal attire, perhaps the rest of us are going to have to get used to the idea as we begin moving forward in what is undoubtedly going to be a very different World.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had instructed his administration to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in a move that drew immediate condemnation. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was “not the time” to be reducing funds to the WHO or any other organisation fighting the pandemic. “Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” Guterres said in a statement. The WHO did not immediately comment.
Japan has been in a state of emergency since last week but not in a specific lockdown. Residents have been asked to stay at home, specific businesses and facilities have been asked to limit business hours in an effort to reduce crowds in open spaces. The figures from Japan are not as harrowing as other countries. From January 14, there have been 7,645 confirmed cases and 109 deaths.
South Korea, with no mandatory lockdown, a rigorous testing and tracing regime has registered 10,564 confirmed cases, 222 deaths, 7,534 recovered patients and, as I write this report, there are 2,873 active infections.
In China, from January 11 there have been 83,696 confirmed cases and 3,351 deaths. 99 new cases confirmed in the 24 hours preceding this report with NO new deaths.
South Africa claims to be succeeding in the fight against the pandemic, the nationwide lockdown seems to be showing signs of containing the virus, at least for now. Confirmed infections currently stand at 2,272 with 27 deaths.
Elsewhere, Nigeria has announced a 14-day extension of the lockdown in the capital Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states. Reported figures of 343 cases with 10 deaths since February 28.
Sudan’s capital Khartoum will enter a 3-week lockdown from Saturday, all but one of the 29 reported cases are in the capital.
The rapidly changing situation in Europe with some countries relaxing restrictions and others extending lockdowns is one to be followed closed.
French President Emmanuel Macron has addressed the nation and extended the strict lockdown measures until 11 May, stating that from mid-May, schools and crèches will progressively open. He also says that France will be able to test every citizen with COVID-19 symptoms by 11 May. There have been 94,382 confirmed cases in France with 14,374 deaths. At the time of writing, France has reported 1,595 new cases and 560 new deaths.
By contrast, the Netherlands chose to adopt what has been classified as an “intelligent lockdown”. Only those businesses that require touching, like hairdressers, beauticians and, unsurprisingly, red light brothels have been forced to close. People have been advised to stay home and when they have to go out, they are advised to maintain 1.5 meters social distance. A recent survey suggests that 99% of people are keeping their distance and 93% are staying home as much as possible. Since February 27, there have been 25,587 confirmed cases and 2,737 deaths. In the preceding 24 hours, 1,174 new cases and 94 new deaths have been reported.
In Poland, the borders remain closed and will do so until further review on May 3.
Some relaxation of restrictions has already been announced with businesses remaining locked down until April 19. Restrictions for schools, rail and air transport are extended until April 26. Since March 5, Poland has reported 6,934 cases of COVID-19 with 245 deaths. 318 new cases and 24 deaths in the 24 hours preceding this report.
The nationwide total of deaths reported in hospitals in UK has risen by 778 bringing the total to 12,107. Figures show that more than 1 in 5 deaths in England and Wales is linked to COVID-19. The UK government has stated that there are no plans to relax the current restrictions.
The numbers in USA continue to rise with a further 29,308 confirmed cases and 1,528 deaths. It is reported that South Dakota has commenced clinical trials for Hydroxychloroquine, potentially a treatment for coronavirus
More information can be found at
www.newsweek.com/south-dakota-start-hydroxychloroquine-clinical-trials-coronavirus-1497585
Total number of cases worldwide – 1,946,437
Total number of deaths worldwide – 121,709
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 460,111
A Really Positive Story!! …….Ending on some positive notes, Captain Tim Moore who turns 100 at the end of this month, has raised over £4.6 Million for the UK NHS (updated as of 0900 hrs from 1.4 Million the day before at a rate of £3,500 per MINUTE yesterday. He initially set out to raise £1,000 by walking 100 laps of his garden (which is actually quite a large garden…..watch him on social media or television) using his walking frame.
Also…..The tooth fairy has been declared an essential worker in New Zealand…..and… the Himalayas have come visible to the locals in the Punjab region of India for the first time in decades due to decreased levels of pollution.
Information from
www.who.int
www.who.sprinklr.com
www.reuters.com
www.bbc.com
www.thejakartapost.com
SAFE COMMUNITIES PORTUGAL INFORMATION
Keeping up to Date with SCP on the WWW and Facebook! – Keep up to date with major developments as they occur by visiting the SCP Facebook page and our website https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com
SCP – FAQs Translation to English – We have translated 70 FAQs about the COVID-19 virus, pandemic and State of Emergency provisions from official Government sources into English on our website website: http://safecommunitesportugal.com
Tuesday 14 April 2020
The relaxation of restrictions in Spain is undoubtedly going to raise questions about how and when other countries will follow suit.
Norway, Denmark, Czech Republic, Austria and even Italy have indicated that their restrictions may also be relaxed with specific plans to be announced in coming weeks.
Belgium was also reported to be considering an exit strategy from the lockdown, possibly by splitting people into high and low risk groupings released in stages. However, Belgium has reported a further 303 deaths in the past 24 hours bringing the total to 3903. This means proportionally, the outbreak in Belgium is now more deadly than in Italy.
The lifting of restrictions is not a decision to be rushed, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General has said updated guidance will be published today (Tuesday) to advise countries on how to plan for the lifting of lockdown.
6 key points will be:
Singapore has again confirmed a high number of cases confirmed, a further 386 and this is reported as the biggest daily jump since the outbreak began there.
Kenya has a total death toll of 9 thus far, with the number of confirmed cases standing at 208 with 40 cases recovered. The Cabinet Minister for Health states that Kenya has invested the equivalent of £1.1m in personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, mobilised 500 ventilators for critical care, manufactured and distributed millions of litres of hand sanitiser.
Greece has been in full lockdown since March but with the Orthodox Easter approaching, officials are worried about the challenges posed by the most important event in the Orthodox calendar. Since February 27, there have been 2081 confirmed cases and 93 deaths.
The end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is likely to see challenges in Indonesia as the government plans to allow millions of people to leave their homes. From March 2 2020, there have been 3842 confirmed cases and 327 deaths.
Interesting claims coming from the Mayor of Moscow, he’s accused foreign bots of attacking an electronic permit system meant to keep residents off the streets, the system was knocked offline soon after its launch. Russia currently reports a daily change of 31.13% in cases with a further 2186 confirmed infections and a total of 130 deaths.
Yemen reported the first confirmed case of COVID 19 over the weekend, in a country already ravaged by war, an uncontrollable outbreak will be catastrophic beyond words.
The death toll in Italy rose by 566 on Monday, 135 more than on Sunday. 280 of these deaths were registered in Lombardy, the regions worst affected by the virus. However, the authorities are reporting that the curve is flattening, the number of intensive care beds in use continues to decline as does the number of people requiring hospitalisation.
The USA continues to be a hotspot for COVID 19, especially in New York where the death toll in the state is over 10,000, nearly 4 times the number in the 911 terrorist attacks. The total number of confirmed infections in USA is 573,827 with deaths now at 22,950.
A total of 11,329 people have now died in UK, up 717 on the previous figures. The number of confirmed cases since the outbreak is 88,621.
To end on a positive note, Cyprus has reported a 19% decline in the number of new cases recorded in the week 6-12 April, 187 compared to 230 the week before. Cautious optimism is allowed, Cyprus has seen an increase in testing among workers and the healthcare sector. Since March 9, there have been a total of 633 confirmed cases and 16 deaths.
Total number of cases worldwide – 1,861,667
Total number of deaths worldwide – 114,980
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 431,532
Statistics and information from
www.who.int
www.who.sprinklr.com
www.theguardian.com
www.in-cyprus.philenews.com
Monday 13 April 2020
There are some positive points emerging from the Easter Weekend re COVID 19. Italy reported a further 431 deaths on Sunday 12 April and although still a devastating number, it is the lowest daily increase since 19 March.
Spain has announced the relaxation of some restrictions by allowing non-key workers to return to work, namely factory and construction site employees.
Greenland reports that all 11 of the cases identified there have now recovered and there are no active cases.
However, the figures from United Kingdom reached 10,612 and it is noted that these figures only include deaths reported from hospitals and therefore may be higher when all the information is collated. Being a Bank Holiday weekend, it is also suspected that not all the data has been received and it is still too early for the trends in the data to be accurately assessed.
The USA continues to record significant numbers of new cases and deaths, 17776 new identified cases and 1090 deaths.
Germany, widely reported to be at the forefront of testing, reports a further 1204 new cases and 37 deaths.
China has recorded a further 108 new cases and has identified 98 of these as being imported, thought to be returning Nationals. This data reinforces the importance of not travelling and staying at home unless absolutely essential.
Lockdown around the world continues to be enforced and there are many differences in the way the restrictions are being enforced.
Social distancing in Australia is identified as keeping 1.5 metres away from others, there are no specific rules on the distance allowed to travel for the purpose of exercise. Some states allow coffee with a friend if is take-away and of you have met that friend for exercise.
Austria is allowing shops to open imminently and a minimum of 1 metre must be maintained when exercising.
In Brazil, only residents and immediate family members of Brazilian nationals may enter the country until 30 April
France has been in total lockdown since 17 March and there are strict penalties for those caught flouting the rules. Fines of €135 (£128) are imposed, persistent offenders risk a fine of €3700 and up to 6 months in prison. (Personally, 6 months in my own home would be the preferred option) Paris has banned daytime jogging between 10am and 7pm, reported 8 April and remains in force.
India announced a nationwide lockdown as of 25 March and all international flights except cargo are banned until 14 April.
Singapore has been regarded as one of a number of Asian countries whose lockdowns had been successful in bringing their initial outbreak under control, however, the rise in cases there has undoubtedly raised the issue of how easily the virus can return if restrictions are relaxed too early or not strictly adhered to.
It is reported that plasma therapy trials have been initiated in China, France, Germany and the USA. The antibodies in the plasma from recovered patients could be used to treat existing patients or potentially prevent infections from occurring. Safe Communities Portugal will bring more information on this subject as and when it emerges.
Total number of cases worldwide – 1,836,965
Total number of deaths worldwide – 113,266
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 421,370
Information from
www.who.int
www.who.sprinklr.com
Situation Reports Overseas 2020-03-23 to 2020-03-29
Situation Reports Overseas 2020-03-16 to 2020-03-22
Saturday 11th of April
New WHO Press Conference on 11 April
Please check out the WHO website and specifically information about the COVID-19 pandemic at:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen. 
The Director-General WHO mad an address yesterday – The main points of his address his main points are outlined below:
It is of great concern that the virus is now spreading through Africa, where there is limited access to primary care. In terms of Lockdown Strategies, he provided advice to countries:
In some countries 10% of infections are in Health Care Workers, huge amounts of supplies are required and being transported where they are needed. The transport alone will cost $280 million.
Testing – He stated that Nose swabs were best at finding the bug with X-rays and Ct scans used to detect pneumonia. Blood antibody tests will be best used to detect immunity
Data discrepancies – The DG WHO stated that there is a huge challenge in aligning the data across countries, but when frontline systems are under huge pressure, this is always likely to happen. The problem is not the details that cause misalignment on reconciliation of numbers, but the possibility of missing out large chunks of population or missing out areas entirely. He said that ´We can be data rich but information poor´, and that less detail is required at country level than at district, indeed, less is required as we rise through the levels.
Health Misinformation – The DG announced that there is now a technical department at WHO whose job is to correct errors, avoid misunderstandings and generally “bust myths”
Other Reports from World and European Authorities that affect Portugal
World Health Organisation (WHO)
The Director-General (DG) WHO yesterday explained that briefings will now be released in many more languages, including Portuguese. Please check out the WHO website and specifically information about the COVID-19 pandemic at:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen.
The DG produced an introduction for the virtual Lady Gaga concert on Monday, which was designed as a significant awareness and fund raiser with television rights for WHO. There was also a teleconference of 600 experts from around the world, sharing and consolidating ideas to combat the virus.
The WHO announced that it has shipped 2 million items of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to 133 different countries and 1 million diagnostic tests and stated that there will be more. The WHO stated that it is continuing to ´ramp up´ essential production and to roll out training for health workers and to develop a tool for diagnostic testing.
The issue of pets and the virus was clarified. There have been very limited number of cases it seems that pets, including tigers have caught the virus from their owners, and there is no evidence that pets transmit the disease. The DG acknowledged the significance of Easter to many different faiths and how this year normal celebrations are not possible. 
Masks – Masks globally are in short supply and must be prioritised for health care workers.
Medicines – Need to be licensed and shared equally with all countries, there is no ´silver bullet´but drug trials are underway in several countries, for drugs to prevent infection and treat it.
Lifting of lockdowns – The WHO stated that wholesale and complete lifting would be unwise at this time and detailed information will be released looking at this issue in the future.
Vaccine development – Clinical trials with appropriate ethical considerations need to be in place, as does accelerated production methods, plus methods of equitable distribution throughout all countries.
European Union (EU)
EU talks on how to help southern Eurozone countries badly affected by the coronavirus epidemic stalled yesterday. The European Central Bank says the bloc may need up to €1.5tn ($1.6 trillion; £1.3tn) to tackle the crisis. European finance ministers were close to a deal, but the talks broke down amid a dispute between Italy and the Netherlands over how to apply the recovery fund. Negotiations will resume on Thursday.
Global Overview
The latest figures released by the Johns Hopkins show that globally there are over nearly 1,485,000 cases (up over 54,000 compared to 65,000 in the previous 24-hour period) with over 88,500 deaths (up 6,500 – a similar figure from the day before) and nearly 330,000 301,000 recovered (up nearly 30,000 compared with 17,000 during the preceding period).
The USA has over 432,000 cases (up over 32,000 on the day before) with nearly 15,000 deaths (up 2,000 for the second day) and nearly 24,000 recovered (up 1,500).
Spain has over 148,200 cases (up over 6,000 compared with nearly 7,000 the previous day) with over 14,700 deaths (up around 700 for the second day). There have been over 48,000 recovered (up nearly 5,000). Italy, the third most infected nation, has nearly 139,500 135,500 cases (up 4,000 compared with 3,500 the day before) and over 17,500 around deaths (up 400 compared with 600 the day before).
There have been nearly 26,500 people recovered. The UK reported its worst single day figures yesterday with over 900 deaths in their total of around 7,000 from nearly 61,500 cases.
To get the up-to-date figures for all countries in the World go to the JHU site at this link: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
According the latest figures released by the Johns Hopkins, globally there are over nearly 1,431,300 cases (up over 65,000 compared to 105,000 in the previous 24-hour period) with nearly 82,000 deaths (up 7,000 which is comparable with over 6,500 in the period before) and over 301,000 recovered (up 17,000 compared with 25,000 during the preceding period).
The USA has nearly 400,000 cases with nearly 13,000 deaths (up 2,000 compared with 1,500 the period before) and over 22,500 recovered (up 2,500 for the second day).
Spain has over nearly 142,000 cases (up nearly 7,000 compared to 4,000 the previous day) with over 14,000 deaths (up over 700 compared with nearly 1,000 the day before). There have been over 43,200 recovered (up over 3,000 on the previous figures).
Italy, the third most infected nation, has over 135,500 cases (up over 3,500 compared with 3,000 the day before) and nearly around 17,100 deaths (up 600 compared with 500 the day before).
Foto: Mary Altaffer / AP
Global Overview
According the latest figures released by the Johns Hopkins is that there are over nearly 1,380,000 cases (up over 105,000 on the previous 24-hourt period – one of the largest one-day increases) with nearly 75,000 deaths (up over 6,500 compared with 4,500 over the period before) and nearly 285,000 recovered (up 25,000).
The USA has nearly 340,000 cases with almost 11,000 deaths (up 1,500) and over nearly 20,000 recovered (up 2,500).
Spain, as the second most infected nation globally had over 135,000 cases (up nearly around 4,000 compared with 5,500 the previous day) with over 13,300 deaths (up nearly 1,000 – an increase from 500 recorded on previous report).
There have been over 40,000 recovered (almost 100% increase on the previous figures).
Italy, the third most infected nation, has over 132,000 cases (up 3,000) and nearly around 16,500 deaths (up 500).
FRIDAY 3 APRIL
This is the overseas situation report for the last 24 hours. Please also see our Portugal and the Algarve reports for up-to-date information on the situation today in Portugal and the Algarve always published at 0900 each day on our website.
The figures that are used in the SCP Overseas Reports come from those published by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU). More details and link at the foot of these newsletter.
Overall World Situation
A significant and unwanted milestone occurred yesterday with the total number of cases passing the 1Million cases (up around 70,000). As of 1000 hrs on 3 April there had been over 53,000 deaths (up 6,000) and with nearly 212,000 recovered globally (up 17,000). The USA remains the country most affected with nearly a quarter of all cases worldwide – some 245,000 (up around 30,000 in one day).
Of these cases, there have been over 6,000 deaths with over 9,000 recovered. Within the USA, the highest number of infections are in New York State and New York City which account for about a third of all deaths.
Looking at Europe, Italy remains the number one nation in terms of cases and deaths – yesterday the number reached over 115,000 (UP 5,000) with nearly 14,000 deaths (up nearly 900) and with over 18,000 recovered. Despite the large numbers (over 10% of the cases across the World), there are (according to an address by the Prime Minister of Italy yesterday) signs that the rate of increase has started to decrease. Spain also showed signs of a small ´flattening of the curve´ yesterday with 112,000 cases (up 8,000) and with over 10,000 deaths (up over 800) and with nearly 27,000 recovered (up nearly 5,000).
Germany remains in 4th place in the table of infections across the World with nearly 85,000 cases (up 7,000) with over 1,100 deaths (up nearly 150 but still a small number of deaths to cases in percentage terms) and with nearly 22,5000 recovered – an increase of over 4,000 or 20% in one day.
France recorded their largest increase in a 24-hour period with nearly 60,000 cases (up 2,500) and nearly 5,500 deaths (up 1,500) and 12,500 recovered. France changed their reporting procedures yesterday to include those that have died or will die in care homes and that not just die from COVID-19 but die of other causes but with COVID-19. This is a hugely contentious issue – the way of reporting…… see below.
The UK remains in 8th position on the table of global cases. It now has over 34,000 cases with nearly 3,000 deaths and 192 cases. Significant media and political pressures remain on the government response to testing and the Health Secretary announced that he wanted some 100,000 tests per day – despite the numbers currently being around 10% of this figure. There is extreme criticism about the lack of centralized coordination in the media an there are signs that the UK government is finally being seized by the need for ´testing, testing, testing´ – as the Director General of the WHO stated yesterday as being key to beating this disease
Sweden provides a completely different approach and apart from encouraging social distancing, it has not entered any discernible lockdown policy – shops, bars, cafes, restaurants and sports facilities are all open – although they have moved tables to maintain some social distancing. They have resisted bringing in stringent measures seen across the globe despite having over 5,500 cases, 300 deaths and 100 recovered.
Today, Swedish Armed Forces announced that Aurora 2020, a big military exercise together with a large amount of other countries, are proposed. Aurora 2020 is a part of the largest Total defence exercise ever done in Sweden.
REPORTING AND TESTING!!! -The Big Issues
Many countries are reporting according to their own methodologies which is making getting a clear picture globally very complicated and is not transparent – in addition, it is clear that some countries are underplaying their statistics for whatever reasons – political or reputational perhaps. It has not been helped by the fact that the WHO has not issued a clear methodology that nations should utilize when declaring their figures
Another major issue is testing…..The lack of a rigorous testing regime in nations is also obscuring the total figures – some nations such as South Korea and Germany have had extensive testing regimes in both categories of testing to see if people have had the virus before in which they may be immune and could return to work and a test for whether people have succumbed to the disease and need to go into isolation or need hospitalization.
Please access this link for the overall totals that are updated during the day and also for numbers affecting 199 countries which provide the overall number of cases, deaths and those that have recovered.
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
The JHU is an extremely reliable source of information given the significance human resources that have been dedicated to analyzing the pandemic – you will see on their dashboard up-to-date figures for your own country with total cases, deaths and those in recovery for each country – in some countries, this also shows numbers by state or region
The figures provided by the JHU are those that are most often quoted by media and governmental sources across the World. We have also provided a few links to other key websites with information that you may find useful for the International situation.
THURSDAY 2nd OF APRIL
In this report you will find some general new from a global perspective. There is also a link to where more detailed figures by country can be found which you may find very useful for the International situation. Please also see our Portugal and the Algarve reports for up-to-date information on the situation today in Portugal and the Algarve always published at 0900 each day.
Please note that the figures we use are from the Johns Hopkins University (JHU), detailed note at foot of this report.
Overall World Situation
The situation worldwide as of 0930hrs 2 April 2020 is that there are over 938,000 cases globally with over 47,000 deaths and nearly 195,000 recovered.
The USA continues to be the country with the highest number of cases – with over 215,000 and over 5,100 deaths. Over 88,712 confirmed cases have been attributed to New York State with nearly 47,439 of these in New York City alone. President said that he is still not issuing a ´stay at home´ directive – leaving this to individual state governors – some are doing this but there is no national policy which has caused some consternation across the US media.
The second highest number globally is Italy with over 110,000 cases, 13,100 deaths and nearly 17,000 recovered. Spain recorded their highest one-day total yesterday and now has over 104,000 cases, over 9,000 deaths and over 22,500 recovered. Germany is the fifth most infected country with nearly 78,000 cases, a small number of deaths at 931 by reported case and over 18,500 recovered.
France as the sixth most infected country has over 57,500 cases with over 4,000 deaths and with around 11,000 recovered. The UK , which stands as the eight most infected country by cases, also recorded its highest one-day total and now has over 29,500 cases with over 2,350 deaths and 179 recovered although the data in relation to the recovered according to the JHU may be inaccurate.
Testing and Statistics – The issue of testing and reporting of deaths directly attributable to COVID-19 compared to patients with an underlying health problem and recording of deaths just in hospitals compared to others who die in the community and care homes remains an issue. This continues to obscure the global totals and reasons why some nations report smaller or larger figures accordingly.
The UK government is under particular pressure to increase its testing program and PM Johnson admitted yesterday that. Comprehensive testing was the key to the ´ jigsaw´ according to PM Johnson. There appears to be no centralized system in pace and there are calls for a minister to be appointed to coordinate the national testing effort which some newspaper reports (i.e. The Times) is running at as low as 10% capacity with private laboratories not being utilized effectively or at all. – it reported that there had only been 2,000 test of frontline NHS staff to date despite the government stating that it aspired to 25,000 per day.
With over 1,000 laboratories in the UK, senior medical sources said the actual capacity was in the region of a massive 800,000 per day if al private and NHS laboratories were at full capacity.
Ventilators – There remains a global shortage for ventilators that are likely to be needed when the pandemic reaches its peak. There re many global initiatives being undertaken and collaboration between industries and medical companies is increasing.
United Nations – UN Secretary General António Guterres said the pandemic was the world’s biggest challenge since World War Two. The warning comes amid dire predictions about the possible economic impact of measures imposed to fight the virus. A UN report estimates that up to 25 million jobs could be lost around the world as the result of the outbreak.
World Health Organisation – The Director-General of the WHO gave a media briefing yesterday where he stated that the last 5 weeks has seen an exponential growth in the number of new cases with the number of deaths doubling in the last just in the past week. He repeated his call for developed countries must support less developed countries. He also called for ´governments to put into place social welfare measures to ensure vulnerable people have food and other life essential s during this crisis´.
Russia has announced the development of an Ap that can track people´s movements – mopre on this issue in the future, perhaps.
Source of statistics
The figures that are used in the SCP Overseas Reports come from those published by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Please access this link for the overall totals that are updated during the day and also for numbers affecting 199 countries which provide the overall number of cases, deaths and those that have recovered.
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
The JHU is an extremely reliable source of information given the significance human resources that have been dedicated to analyzing the pandemic – you will see on their dashboard up-to-date figures for your own country with total cases, deaths and those in recovery for each country – in some countries, this also shows numbers by state or region
The figures provided by the JHU are those that are most often quoted by media and governmental sources across the World.
1 April 2020 – 1700hrs
Given the fast developing situation in Portugal and the priority we need to give to this and taking into account our resources this international report will be produced as a weekly summary for the time being. If you would like to volunteer to help us at SCP, please see our advert on our Facebook page. We really need your help to keep the expatriate community informed and safe.
The figures that are used in the SCP Overseas Reports come from those published by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Please access this link for the overall totals that are updated during the day and also for numbers affecting 199 countries which provide the overall number of cases, deaths and those that have recovered.
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
The JHU is an extremely reliable source of information given the significance human resources that have been dedicated to analyzing the pandemic – you will see on their dashboard up-to-date figures for your own country with total cases, deaths and those in recovery for each country – in some countries , this also shows numbers by state or region
The figures provided by the JHU are those that are most often quoted by media and governmental sources across the World. We have also provided a few links to other key websites with information that you may find useful for the International situation. Please also see our Portugal and the Algarve reports for up-to-date information on the situation today in Portugal and the Algarve always published around 0900 each day.
Overall World Situation
The situation worldwide as of 0700hrs 1 April 2020 is that there have been over 837,000 cases with nearly 42,500 deaths and with over 178,000 people who have recovered. The USA continues to be the nation with most cases reported. Italy followed by Spain continue to be the countries with the most cases and deaths. China is the country with the most reported recoveries by number of cases. Germany remains the country in Europe with a relatively high number of cases but a significantly smaller ratio to deaths of other main European countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Scandanavian countries, BENELUX and the UK.
USA – Has reached over 189,500 cases with over 4,000 deaths and with over 7,000 recovered people. Over a third of the cases in the USA are in New York State. President Trump stated that the USA would experience a ´painful 2 weeks´ and called the virus a ´plague´ and an ´invisible enemy….that could kill people´.
Spain continues to report rising numbers with over 850 deaths yesterday with over 96,000 cases reported. Italy had a record recovery rate yesterday and signs are showing that the rate of increase is slowing according the government in Rome. It has over 105,000 cases with over 4,000 deaths. Italy also announced an extension of emergency measures in force with its lockdown until 18 April. Germany has just under 72,000 cases but with a low death rate and good rate of recovery to positive case. France continues to have a rising number of cases and deaths with over 57,000 cases reported yesterday.
UK – The government announced that the large field hospital NHS Nightingale at the Excel Centre will open today with a 2,000 bed intensive care ward some 1 kilometer long. It has been built in just over a week led by the military engineers and its medical services together with industry and the NHS medical services. This is officially the world´s largest critical care unit. There has been continued criticism levelled at the lack of a meaningful testing regime in the media (only just over 8,000 people have been tested as of yesterday compared to 250,000 a day in South Korea as an example of best practice). This has led to the UK PM taking personal control of the issue and the government – The government announced that it would be testing up to 25,000 people but not until late April. The UK has over 25,000 cases and reported that the virus had claimed a 13-year old with no underlying health issues to illustrate the enormity of the situation.
Thailand – Has developed a 15-minute rapid test to tell whether people have the COVID-19 virus. They have opened a clinic in the capital Bangkok – this is essentially a drop-in centre for people who think that they have developed the symptoms associated with the virus.
The UNDP stated that it had estimate that there would be a $200Bn economic loss as a result of the crisis across the globe and that this would devastate many economies.
The UN Secretary General again asked for developed nations to set aside 10% of their GDP in order to support the less developed nations throughout this crisis. He stated that all nations needed ´solidarity´ at this time.
BEWARE!!!! – SMS Fishing or ´smishing´ What is it? – We will be providing further information on this subject in a special report being compiled by our experts. What is ´smishing´? This is a new and novel way of scamming economic victims of the COVID-19 Virus. In the UK for example, people receive a message by SMS or/and together with an email from what seems to be from a government agency asking them to either click on a link to get aid from the state schemes or to pay a fee (typically small such as £35) to fast track them on the government scheme to get financial aid before the June schedule. Similar scams are occurring across the developed world. As we have stated, SCP will be posting a report on this in the near future.
Please Note that today……..we have changed the format slightly and for the future – instead of listing countries of interest by numbers in a separate section below, we will be providing you with the link to go direct to the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6 ) who are an extremely reliable source of information given the significance human resources that have been dedicated to analyzing the pandemic – you will see on their dashboard up-to-date figures for your own country with total cases, deaths and those in recovery for each country – in some countries , this also shows numbers by state or region
The figures provided by the JHU are those that are most often quoted by media and governmental sources across the World. We have also provided a few links to other key websites with information that you may find useful for the International situation. Please also see our Portugal and the Algarve reports for up-to-date information on the situation today in Portugal and the Algarve always published at 0900 each day.
Overall World Situation
The situation worldwide as of 0700hrs 31 March is that there have been over 750,000 cases with nearly 38,000 deaths and with over 165,000 people who have recovered. The USA continues to be the nation with most cases reported.
Spain continues to be the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe. Spain overtook China in the table of infected nations with nearly 88,000 case compared to China´s reported over 82,000. Spain has now over nearly 8,000 deaths compares to China´s reported 3,000. In stark contrast and as a comparison, Spain has a total of around 17,000 recovered compared to China´s very large number of 77,000 – almost all cases of positive virus other than those who have deceased.
Italy reported a record recovery rate yesterday up to 14,600 from it’s over 100,000 cases and nearly 12,000 deaths. Italy passed the 100,000 figure the day before yesterday and added approximately 1,500 more cases yesterday – which is showing a slight slowing in the rate of increase in infections over the past 3 days.
Germany has some 68,000 cases but a relatively small number of deaths per case at 645 with over 13,500 people recovered. This has started a worldwide debate about reporting methodologies and this has started to show some very different ways of reporting – for example, the Germans only report deaths DIRECTLY attributed to the disease whereas most other nations attributing deaths when there are underlying health issues – a significant number for most nations.
France – The death toll spiked yesterday according to their government with the total reaching over 45,000 cases with over 3,000 cases in total – some 8,000 people are recorded as having recovered.
Mexico – Announced further lockdown measures including more restrictions on movement for essential journeys only.
USA – In addition to the ramping up significantly of the provision of beds and ventilators across the nation, the US government announced that it was putting on hold its restrictions in force in relation to the Iran Nuclear Cooperation Agreement – the planned rules would have placed restrictions on provision of goods and services such as ventilators an essential medical supplies across the world for any country that conducted trade with Iran. New York State continues to be the epi-centre of the pandemic in the USA with over 40% of the total cases across the USA – some 65,000 out of the 165,00, cases. The government stated that if the number of deaths could be limited to 200,000, this would be ´a good result´. The number of cases across the USA has now reached nearly 165,000 but with comparatively few deaths per cases at around 3,000.
UK – There continues to be mounting political criticism of testing being implemented in the UK – it aspires to test 25,000 a day in the coming weeks compared to over 250,000 per day in South Korea seen as the gold standard of testing across the World. Currently the UK is only testing between 5 and 10,000 per day.
The government has called on ´furloughed´ cabin crews from airlines that are either not flying or flying on much reduced schedules to help the national health service effort by signing up to provide help in the nee `Nightingale Hospitals` in London, Birmingham and Manchester. This has followed on from EasyJet announcing that its furloughed staff are free to enter the Health Service and also to be part of the new national volunteer service supporting the health service and vulnerable people.
Russia – Announced that despite relatively few numbers of cases and deaths in comparison with other major nations it was placing Moscow in a state of Lockdown similar to that introduced in Europe and across the World generally. Virtually all cases are assigned to Moscow according to the Russian government
Aviation – The pandemic continues to decimate the airline industry. In addition to the mass furloughing of EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic staffs announced over the last few days, Lufthansa announced yesterday that it had placed its 27,000 staff on short hours but stated that its staff would receive ´most´ of their salary.
Sport – The Tokyo Olympics has finally been given new official dates for 2021 – late July and into August to complete together with the Para Olympics….to some incredulity around the world, the Olympic Committee announced that it would still be called the Tokyo Olympics 2020 despite being conducted in 2021.
Ventilator Developments – For USA announced that it has started production of a simple ventilator which can be manufactured on large numbers quickly. It stated that it will be producing 50,000 ventilators over the next 10 days.
Overseas and International Web Links (including SCP) – Recommended visits today……please spend a few minutes checking these out especially the JHU site
General
Some of the main issues that have emerged over the previous 24 hours to 30 March 2020 are reported on in this section. This represents a selection of important announcements and developments but does not cover all developments overseas.
World Statistics Today – According to the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) there are now 723,740 confirmed cases with 34,017 deaths with over 146,711 recovered – about a half of this latter figure has been reported by China.
USA – a major medical institute has stated that the figure of deaths could be between 100,000 to 200,000 based upon current modelling of the pandemic. In New York – with New York State the epi-centre of the pandemic in the USA, the mayor of New York announced that they only had around 7 days left of supplies and bed space. There has been a major initiative to increase bed space for the State with the US Medical Ship Comfort arriving in the State and a new 2,000 bed field hospital being created in a conference centre outside New York.
Europe General situation – Italy and Spain remain the countries with the highest infection and death rates – with over 10,000 and 80,000 confirmed deaths respectively – However, both have large percentage of recovered people around 12-14,000 compared to other nations such as the UK which only has just over 150 recovered persons from its almost 20,000 cases with over 1,200 deaths. Germany has 3 times as many cases as the UK and nearly the same as Spain but has a mortality rate of only around 550.
Africa General Situation – Countries across Africa, which has been later to the spread of the pandemic, are concerned about their ability to control the spread and increase in in numbers given their lack of resources, medical facilities and lack of ability to social distance as well as a lack of compliance by their populations. This could lead to a significant increase in the spread over the coming weeks. The Director General WHO has already launched a $2Bn fund (asking for donations from developed nations and specifically targeting the G20) to provide aid to Africa and other less developed nations.
UK Specific – The government announced that they now had 20,000 returning doctors, nurses and medical staffs as well as over 750,000 volunteers under their scheme to provide a service to support the NHS, provide deliveries of food, medicines and people to hospital as well as keep in communication with isolated vulnerable people who are alone in their homes. In the daily press conference, the Deputy Chief Medic al Officer stated that it was likely that it will take up to 6 months until something like normality returns to the UK and even then the nation will have to change its culture to prevent a resurgence of the virus – such as maintenance of social distancing and physical contact.
India – Continues to struggle enforcing its 3-week lockdown announced with only 4 hours notice – creating a mass surge of the migrant working population from West to East to return home. Prime Minister Modi apologized to the nation for ´hurting the poor people´ by announcing the lockdown but stated that it was a necessary measure. There have been scenes of mass panic and no social distancing whatsoever at state border crossings. The chaos has been made worse by the closure of all public transport including al rail and bus services leaving only buses to be used to transport hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
China has announced a ban on foreign flights in and out of the country from this coming week. A major statistic worth highlighting is that out of 82,000 cases, it has over 75,500 recovered – leaving only a few (about 3,000) thousands to be recovered give that there have been 3000 deaths as well within this number.
Aviation – The pandemic continues to decimate the airline industry such a significant fall in flights globally. One of the World´s largest budget airline – EasyJet – has announced today that it has grounded its entire fleet as a result of the pandemic. Its 9,000 staff have been ´furloughed´ in accordance with the UK´s government 80% compensation scheme (as the company is based from the UK). However, many of the staff have medical skills and training and these will be released by EasyJet to join the NHS effort and others will be encourage dot join the UK volunteer scheme whilst they are not working for EasyJet.
Ventilator Developments – Several major developments have occurred over the past 24 hours – there almost seems to organisations queuing up to announce new models after governments around the World stating that there is a major shortfall.
• University College London Hospital and Mercedes jointly have announced the development of a ventilator designed to keep patients out of Intensive Care Units (ICUs) which will reduce pressure on ICUs across the World. The design has been approved by UK regulatory bodies.
• In addition a team at Oxford University have announced that they have designed a very low-cost and simple ventilator which it has described as the ´Morris Minor´ of ventilators due to its use of very few components already in the NHS system – basically a set of ´bellows with valves´ according to one of its inventors. The University, in collaboration with the medical equipment industry has started production of 6,000 of these simple ventilators.
And Finally – The bizarre….The President of Belarus – in complete and extraordinary contradiction to the common view of the World Community and UN WHO, encourage his people to ´drink vodka and visit saunas´ during the pandemic. Belarus also is the only main European and Asian football league to continue without changes.
International Update
SCP uses the figures supplied by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) which by most media and agencies worldwide for are using for reporting purposes. The JHU are seen as the main source of reliable analysis of the spread of the virus, its numbers for cases, deaths and recoveries. It has deployed significant resources towards analysis and statistical collection. The figures below are as release by JHU as of 0700hrs on the day of reporting by SCP. The figures showing the approximate increases in figures or percentages are provide by SCP not JHU.
USA – Now has 143,025 cases (up nearly 20,000 on the previous 24 hours – as per the previous 48hrs) with 2,509 deaths (up over 300 some 200 less than yesterday) and 4,856 1,095 (up over 3,750 – a significant increase) recovered. New York State remains the epi-centre of the pandemic in the USA with 776 deaths.
Italy – The total of deaths has increased to 10,779 (up over 750 – a decrease over the previous 24 hours) – from a total of 97,689 cases with 13,030 (up nearly 60 – a decrease) who have recovered.
China – There have been 82,152 cases (just less than 100). It has had 3,308 deaths (up only 4) and some 75,904 (up around 350 – the largest recovered figure in the World) who have recovered.
Spain – Has registered 6,803 deaths (up over 820) and cases went from 80,110 (up by nearly 7,000). Some 14,709 have recovered (up by around 2,500).
Germany – Now has 62,435 (up around 4,800) with 433 deaths (up by 108) with 8,481 recovered.
France – France has 40,723 cases (up by over 2,400 – about half the daily increase of the previous 24 hours) with 2,611 deaths (up around 300 for the second day running) and with 7,226 recovered (up around 40% over the previous 24 hours).
UK – There have been 19,784 cases (up nearly 2,400 – a slight decrease on the previous 24 hours) with 1,231 (up by over 200 for the second day running) deaths and 151 recovered (No change and only 1 in in the last 72 hours) – this remains one of the lowest recovery rates (less than 1%) of all countries compared to cases and deaths.
Switzerland – Switzerland has 14,829 (up by over 750 – a decreasing level of over 250 on the previous figure) with 300 deaths (up 36 – similar to the previous figure) and 1,595 (no change) recovered.
Netherlands – Has 10,930 cases (up nearly 1,200 cases for the second day running) with 772 deaths (up 122) and 253 who have recovered (a significant change from the previous figure of only 6).
Belgium – Has 10,836 cases (up over 1,700 cases for the second day running) with 353 deaths (up 64 – similar to the previous 24 hours) and with 1,063 (up over 200) who have recovered.
Canada – Has 6,320 cases (up over 650 – a decrease on the previous figure 900) with 64 deaths (up 3 – a slight decrease on the previous figure) and with 466 recovered (no change after recording good recovery rates the previous period).
Note: the rates for Portugal as reported in the Portugal Sitrep would sit here in our descending rates for nations that we are currently reporting
Norway – Has 4,284 cases (up around 260 for the second day running) with 26 deaths (up 3) and 7 recovered (no change).
Sweden – There have been 3,700 cases (up nearly 250 a decrease from the previous figure) with 110 deaths (up 5 – a decrease in percentage terms on the previous figure) and with 16 who have recovered (no change).
Ireland – There have been 2,615 cases (up 20 – a decrease by 50% on the previous figure) with 46 deaths (up 10) and with 5 people recovered (no change).
Denmark – Has 2,564 cases (up nearly 200 – a slight increase on the previous figure) with 72 deaths and 73 recovered (up 16).
Russia – Has reported 1,534 (up nearly 30 – similar to the previous figure with 8 deaths (up 100%) and 64 recovered.
South Africa –has 1,280 cases (up less than 100) with 2 deaths and 31 recovered.
Finland – Has 1,240 cases (up about 70 – a decrease in numbers of over the previous period) with 10 (up 1) recovered.
India –has 1,024 cases (up 20) with 29 deaths (up 5) and 100 recovered (up 16).
© Ronald Zak/AP