TOP HEADLINES

 

- The UK is planning to carry out 100,000 coronavirus daily tests by the end of April, said Health Secretary Matt Hancock, as part of a "five-pillar testing strategy."

-  The country, whose government has faced criticism for the slow speed of testing, is also looking at the possibility of "immunity certificates" to allow people who have already had coronavirus to return to normal life if hoped-for antibody tests work.

- A hospital in Bonn, Germany has been evacuated after a Word War II bomb was discovered in the area. It has 69 intensive-care patients and is trying to organize transport to other hospitals, which are already struggling under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic.

- Spain's death toll rose to 10,003 on Thursday, a record increase of 950, eclipsing the previous highest figure by 86

- UK deaths are up to 2,921, an increase of 569 in the past 24 hours.

- Two planes from Turkey and China carrying supplies of masks, hand sanitizer and overalls arrived in Spain on Wednesday as the country became the third to pass 100,000 confirmed cases.

- The Catalan region of Spain has asked for help from the country's army, having previously saying it did not require assistance.

- The Portuguese government will vote on Thursday on whether to extend the country's state of emergency for 15 more days.

- France is to set up roadblocks on major highways and extra police will be dispatched to train stations and airports, as its interior minister, Christophe Castaner, warned the country to stay at home during the Easter holidays.

- The Netherlands has proposed establishing a fund for nations worst-hit by COVID-19 and has asked other EU countries to contribute according to its finance minister, Wopke Hoekstra.

- One hundred more critically ill COVID-19 patients will be transferred from the Ile-De-France region to other hospitals across France on Thursday, as the country continues to be overwhelmed.

- Greece has quarantined a migrant camp after 20 asylum seekers tested positive.

- Thirteen EU countries including France, Germany and Italy have voiced their concerns in a joint statement over the emergency measures taken by Hungary to curb the spread of the virus.

- Police in Belgium are threatening to go on strike due to a lack of protective face masks.

- The women's European football championships, set to be held in England in 2021, has been moved back to the summer of 2022 so it does not clash with the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

- Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has extended the country's lockdown measures until 30 April.

- The United Nations has postponed a crucial climate change summit due to be held in Glasgow, UK in November. 

 

 

ACROSS EUROPE

By Nawied Jabarkhyl in London

The UK's new makeshift hospital to fight the coronavirus is set to start welcoming patients. And in a bid to ease the difficulties facing the medics, the Nightingale Hospital is asking children to send them drawings of rainbows. But they can't be sent in the post... Because of safety concerns, most are being shared through the hashtag #RainbowsForNightingale.

Elsewhere, the number of people claiming state welfare benefits in the UK has risen to almost one million people in the past two weeks. Normally, about 100,000 people would have applied for the payments, known as Universal Credit. The figures are a sign of the huge economic impact of COVID-19 and the difficult road to recovery ahead for millions of individuals.

 

By Toni Waterman in Brussels

The EU

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will lay out the details of a new instrument to support short-term working schemes on Thursday. Known as SURE, it will have firepower of up to $110 billion and will be backed by member state guarantees. Von der Leyen says SURE can save millions of jobs during the crisis and help the bloc quickly restart its economic engine once it's over.

With the European Parliament sitting mostly vacant, some are thinking there's a better way to use the space. A parliament spokesperson says a building on the Square de Meeus and a fleet of cars and lorries have been offered to the Brussels regional authorities. The building could be used as a hospital or a temporary residence for people in need of assistance and drivers could help with the transport of food or medicine.

Belgium

Belgium recorded a record number of coronavirus fatalities on Thursday, with 183 dead. That brings the death toll to 1,011. There are 15,348 confirmed cases in the country. 

Police in Belgium are threatening to go on strike over a lack of face masks. Union representatives say there is currently no, or insufficient, protection for officers, who often come in close contact with people while in the line of duty. Three police unions have said they don't want masks to be taken from medical personnel, but would like the government to provide the necessary protection. Federal and local police have agreed to submit an identical strike notification, although no date has been set. 

Meanwhile, four supermarkets were closed in Belgium on Wednesday after workers went on strike. Employees at Delhaize, one of the largest chains in Belgium, spoke of mental and physical fatigue, as well as a lack of protective gear. They are calling for more leave, bonuses and beefed up security. Management is expected to lay out a new set of proposals on Thursday. 

The government will ramp up testing for nursing home residents starting at the end of this week. More than a third of all rest homes in the Brussels region have reported at least one case of the deadly disease. The situation has been described as a "ticking time-bomb." More than 20,000 tests are expected throughout Belgium. 

 

By Julia Lyubova in Switzerland

The Swiss government is preparing an additional financial package to help the economy, which has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic. From expensive watches to chocolates and cement, Swiss industry is taking a huge hit. Watch manufacturers such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Hublot and Tag Heuer have temporarily closed their production sites. Others such as Swatch have reduced working hours.

The government has so far set aside $43 billion to help the economy. It is now looking to top up the biggest economic aid package in Swiss history. The new package is aimed at self-employed, one-person ventures, including those in the cultural and the sports sector, as well as people working on demand. 

Meanwhile, health officials say Switzerland no longer faces shortages in coronavirus testing. About 16,000 tests were carried out since Tuesday this week.

 

By Isobel Ewing in Budapest

Six aircraft from China landed in Budapest on Wednesday, delivering personal protective equipment that included 12 million face masks, 30,000 overalls and 200,000 face shields.

In the coming days, more than 10 aircraft are scheduled to arrive in Hungary, delivering ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Hungary's National Funeral Association has issued guidelines around funerals, saying that as long as the outbreak continues, only 10 mourners are permitted at ceremonies.

Following a ministerial order, autopsies have been suspended to protect pathologists from potential exposure to the virus and hospitals are placing victims of COVID-19 in double bags that are disinfected before being transported to funeral service providers.

The president of the pathology department of Semmelweis University, József Tímár, said the dead should not be washed, but instead dressed in protective clothing.

For those who are infected with Covid-19, cremation is encouraged, but if the deceased is buried in a coffin, a closed coffin is recommended, Tímár said.

 

By Ross Cullen in Paris

Concern is growing in France over the risks faced by the elderly living in care homes across the country. As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread in France, 570 people who were living in nursing homes have now died from COVID-19. In the Grand Est region, 411 out of 620 assisted-living facilities have been affected by the coronavirus.

On Thursday, 100 patients will be transferred from Ile-de-France, the region that includes Paris, to other hospitals in the center, north and west of the country. The French capital's facilities risk being overwhelmed by the rising number of positive cases and people requiring treatment in intensive care units, where the number of patients is higher than the number of beds available.

 

 

By Ira Spitzer in Berlin

German chancellor Angela Merkel announced social distancing measures intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus will be extended until at least 19 April, following consultations with the heads of Germany's 16 states. Germany has closed schools, restaurants and "non-essential" shops and doesn't allow public gatherings of more than two people not from the same household.

About half of Germany's 949 food banks have ceased operating since the beginning of the pandemic. Normally, they serve about 1.65 million people and demand is expected to rise as a result of the economic impact of the virus. Many of the volunteers who staff the food banks are elderly and have been advised not to leave their homes.

The virus is attracting "great attention" in Germany's right-wing extremist scene, according to Thomas Haldenwang, president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. He said the pandemic was being used to undermine confidence in the federal government and "spread conspiracy theories and brand migrants as carriers of the virus."

 

By Rahul Pathak in Madrid

On the day the Spanish government announced another record number of daily fatalities, there were signs its near three-week national lockdown could be working.

The rate of new infections continues to slow from 27 percent last week to 10.5 percent on Wednesday. The authorities claim Spain is close to hitting its peak in terms of new cases and that its "hibernation of the economy" was having the desired effect.

New measures have also been announced to help those most impacted by the economic slowdown.

The aid package looks to help the 620,000 people affected by temporary layoffs, small- and medium-sized businesses and the self-employed.

 

 

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

From CGTN America: US manufacturing orders drop to 11-year low

From CGTN Africa: South Africa commissions mobile testing kits

From CGTN China: Yuan falls to six-month low

 

CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded. Here you can read the essential information about the crisis.