Due to rapidly increasing new infections, California, the most populous US state, is reversing many of its coronavirus restrictions. Bars and cinemas have to close, restaurants are no longer allowed to serve guests in closed rooms, as Governor Gavin Newsom said yesterday.
In addition, fitness centers, churches and shopping centers in 30 districts, including Los Angeles, would have to be closed if they were to take place in closed rooms.
The huge school district of Los Angeles announced that due to the ongoing pandemic in the school year beginning on August 18, students can only learn online until further notice. „The health and safety of everyone in the school community is not something we can compromise on,“ it said. US President Donald Trump’s government is exerting pressure on US states and local authorities to open schools normally again in the new school year.
New curfew in Tangier
The Moroccan authorities imposed a new curfew on the port city of Tangier in view of new sources of infection. According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, „residents are only allowed to leave their homes if absolutely necessary“. Public transport is now standing still, cafes and public facilities have been closed again. In other Moroccan cities, too, there was another „lock-down“ – among others in Safi, a city with around 300,000 inhabitants on the Atlantic coast, after a CoV outbreak in a canned fish factory.
Restrictions in Hong Kong again
Hong Kong reintroduced restrictions after infections rose again. Hong Kong’s Prime Minister Carrie Lam said that public gatherings of more than four people are prohibited. Shops have to close partially and restaurants are only allowed to offer take-away food between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
Bars, night clubs, beauty salons, gyms and karaoke bars are not allowed to open. Face masks are now mandatory in local public transport, violations will be punished with up to 570 euros. Lam said he plans to review the measures in seven days.
Worry about undetected spread
Due to its proximity to mainland China, the financial metropolis was one of the first regions with coronavirus cases, but the spread of the new pathogen was quickly managed through strict measures. So far, just over 1,400 infections have been confirmed and eight people have died. No transfers had been demonstrated for two months.
However, 180 new cases have been discovered in connection with a hotspot in the past two weeks. The authorities fear that the virus will spread undetected to Hong Kong’s 7.5 million people.
