BARS AND PUBS ARE CLOSING AS VIRUS SURGES IN EUROPE

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Most Read News Desk

Sun 11 October 2020:

Across Europe and beyond, Covid-19 has come roaring back, and, as happened last spring, officials are invoking restrictions to try and suppress it. But this time is different.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 3,483 to 322,864, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.

The reported death toll rose by eleven to 9,615, the tally showed.

In Berlin — a city famed for its nightlife — bars remain open but new rules that come into force Saturday mean they will have to close at 11 p.m., along with restaurants and stores.
No more than five people will be allowed to gather in a group from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and no more than 10 people at a time will be allowed to attend gatherings indoors. The measures are expected to remain in place until at least the end of October.

France

The number of new coronavirus infections in France jumped over 26,000 in one day for the first time since the start of the epidemic, health ministry data showed on Saturday.

The ministry reported 26,896 new infections, taking the cumulative total to 718,873 since the start of the year. The number of deaths from the virus increased by 54 to 32,684.

France has placed cities on “maximum alert” and ordered many to close all bars, gyms and sports centers on Saturday. Italy and Poland have made masks compulsory in public.

No alcohol indoors in Scottish pubs

Scotland is another country imposing strict limits from Friday on the service of alcoholic drinks, as it battles rising infection rates.
Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants will be barred from serving alcohol indoors for 16 days, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced Wednesday. They will also be required to close at 6 p.m., except for hotel restaurants serving residents.

The Czech Republic has declared a state of emergency, and German officials fear new outbreaks could soon grow beyond the control of their vaunted testing and tracing.

Portugal ordered new restrictions last month, but on Thursday recorded more than 1,000 daily infections for the first time since April. In the northern England, where new rules have come and gone and come again, the most tangible result has been sowing confusion, not slowing contagion. Officials are now warning that hospitals could face a greater flood of patients than at the height of the pandemic in April.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson may also decide to bring in tougher measures across parts of England, particularly in the north, where infection rates are soaring.
A 10 p.m. curfew has already been in place for pubs and restaurants in England since late last month. The government also made it illegal for more than six people to gather socially in England.

The World Health Organization on Thursday announced a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases. Europe, as a region, is now reporting more cases than India, Brazil or the United States.

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