Europe Moves to Reopen But Latin America in Crisis
MADRID (AFP) -- Europe inched up its coronavirus shutters a little further Monday as nightclubs, museums and swimming pools re-opened in parts of the continent.
While a post-pandemic life was gradually taking shape in what was formerly one of the worst-hit regions, the virus continued its rampage across Latin America, sparking a U.S. travel ban for people coming from Brazil.
Rocketing infection rates in South America have pushed the worldwide caseload to nearly 5.4 million, with deaths approaching 350,000, but with the global economy battered, governments are scrambling to provide relief however they can to businesses and citizens wearying of mass confinement.
Hard-hit Spain eased restrictions in Madrid and Barcelona, with the capital’s popular Retiro Park opening its gates Monday for the first time in 10 weeks.
Meanwhile, restaurants, bars and swimming pools were among several types of businesses set to reopen in the Czech Republic, which has reported nearly 9,000 cases.
The nation will even allow events with up to 300 people, and Czechs are no longer obliged to wear face masks in public except in shops and on public transport.
Elsewhere in Europe, cafes and restaurants in Greece were gearing up to reopen on Monday -- but only those with outdoor service.
Nightclubs and bars were set to resume business in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, while zoos and museums will welcome visitors again in Copenhagen, and Rome’s swimming pools and sports centers will also reopen.
In Asia, Japan lifted its state of emergency on Monday as new cases slowed to a crawl in the world’s third-biggest economy.
But in less wealthy parts of the planet, the news was not so good.
Brazil -- the world’s sixth-largest country -- has been declared the latest hotspot with more than 360,000 reported cases, second only to the United States, even as its leader, the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, plays down the threat from the virus.
In a sign of global concern about the outbreak in Brazil, where more than 22,000 have died of COVID-19, the White House said Sunday it would bar entry into the U.S. of non-Americans who have been in the South American nation in the 14 days before.
Despite the crisis engulfing Brazil, Bolsonaro -- an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump -- has repeatedly argued that lockdown measures are unnecessary and harmful to the economy.
While a post-pandemic life was gradually taking shape in what was formerly one of the worst-hit regions, the virus continued its rampage across Latin America, sparking a U.S. travel ban for people coming from Brazil.
Rocketing infection rates in South America have pushed the worldwide caseload to nearly 5.4 million, with deaths approaching 350,000, but with the global economy battered, governments are scrambling to provide relief however they can to businesses and citizens wearying of mass confinement.
Hard-hit Spain eased restrictions in Madrid and Barcelona, with the capital’s popular Retiro Park opening its gates Monday for the first time in 10 weeks.
Meanwhile, restaurants, bars and swimming pools were among several types of businesses set to reopen in the Czech Republic, which has reported nearly 9,000 cases.
The nation will even allow events with up to 300 people, and Czechs are no longer obliged to wear face masks in public except in shops and on public transport.
Elsewhere in Europe, cafes and restaurants in Greece were gearing up to reopen on Monday -- but only those with outdoor service.
Nightclubs and bars were set to resume business in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, while zoos and museums will welcome visitors again in Copenhagen, and Rome’s swimming pools and sports centers will also reopen.
In Asia, Japan lifted its state of emergency on Monday as new cases slowed to a crawl in the world’s third-biggest economy.
But in less wealthy parts of the planet, the news was not so good.
Brazil -- the world’s sixth-largest country -- has been declared the latest hotspot with more than 360,000 reported cases, second only to the United States, even as its leader, the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, plays down the threat from the virus.
In a sign of global concern about the outbreak in Brazil, where more than 22,000 have died of COVID-19, the White House said Sunday it would bar entry into the U.S. of non-Americans who have been in the South American nation in the 14 days before.
Despite the crisis engulfing Brazil, Bolsonaro -- an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump -- has repeatedly argued that lockdown measures are unnecessary and harmful to the economy.