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Agencies

Spain has become the first country in western Europe to pass 500,000 coronavirus infections, amid concerns about the reopening of schools in the country.
The new figures from Madrid came as concerns grow about a resurgence of the virus across Europe, with France tightening restrictions, cases in Britain spiking and schools resuming around the region in recent days.
Spain had largely gained control over its outbreak, but infections have surged since the restrictions were fully removed at the end of June.
“If we all take responsibility and here I am including the children … I believe that the return to school is very possible,” health ministry official Fernando Simon said on Monday.
Mexico runs out of death certificates as coronavirus cases continue to soar
“Although it will have an impact, it will certainly not have an excessive impact.”
Many parents remained reluctant.
The return to school “is being treated like an experiment, we’re like guinea pigs,” said Aroa Miranda, a 37-year-old mother-of-two.
In neighbouring Morocco, the government shut all schools and imposed a lockdown on Casablanca on the very day they were supposed to reopen after cases surged in the city.


Officials said the virus risked overwhelming the North African country if it was not controlled.
Restrictions were also reimposed in France where seven more regions were placed on a red list after successively recording daily infection rates of between 7,000 and 9,000.
And in England, officials fiddled with overseas quarantine rules again, imposing curbs on travellers from seven Greek islands popular with holidaymakers, after Britain at the weekend registered a level of infection not seen since late May.
Worldwide infections to date stand at more than 27 million and over 890,000 people have died from the disease, with the pandemic showing no sign of peaking.
India overtakes Brazil with second-highest number of cases
In Asia, however, India pressed ahead with reopening its battered economy even as it surpassed Brazil on Monday as the second-most infected nation in the world with 4.2 million cases.
Trains began running again in the capital New Delhi after a five-month shutdown and 12 other cities also restarted subway services.
China’s President Xi Jinping on Tuesday praised China’s role in battling the pandemic and expressed support for the World Health Organisation, in a repudiation of US criticism and a bid to rally domestic support for Communist Party leadership.


China itself had “helped save a great number of lives from Covid-19 around the world with concrete actions,” Xi said, pointing to the export of 209,000 ventilators, 1.4 billion protective suits and 151.5 billion masks. China also sent medical staff to assist a handful of countries.
The coronavirus was first detected in the central city of Wuhan late last year, and the US and others have alleged the outbreak spread out of control because China withheld information about it. China says it acted swiftly and responsibly but has rejected calls for an independent investigation into its handling of the emergency.
In the US, President Donald Trump hinted on Monday that the US could approve a coronavirus vaccine in October, ahead of the November election, as Joe Biden demanded transparency from the government as it studies the shots.
Singapore poised to ease coronavirus restrictions and allow events with 250 people
“This could’ve taken two or three years, and instead it’s going to be – going to be done in a very short period of time,” Trump said during a news conference in which he criticised Biden for his scepticism that the FDA is operating free of political pressure.
“Could even have it during the month of October,” Trump added, calling Biden’s doubts “political lies”.
Many public health officials and scientists have expressed concerns that the Food and Drug Administration is under pressure from the White House to approve a vaccine before Trump faces re-election on November 3.
The pandemic continues to impact the sports world. French footballer Kylian Mbappe was the latest in a growing number of high-profile figures to test positive in recent weeks, including Brazilian footballer Neymar, Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson and former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi.
Mbappe has been ruled out of France’s Nations League game against Croatia on Tuesday and is the seventh Paris Saint-Germain player to contract the virus.
Boris Johnson wants UK workers back in the office, but many prefer home
A number of tennis players have also been infected, and on Tuesday, world number one Ashleigh Barty announced she would not defend her French Open crown due to virus fears.
The Australian star said it was a “difficult” decision but the health of her family and team came first.
French Open organisers have been forced to impose strict guidelines on players and far fewer spectators will be allowed to watch than initially planned.
Many sports have seen their calendars ripped to shreds by Covid-19, but the biggest single casualty has been the Tokyo Olympics, which were due to take place this summer.
Tokyo 2020 should be held next year “at any cost”, Japan’s Olympic minister said Tuesday, a day after the IOC’s John Coates said that the postponed Games would go ahead in 2021 “with or without Covid”.
Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg, Associated Press


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Coronavirus pandemic

Parents worry about schools as Spain surpasses 500,000 coronavirus cases

Students in five Spanish regions returned to class on Monday for the first time since the pandemic paralysed Spain six months ago. Photo: AP

Coronavirus latest: India overtakes Brazil with second-highest number of cases

A health worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 in Ahmedabad, India. The country leads the world in new infections. Photo: AP

A family takes a walk as police look on in Melbourne on September 6, 2020 as the state announced an extension to its strict lockdown law while it battles fresh outbreaks of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews addresses the media during a press conference in Melbourne, Sunday, September 6, 2020. Victoria has recorded 63 new coronavirus cases and five more deaths, taking the state's total fatalities to 666 and the national death toll to 753. (AAP Image/Erik Anderson) NO ARCHIVING

Mexico runs out of death certificates as coronavirus cases continue to soar

A group of Mexican funeral workers demonstrate to demand more medical death certificates to speed the procedures for Covid-19 deaths. Photo: AFP

View of the Mexican flag at half mast for the more than 60,000 deaths in the country due to the COVID-19, at the National Palace in Mexico City, on September 2, 2020. - The novel coronavirus has killed at least 857,824 people worldwide since the outbreak last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP, with Mexico being one of the hardest-hit countries with 65,241 deaths from 606,036 cases. (Photo by ALFREDO ESTRELLA / AFP)

Singapore poised to ease coronavirus restrictions and allow events with 250 people

A worker in a protective suit takes a swab to test for Covid-19. Photo: AFP

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World

Europe

Coronavirus

Infections have surged in Spain since restrictions were fully removed at the end of June
China’s President Xi Jinping praises China and WHO for battling coronavirus


Spain had largely gained control over its outbreak, but infections have surged since restrictions were fully removed.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Spain

Dwayne Johnson

Parents worry about schools as Spain surpasses 500,000 coronavirus cases

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Infections have surged in Spain since restrictions were fully removed at the end of June China’s President Xi Jinping praises China and WHO for battling coronavirus

Infections have surged in Spain since restrictions were fully removed at the end of June

China’s President Xi Jinping praises China and WHO for battling coronavirus