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 Europeans
learn to love the mask
The ambivalence of some Western countries towards masks is being
challenged by the coronavirus pandemic.
Until only a few weeks ago, the hygiene masks so prevalent on Asian
streets could draw hostility towards their wearers in Europe. That
is all changing, with more and more Europeans donning masks
voluntarily and Austria due to require shoppers to wear basic face
masks in supermarkets. One German city, Jena, is following suit and
other countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia have similar
stipulations.
In the United States, where the White House once discouraged
Americans from wearing masks if they were not sick, Donald Trump has
also started encouraging the practice - but said people should use
scarves so as not to divert supplies from healthcare professionals.
The jury remains out on the protective benefits of masks: while the
World Health Organization continues to stress they are of little
value in protecting wearers in everyday situations, some experts
advise that they can at least help prevent the wearer from infecting
others.
(For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open
https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.)
Painful times ahead
In possibly his bleakest news conference yet, Trump warned Americans
on Tuesday of a "painful" two weeks ahead in fighting the
coronavirus, with a mounting U.S. death toll that could stretch into
the hundreds of thousands even with strict social distancing
measures.
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The warning was accompanied by a sobering set of charts that showed potential
for an enormous jump in deaths to a range of 100,000 to 240,000 people from the
virus in the coming months - even assuming the current mitigation efforts are
followed. Another chart showed as many as 2.2 million people were projected to
die without such measures - the number that prompted Trump to ditch plans to get
the U.S. economy moving again by Easter.
New cases remain stable in Italy
Despite a global spike in new reported cases, Italy remained stable at around
4,050 as of Tuesday, roughly in line with the day before, making it five days
without a significant increase.
The country, which has seen the most deaths from the coronavirus, has extended
its nationwide lockdown at least until the Easter season in April. On Tuesday,
health officials there warned it was too soon to consider lifting the lockdown,
saying a deceleration in new cases should not raise hopes that the crisis was
near an end.
Goats invade deserted Welsh resort
A herd of Kashmir goats has invaded a Welsh seaside resort after the coronavirus
lockdown left the streets deserted.
The animals, who normally roam free on a nearby headland jutting out into the
Irish Sea, have instead wandered into Llandudno where they have spent the past
three days feasting on garden hedges and flowers.
Town councilor Carol Marubbi said the goats don't normally come into town unless
the weather is bad. This time though, she said they probably realised something
unusual was going on because there were so few people around.
"I think they're probably feeling a bit lonely and they have come down to have a
look around," she told Reuters by telephone.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh and Mark John; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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