Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
And In Pan-Global Pandemic News . . .
Singapore will make some incoming travellers wear an electronic monitoring device to ensure that they comply with coronavirus quarantines as the city-state gradually reopens its borders, authorities said on Monday. From August 11, the devices will be given to incoming travellers, including citizens and residents, from a select group of countries who will be allowed to isolate at home rather than at a state-appointed facility. (8/3)
Thousands of largely mask-less demonstrators marched through central Berlin on Saturday chanting 鈥淲e are free people鈥 to the beat of Queen鈥檚 鈥淲e Will Rock You鈥 in a coronavirus restrictions protest that was also riddled with virus-related conspiracy theories. The demonstration took place despite recent warnings from German health officials about a new rise in infections. (Morris and Berger, 8/1)
Coronavirus outbreaks at mink farms in Spain and the Netherlands have scientists digging into how the animals got infected and if they can spread it to people. In the meantime, authorities have killed more than 1 million minks at breeding farms in both countries as a precaution. The outbreaks among the minks on farms in the Netherlands and Spain likely started with infected workers, although officials aren鈥檛 certain. (Parra and Corder, 8/2)
Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said on Sunday he has contracted COVID-19 and will self-isolate at home for two weeks. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have symptoms expect a very mild cough,鈥 Hoti said on his Facebook page. Hoti鈥檚 government has faced criticism for not doing enough to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, with the small Balkan country reporting a sharp increase in cases in the past few days 鈥 including 13 deaths on Sunday. (8/2)
About 250 Tunisian migrants in several small boats have reached a tiny Italian island that has run out of room to quarantine them as required by Italy鈥檚 anti-coronavirus measures, local officials said Saturday. The Sicilian newspaper Giornale di Sicilia quoted Lampedusa Mayor Toto鈥 Martello as saying the island can鈥檛 wait until the government sends a chartered ferry where the migrants can be held for 14 days to fulfill the country鈥檚 quarantine requirement. (D'Emilio, 8/1)
More than 9,500 runners competing in Moscow鈥檚 annual half-marathon on Sunday wore masks and gloves in the starting area, had their temperature checked and were told to observe social distancing rules because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 21.1-km race had been postponed from May, when the Russian capital was in lockdown because of the new coronavirus. (8/2)
And more nations tighten lockdowns 鈥
Ireland is considering additional measures to limit non-essential travel in the wake of an uptick in COVID-19 infections in recent days both in Ireland and other European countries, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said on Sunday. Ireland already advises against all non-essential international travel and requires people arriving from all but 15 countries to self-isolate for 14 days, but it does not require COVID-19 tests from visitors and has not banned flights from any country. (8/2)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson put some of the country鈥檚 next steps out of lockdown on hold Friday with just a few hours鈥 notice, saying the number of new coronavirus cases was on the rise for the first time since May. The government鈥檚 top medical adviser warned that it was impossible to fully reopen society without the virus running out of control. (Kirka and Lawless, 7/31)
Switzerland should tighten restrictions to curb the coronavirus again following a recent spike in cases, in order to prevent the need for much harsher lockdown measures in future, the new head of the country鈥檚 coronavirus taskforce said. Switzerland has seen the number of new cases of COVID-19 surge to more than 200 a day recently after an average of 35 per day in June. Martin Ackermann, who heads the body that provides scientific advice to the Swiss government, said the country was on the brink of a big increase in infections and had little room to maneuver. (8/2)
Travelers entering France from 16 countries where the coronavirus is circulating widely now must undergo virus tests upon arrival at French airports and ports. French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced last month that the tests would be required starting Aug. 1 for passengers France is allowing in from a list of approved countries unless they present proof of a negative test done within 72 hours of their departure. (8/1)
Australia鈥檚 second-most populous state of Victoria declared a state of disaster on Sunday and imposed a nightly curfew for the capital Melbourne as part of its harshest movement restrictions to date to contain a resurgent COVID-19. Melbourne, Australia鈥檚 second-largest city already under a reimposed six-week stay-home order, has struggled to rein in the disease, with record numbers of infections of the new coronavirus reported last week. (Kelly, 8/1)