End of the compulsory mask in Spain and in American transport, Shanghai is cautiously easing certain restrictions, Greece is ready to “cohabit” with the virus...
Le Figaro
takes stock this Wednesday, April 20 on the latest information related to the Covid pandemic -19.
Read the fileCovid-19: the coronavirus pandemic in figures and infographics
End of the compulsory mask indoors in Spain
Since Wednesday, thanks to the improvement in the health situation, the Spaniards can drop the mask indoors, as in shopping centers, with the exception of public transport, hospitals and retirement homes.
This measure had been in force since May 20, 2020, with Spain being one of the few countries that had not yet lifted it.
According to a poll carried out on Monday and Tuesday on a sample of 500 people and published on Wednesday by the daily
El País
, nearly half of Spaniards (48.5%) however feel
"uncomfortable or not comfortable with everything”
in the face of the end of the compulsory mask indoors, more than 54% considering this measure premature.
Read alsoCovid-19: the indoor mask obligation ends on Wednesday in Spain
In the United States, the obligation to wear a mask lifted in certain transport
The mask has become optional for passengers, as for employees, in American planes, Uber vehicles and most public transport in the United States.
Washington had decided last week to extend the obligation to wear a mask on public transport until at least May 3.
But a federal judge ruled on Monday that the health authorities were overstepping their prerogatives and reversed the decision, prompting the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) to lift the requirement.
The new instructions did not take long to fall.
The country's major airlines, which for the most part made the mask compulsory in the spring of 2020, dropped the constraint in stride on Monday evening, followed by the rail company Amtrak.
VTC companies Uber and Lyft followed suit on Tuesday morning.
The mask remains for the moment de rigueur in the New York subway and buses.
And the authority overseeing New York airports had not immediately announced any changes.
»SEE ALSO –
United States: a judge cancels the mask requirement for public transport
Greece ready to “cohabit” with the Covid, according to its Minister of Health
"After two years of pandemic, we find ourselves in a different management phase (...) that of cohabitation with the virus"
, Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced at a press conference.
New cases and intensive care hospitalizations are down and 85% of Greek adults are vaccinated, he said.
Greece, whose economy depends on tourism for around a quarter of its gross domestic product (GDP), in February scrapped mandatory screening tests for travelers with EU vaccination certificates.
In addition, it will no longer be necessary to present a vaccination pass in restaurants, bars and shops from May 1, while wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory indoors from June 1.
The government has indicated that these measures will be reviewed by September 1 depending on the evolution of the pandemic.
Read alsoCovid-19: in Greece, the pandemic persists on Mount Athos
China: Shanghai cautiously eases some restrictions
Totally confined since the beginning of the month, the city of Shanghai slightly relaxed restrictions on Wednesday that penalize supplies and weigh heavily on China's economy, despite the increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths.
The 25 million inhabitants of Shanghai, where more than 400,000 infections have been reported since the beginning of March, are in principle subject to strict confinement at home.
But since last week, some rules have been relaxed, the town hall said on Wednesday.
More than 12 million people can thus technically leave their homes, but must remain within the confines of their residence or their neighborhood, she said.
In theory, residents of neighborhoods where no cases have been reported in the past 14 days can move freely.
Shanghai reported seven additional deaths in 24 hours on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths in the metropolis to 17.
The seven deaths concern people suffering from pathologies such as lung cancer or diabetes, and five of them were over 70 years old.
The city also reported more than 18,000 cases on Wednesday.
SEE ALSO –
After separating Covid-19 positive children from their parents, Shanghai partially reverses its decision
Mozambique eases its health measures
Mozambique President Felipe Nyusi announced on Wednesday the end of the state of
"public calamity"
, a set of measures taken in 2020 to limit the spread of Covid-19.
"13.7 million Mozambicans have full vaccination coverage against Covid-19"
, or 90% of the group targeted by vaccination, welcomed Felipe Nyusi in a speech relayed by government media.
Nearly half of the 31 million Mozambicans are thus fully vaccinated, a percentage well above the average on the African continent, which barely exceeds 15.8% according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A total of 225,338 cases of Covid have been recorded in the country, including 2,201 deaths.
Wearing a mask thus remains compulsory in all closed places, public and semi-public transport, but is no longer compulsory in open places.
Travelers entering the country must still present proof of vaccination or a negative test and people who test positive for Covid-19 are subject to isolation for seven days instead of fifteen until then.
