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 Tri-state quarantine
The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut ordered
travellers from eight other U.S. states to be quarantined for two
weeks on arrival, as COVID-19 infections surged in regions spared
the brunt of the initial outbreak.
The unprecedented travel restrictions came as Disney announced it
would delay the reopening of its theme parks, and Nevada's governor
signed a directive requiring face coverings in casinos and all other
public places from Friday.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said the tough new tri-state
quarantine mandate was "the smart thing to do" after the United
States as a whole recorded its second-greatest daily increase in
COVID-19 cases since early March.
"We have taken our people, the three of us from these three states,
through hell and back, and the last thing we need to do right now is
subject our folks to another round," Murphy said of the three
Northeastern governors, all Democrats.
4-billion dose vaccine push
An influential foundation focused on preparation and response to
epidemics that is backing nine potential coronavirus vaccines has
identified manufacturers with capacity to produce four billion doses
a year, the group's top manufacturing expert told Reuters.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) is
planning for two or three manufacturing plants for each vaccine and
eight to 10 regional distribution sites "so that we don't have to
make everything centrally and try and ship it around the world,"
said James Robinson, a longtime biopharma executive leading CEPI'S
vast manufacturing push.
The Oslo, Norway-based group is backed by 14 governments, the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Britain's Wellcome Trust.
Oxygen concentrator shortage
The world faces a shortage of oxygen concentrators, needed to
support breathing of COVID-19 patients suffering from respiratory
distress, as the number of worldwide cases of coronavirus infection
nears the 10 million mark, the World Health Organization head said
on Wednesday.
The new coronavirus has infected 9.3 million people and killed more
than 480,000 so far and is rising by about 1 million cases per week.
This has pushed oxygen demand to 88,000 large cylinders per day, or
620,000 cubic metres of oxygen, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus said.
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The health agency has purchased 14,000 oxygen concentrators from manufacturers
and plans to send them to 120 countries in coming weeks, Tedros said. A further
170,000 concentrators - valued at some $100 million - will be potentially
available over the next six months.
"Democracy under threat"
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in authoritarian behaviour by
governments around the world, posing a growing threat to democracy, hundreds of
former prime ministers, presidents, Nobel laureates and lawmakers have warned.
“Authoritarian regimes, not surprisingly, are using the crisis to silence
critics and tighten their political grip,” wrote some 500 signatories, including
more than 60 former leaders, in an open letter organised by the Stockholm-based
Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
The outbreak has already led to the postponement or cancellation of 66 elections
worldwide, a third of them national polls, according to IDEA. Nearly 50
countries have imposed some form of restriction on press freedom, 21 of them
democracies.
“Democracy is under threat, and people who care about it must summon the will,
the discipline, and the solidarity to defend it. At stake are the freedom,
health, and dignity of people everywhere,” the signatories wrote.
Tourism with a difference in Paris
The Eiffel Tower welcomed back visitors after the coronavirus outbreak forced
the Paris landmark into its longest period out of action since World War Two.
Visitors can access the 324 metres high tower only via staircases until early
July, with elevators off-limits for the time being because of safety
considerations.
The Louvre Museum is getting ready to reopen, but visitors will find one feature
missing: the heaving crowd jostling to get a view of the "Mona Lisa".
There will be disinfecting hand gel dispensers, a booking system that allocates
time slots to visitors, a one-way system, and signs reminding visitors to keep
one metre apart and wear masks.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes and Karishma Singh)
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