New lockdowns in Europe as COVID-19 cases soar; Pakistan's PM tests positive
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Several European countries have instituted new lockdown restrictions, while others are considering tightening their rules in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus as case numbers across the continent are surging once again.
In France, a new partial lockdown took effect at midnight on Friday. Some 21 million people across 16 regions, including Paris, are affected by the new measures. The French government decided to take the step amid fears of a third wave.
The new lockdown is less restrictive than previous ones. People will be allowed to exercise outdoors and schools will remain open. However, non-essential businesses have been forced to shut down, while others, such as hairdressers, can remain open if they follow strict guidelines.
Traffic jams were reported as thousands of people tried to leave the French capital ahead of the lockdown on Friday. Traffic volume and train reservations were both up 20 percent, according to the nation's transportation minister.
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More than 4.2 million infections have been reported in France since the start of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. With more than 91,000 deaths, the country has one of the highest death tolls in Europe.
Poland's lockdown
Poland is taking its measures a step further and embarking on a nationwide three-week lockdown on Saturday after cases jumped 44 percent week-over-week. Health officials attribute the recent spike to the U.K. coronavirus variant, according to the country's health ministry.
"The main reason for the development of this situation and its acceleration is the British mutation of the coronavirus," Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told reporters on Wednesday.
Under the country's lockdown rules, only essential businesses — such as grocery stores and pharmacies — will stay open. The country will also cancel all in-person classes and return to online education over the course of the lockdown.
More than 49,000 people have so far died in Poland from the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
Tightening restrictions
Earlier in the week, Italy — which was the first country in Europe to impose a lockdown last year — issued new national restrictions to stop the spread of the virus.
Hungary, Bulgaria and Bosnia have also tightened their restrictions in recent weeks. Other countries, including Germany, have warned of a possible return to stricter measures in the days ahead.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged residents on Friday to diligently follow coronavirus safety rules, warning that vaccines won't arrive quickly enough to prevent a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New infections in Germany are rising at a "very clearly exponential rate," Spahn said.
With Germany set for a four-day-weekend in early April to mark the Easter holiday, Spahn said the country is not yet ready to relax travel and physical distancing rules. In fact, he said, Germans should be prepared to revert to tighter restrictions. Germany has recorded more than 2.6 million coronavirus cases and more than 74,000 deaths.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to meet with the governors of Germany's 16 states on Monday, when they will discuss whether to reinstate lockdown conditions.
In the United Kingdom, the conversation has turned away from lockdowns as the nation celebrated a milestone in its fight against the virus on Saturday with the news that half of its adult population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a video posted on Twitter, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the country set a new record for daily vaccinations on Friday.
"It's a huge success," Hancock said. "And I want to say many, many thanks to all those involved, including the half of all adults who have come forward. It's so important because this vaccine is our way out of this pandemic."
Pakistan's prime minister tests positive
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan is self-isolating at home after testing positive for COVID-19, a tweet from his office said.
The prime minister is suffering a "slight cough" and the "mildest of fevers," according to two government officials.
As NPR's Diaa Hadid reports, news of the prime minister's positive test result came just two days after he received his first COVID vaccine dose.
The proximity of those two events could raise concerns that will deepen vaccine hesitation in the country. Health officials have tried to stress that Khan, 68, had likely been infected before he was vaccinated on Thursday.
Vaccine hesitancy is an issue in Pakistan, with a poll earlier this month showing that it is also high among healthcare workers.
Hours before the announcement, authorities shut down restaurants across the Pakistani capital as the U.K. variant of the virus spreads.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to wish his counterpart a "speedy recovery."
Pakistan's COVID-19 death toll stands at more than 13,700.
Republic of Congo presidential candidate hospitalized with COVID-19
The leading opposition presidential candidate in Republic of Congo was receiving oxygen at a private hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, a family member said, casting Sunday's election into doubt on the eve of the vote.
The election's outcome was already all but certain even before confirmation of Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas' illness. President Denis Sassou N'Guesso has been in power for more than 36 years, last winning 60 percent of the vote in 2016. But the Central African country's constitution stipulates that an election can be delayed if a candidate dies or is unable to participate in the vote.
Kolelas, the president's leading opponent, skipped his final campaign event on Friday after telling some reporters a day earlier that he feared he had malaria. A relative who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter said plans were under way for Kolelas to be evacuated abroad for further treatment.
The 61-year-old is diabetic and at higher risk of complications from COVID-19. A video circulating on social media dated Friday showed Kolelas wearing an oxygen mask and with a blood pressure cuff on his arm as he lay in a hospital bed.
“My dear compatriots, I am in trouble. I am fighting death,” the candidate says in a weak-sounding voice after removing his oxygen mask. “However, I ask you to stand up and vote for change. I would not have fought for nothing.”
A campaign spokesman confirmed the authenticity of the video and Kolelas' hospitalization. Two people at the hospital who had seen Kolelas' test results confirmed to the AP late Saturday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
There was no immediate reaction to the developments from the government late Saturday.
Kolelas placed second to Sassou N’Guesso in the country's 2016 presidential election with about 15 percent of the vote. The opposition figure has been particularly critical of the incumbent leader in recent days, declaring that Republic of Congo had become “a police state.”
Sassou N’Guesso is the third-longest serving president in Africa, ruling from 1979-1992 and then again since 1997 in this nation often overshadowed by its vast neighbor Congo.
Republic of Congo has had fewer than 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with 134 confirmed deaths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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