Nations Eye COVID-19 Lockdown Extensions as Global Cases Rise
The number of intensive care unit (ICU) patients is still increasing, and the country is worried about outbreaks in nursing homes. Army personnel have been brought in to support staff in two of them.
In the Netherlands, officials are also seeing early signs of stabilization in the number of hospitalized and ICU patients, Algemeen Dagblad, a newspaper based in Rotterdam, reported. The country’s cases are concentrated in North Brabant and Limburg provinces in the south.
Cases Spike in Turkey and Russia
Meanwhile, Turkey is reporting an ongoing surge of new cases, with 4,056 reported yesterday. Cases have been on the rise for 10 consecutive days, Daily Sabah, a pro-government newspaper based in Turkey, reported. The country has curfews in place for people under 20 and those over age 65, and the country’s health minister said most of the new cases are in people ages 20 to 65.
Russia yesterday reported 1,459 new cases yesterday, its biggest 1-day jump, raising the country’s total to 10,131, and President Vladimir Putin announced that the nationwide “non-working week” measure has been extended until Apr 30 to slow the spread of the virus, the Moscow Times reported. Most of the country’s illnesses have been reported from Moscow.
Indonesia, Singapore, Tokyo Report Record Highs
Indonesia, the world’s fourth-largest country, yesterday reported its highest daily death and case totals, with 40 more deaths and 337 new illnesses, Reuters reported. Some experts have said the country has been slow to respond and hasn’t issued major lockdowns, though it has given Jakarta officials more power to tackle the outbreak. The country has increased testing, but it has one of the lowest rates in the world.
Experts have also raised fears that travel to family homes at the end of Ramadan, a migration known as the “mudik,” could spread the virus to other parts of the country.
Elsewhere, Singapore—battling a second wave of infections—also reported its biggest 1-day jump yesterday with 287 new cases. The country’s health ministry said 3 are imported cases, 217 are part of known clusters, and 19 are linked to earlier cases. Of the cases yesterday, 202 are linked to clusters at foreign worker dormitories.
The country’s cases yesterday are more than double its previous daily high, Reuters reported, adding that thousands of foreign blue-collar workers live in dormitories across Singapore and make up a major part of its workforce in occupations ranging from construction to cleaning.
In Japan, where COVID-19 cases are steadily rising, Tokyo—the country’s main hot spot—reported a record high 181 cases, Kyodo News reported. President Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency on Apr 7 for Tokyo and six other prefectures, and some other prefectures have asked to be put on the list, which government experts are considering.
