Protests in UK and Portugal, Sweden backs 'no lockdown' strategy: COVID-19 daily bulletin
Updated 03:13, 15-Nov-2020
Aden-Jay Wood
Europe;

TOP HEADLINES

• UK Police made over a dozen arrests in Bristol, after hundreds of people took to the streets to protest against the lockdown restrictions put in place by the country's government. Meanwhile, 16 people were arrested at similar protests in Liverpool.

• Sweden is adamant it will continue with its strategy of voluntary measures and no lockdowns, despite experiencing record numbers of daily infections. 

• Germany expects to pay out $26 billion in relief aid to companies and self-employed workers between January to June 2021 as the impact of the pandemic looks set to extend into next year.

• Portugal's bar, restaurant and nightclub workers protested in the country's capital, Lisbon, on Saturday, saying the new lockdown measures which meant they had to close were "killing the sector."

 UK charity, the British Heart Foundation said there were 4,622 "excess deaths" from heart and circulatory diseases in England between the start of the pandemic and mid-October, urging people not to delay in seeking treatment. 

• Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has announced a nationwide lockdown to start on Tuesday in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.

• Family and friends of people living in England's care homes are to get access to regular testing to put an end to "heartbreaking" restrictions on visits, the government has said. 

• Slovakia is to re-open theaters, cinemas and churches at 50 percent capacity from Monday and let swimming pools and fitness centers open with limited visitors, the country's Prime Minister Igor Matovic said. 

• A circus company in Prague has begun to offer five-minute shows, including jugglers and acrobats for "people addicted to live culture," but can't attend a full performance during the pandemic. 

• Italy's regions of Campania and Tuscany will be added to its high-risk 'red zone' list from Sunday as cases continue to surge across the country.

• Denmark has not registered any examples of humans infected by the Cluster 5 strain, or 'mink-COVID,' its health minister Magnus Heunicke said. 

00:20

ACROSS EUROPE

Catherine Drew in London

A COVID-19 pilot to test family members visiting their loved ones in care homes is being launched in the UK in a bid to give residents the chance to see family members over the Christmas period.  

Several care homes will offer regular testing to one family member or friend per resident, either through home tests or rapid tests carried at the care home. It is hoped the scheme can be rolled out in the coming weeks as part of mass testing across the UK. 

"I know how heartbreaking restricting visits to care homes have been," Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, "Not only for residents, many of whom will feel disoriented and confused by the situation, but also their loved ones who aren't able to simply hug each other to support them in this difficult time."

Charities working for the elderly welcomed the scheme, which will begin Monday, but voiced concern that many people have suffered greatly by not seeing family members for eight months.      

 

Stefan de Vries in Amsterdam

In The Netherlands, the number of new infections per week is falling dramatically. The second wave reached its peak on October 30, with over 11,000 positive COVID-19 tests within 24 hours.

Theaters, cinemas and other entertainment venues may reopen next Thursday. The sites were closed on November 4, but now the infection rate is decreasing again, they have been deemed safe.

The National Health Authority estimates that it will take at least a year to vaccinate the entire population of the country (around 17.5 million inhabitants)

In the third quarter of this year, Dutch GDP grew by a record 7.7 percent, compared to the previous quarter. The year-on-year comparisons however show the economy contracted by 3 percent. And although this is the best score of all European countries, the authorities find it still too early to talk about economic recovery.

 

A circus company in Prague, Czechia has begun to offer five minute shows, which includes jugglers and acrobats, on a stage behind a window for those missing performances. /AP

A circus company in Prague, Czechia has begun to offer five minute shows, which includes jugglers and acrobats, on a stage behind a window for those missing performances. /AP

Rahul Pathak in Madrid

The coronavirus crisis has shaved nearly one year off Spain's life expectancy, according to a new study.

The report by the country's Center for Demographic Studies found that the first wave of the pandemic caused Spain's life expectancy to drop by 11 months.

For men in Madrid, it was the worst - dropping by 2 years and 10 months when comparing the year leading up to July 2020 with the year leading up to July 2019.

The country still has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world however, with the average Spaniard living a total of 83 years and 7 months.


 

Italy

Seven "red zones," nine "orange zones" and five "yellow zones": this will be the map of Italy as of November 15 after health minister Roberto Speranza put two more regions – Toscana and Campania - under the strictest lockdown imposed by the Italian government. They will join the regions of Calabria, Lombardia, Piemonte, Bolzano and Valle d'Aosta. 

"I know we're asking for more sacrifices, but there's no other way if we want to reduce the number of deaths, prevent infection, and avoid unbearable pressure be put on our health system," Speranza said on Facebook. 

Italy has added two more regions to its high risk 'red zone' list but there's "no other way" to slow the spread according to health minister Roberto Speranza.

Italy has added two more regions to its high risk 'red zone' list but there's "no other way" to slow the spread according to health minister Roberto Speranza.

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