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 Lockdown hawks and doves
As the world's largest economies contemplate how they will emerge
from the social distancing measures imposed over the past couple of
months, two schools of thought are emerging: a hawkish desire for a
quick re-opening and a dovish preference to err on the side of
caution...
Defying the lockdown
In the United States, around 2,500 people rallied at the Washington
state capitol to protest their Democratic governor's stay-at-home
order, defying a ban on gatherings of 50 or more. Despite pleas from
rally organizers to wear face coverings or masks, many did not.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday tweeted support for similar
rallies in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, encouraging protesters
to "LIBERATE!" their states from social distancing rules.
Skirting the lockdown
Italy's government last week extended non-essential business
closures to May 3. But that hasn't deterred the more than 100,000
mainly small- and medium-sized companies which have applied to keep
going or partially reopen.
In principle, a key hurdle for companies to keep doing business is
to prove they are part of a supply chain to firms that are deemed
"essential" in a government decree, such as food, energy or
pharmaceuticals.
But the government, facing a backlog of applications, has clarified
rules to say no companies need wait for government approval. So
unless they have been told they're not critical, all they need to do
is to inform their local authority that they plan to reopen - and go
ahead.
Lockdowns and..."discussion orgies"?
Germany's Angela Merkel is known for her balanced and sombre
language. But every now and then, she can exhibit quite an
eye-catching turn of phrase.
"Merkel complains about 'discussion orgies' over opening", ran a
headline in the mass-selling daily Bild's online edition.
Bild and other local media explained how Merkel used the expression
to show exasperation at the uncontrolled public debate about how to
move Germany out of lockdown, especially in regions that risked
higher rates of coronavirus infection.
Some German retailers began reopening on Monday, along with car and
bicycle dealers, and bookstores, under an agreement Merkel reached
with state leaders last Wednesday.
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Easy does it in New Zealand
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meanwhile announced some of the
world's strictest lockdown measures would be eased from next week.
The Pacific nation of 5 million introduced its toughest "level 4" measures in
late March, shutting down offices, schools and all non-essential services.
From April 27 it will shift down to "level 3": Construction, manufacturing and
forestry businesses will be allowed to operate under the new rules, meaning
hundreds of thousands can resume work. Moreover, swimming at the beach, fishing
and some surfing, rambling and biking will be allowed.
Turkey third-highest after Europe and U.S.
Elsewhere, Turkey's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen to 86,306, its health
minister reported, taking it to the highest total outside of Europe and the
United States. Turkey only reported its first coronavirus patient on March 10,
but has seen the number of cases rise sharply since then.
It now has the seventh-highest number of cases on a country basis.
(For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7
in an external browser.)
Tokyo governor inspires computer game
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's entreaty to residents to keep away from each other
has inspired a computer game of her navigating through crowds while uttering her
daily call for social distancing: "mitsudesu".
The game, published by Twitter user Gunjo Chikin, includes a character
resembling Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who provides two face masks to Koike as
her social distancing circle expands as she moves to harder levels.
Critics have accused Abe of reacting too slowly to the pandemic, and some have
ridiculed his plan to send two cloth face masks to every household in Japan.
(Compiled by Mark John and Karishma Singh; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
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