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Coronavirus, Guterres: world will not return to the old normal

2020-07-16T17:26:56.745Z


The budget of the United Nations Secretary-General: more than 12 million cases of Covid-19 and 550 thousand deaths globally. Lockdown in eight municipalities in Catalonia. Closures also in Venezuela and in Belgium infections rise (ANSA)


"More than 12 million cases of Covid-19 have been recorded worldwide, with more than 550,000 deaths, hundreds of millions of jobs have been lost and the largest decline in per capita income since 1870 '' It is the reality told by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, during a Forum on sustainable development organized by the UN Economic and Social Council.

"About 265 million people may face severe food insecurity by the end of the year, double the number of people at risk before the crisis," he added. For this reason, "the seriousness of the crisis must not be underestimated," said the Secretary General.

According to Guterres, while the world needs to make progress, the pandemic "takes us away from the Sustainable Development Goals". '' Inequality within and between countries; lack of investment and disregard for the natural environment are among the reasons that triggered the devastating effects of the Covid-19 crisis, '' he said. The world will not be able to return to the "old so-called normal situation," acknowledged Guterres.

SPAIN - The city of Lleida and seven other municipalities in the Segrià area, in Catalonia, are in lockdown today after yesterday the government of the Generalitat approved a new resolution - protected by a modification of the Catalan law on public health - in light of the veto that was imposed on Monday by a court in the region. The Lleida court, in fact, had decided not to ratify the decision taken last Sunday by the Catalan government to impose the lockdown in the eight municipalities defining it "disproportionate". However, reports the Vanguardia, faced with an uncontrolled outbreak of coronaviruses, the government has approved the new resolution in record time and has already submitted it to the court for administrative disputes. Meritxell Budó, adviser to the presidency, explained that this is not a "strictly home confinement, but we ask citizens to be jointly responsible for the decision and not to leave the house unless necessary". The 15-day lockdown took place in Lleida, Alcarràs, Soses, Seròs, Aitona, La Granja d'Escarp, Massalcoreig and Torres de Segre.

NORWAY - The coronavirus pandemic continues to frighten part of the world, but in Norway a combination of factors has made funeral parlors companies difficult in recent months, to the point that some of them have asked the State for help. Due to the falling mortality and the impossibility of celebrating funeral ceremonies from public documents, it appears that half a dozen companies operating in the sector have asked for state aid. The Lande family, a leader in the field for three generations, underlined the uniqueness of the situation: "Apparently the measures imposed to combat coronavirus have also been effective on other viruses," explained Erik Lande to AFP, "to the point that some of the elderly people who would have died in normal circumstances are still alive. " Usually the company manages 30 funeral ceremonies on average in a month, but after the introduction of anti-covid measures in Norway in March the number plummeted to less than ten, in no case was it death by covid-19.

BELGIUM - The number of new coronavirus infections in Belgium in the period from 5 to 11 July increased by 8% compared to the previous week (from 28/6 to 4/7). The increase was observed in most provinces, but in particular in Antwerp (166 new cases in the week from 5 to 11 July compared to 143 in the previous week), in the province of Liège (46 new cases compared to 22) and in the province of Limburg (71 new cases compared to 41 in the previous week). Nationally, the number of new infections has increased in the past 2 weeks, with an average of 96 new cases per day. Most new infections are occurring in the workforce (20-59 years old). Hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline. Overall in Belgium there are 9,788 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

MEXICO - Mexico has decided to extend the restrictions on the border with the United States for another 30 days, for the third time: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it known, according to CNN reports. "After checking the increase in the spread of Covid-19, Mexico proposed to the United States that restrictions be extended to all non-essential traffic at the common border for another 30 days," the ministry announced on its Twitter account. "The measures will run until August 21, 2020," he added.

VENEZUELA - Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has announced that from today Caracas and the State of Miranda will return to the rigid lockdown of 'phase 1' of the measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Rodríguez indicated that President Nicolas Maduro ordered this tightening given the increase in cases of contagion in the two areas, with the aim of protecting the health of the population. In Venezuela, a scheme called '7x7' was introduced this week, which consists of a three-tier quarantine flexibility. The first is that of the most radical lockdown affecting an outbreak in the state of Zulia and in specific municipalities (Vigía in Mérida and Cumaná in Sucre). The second level implies partial opening measures for citizenship in 13 Venezuelan states with the start of economic activities in ten sectors. Finally, the third level is reserved for ten states, where the authorized economic activities rise to 24. In the whole national territory the quarantine for the public administration is maintained, the educational sector at all levels, the retailers of alcoholic beverages, the coffees , night clubs and restaurants, which will be able to operate through delivery, while public events will remain severely limited. Last night Maduro announced that in the 24 hours preceding the pandemic death toll reached 10,010 cases and 96 deaths.

AFGHANISTAN - The total number of coronavirus infections in Afghanistan has risen by 254 in the last 24 hours to reach 34,994. The Ministry of Health announced this, underlining that it is a reduction compared to the approximately 800 new cases registered every day in the last few weeks. However, the same source admits that the data are certainly higher, because many patients do not go to hospitals to be tested. There have been 32 deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, with the total rising to 1,094. So far 22,456 patients have recovered.

Source: ansa

All life articles on 2020-07-16

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