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 New alert levels in Britain
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out new measures to
try to contain a growing coronavirus crisis on Monday, outlining
three alert levels aimed at helping tailor restrictions for
different parts of England, and to better coordinate the
government's under-fire response.
Northern England has been particularly hard hit by a new surge in
coronavirus cases that has forced local lockdowns as students
returned to schools and universities across Britain.
The mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, said on Sunday the
government wanted to put his city and surrounding area in the
category subject to the toughest restrictions, adding that the
measures that would apply there had not been agreed. Downing Street
was keen to emphasise the new system had been widely discussed with
regional leaders.
Moves back to international travel in Asia-Pacific region
Asia-Pacific countries including Singapore, Australia and Japan are
gradually easing some international travel restrictions as
coronavirus cases slow, in the hope of helping to revive their
economies.
A Singapore-Indonesia deal announced on Monday for essential
business and official travel will require an application and
COVID-19 swab tests both before and after travel.
New Zealanders will be able to travel to some parts of Australia
from Friday without quarantining, including to New South Wales,
Canberra and the Northern Territory.
Australia is also in talks with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and
South Pacific nations on reopening travel as coronavirus infections
ease, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Australian study into survival of the coronavirus
The virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on smooth surfaces such
as banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much
longer than the flu virus, Australian researchers said, highlighting
the need for cleaning and washing hands.
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Experiments done at 20 Celsius, 30C and 40C showed the virus survived longer at
cooler temperatures, longer on smooth surfaces than on complex surfaces such as
cotton, and longer on paper banknotes than on plastic ones.
Researchers said given that proteins and fats in body fluids can also sharply
increase virus survival times, their study may help explain the apparent
persistence and spread of the virus in cool environments like meat-packing
facilities.
New restrictions in Italy and possibly Germany
Italy is preparing new nationwide restrictions in response to a spike in new
coronavirus cases, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Sunday, including a
proposed ban on private parties, involving both children and adults, while Rome
would also target hours for bars and restaurants to reduce people's contagion
risks.
The package of restrictions will be discussed with regions on Monday and will be
included in a decree that Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte could sign as early as
the evening, Speranza said.
Meanwhile, an aide to Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that Germany
should continue capping the number of people allowed at gatherings and clamp
down on unnecessary travel as it battles rising coronavirus infections. "We must
be a bit stricter in places where infection chains spread mostly, which is
parties and, unfortunately, also travel," the chancellor's chief of staff, Helge
Braun, told public broadcaster ARD.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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