Tuesday, June 23 marks the entry into force of containment measures in two German cantons, as well as in the metropolitan region of Lisbon, in Portugal. At the same time, the European Union seems to be considering the possibility of refusing Americans entry into the territory.
Has deconfinement gone too quickly in certain European countries? In Germany, where 8,924 deaths have been recorded since the start of the health crisis – compared to 29,723 in France – a local reconfinement was announced on Tuesday June 23. In question: the eruption of a major source of contamination in the Tönnies slaughterhouse, the largest in Europe, located in the canton of Gütersloh, in the west of the country. 1,553 cases have been detected there.
In total, more than 600,000 people are affected by this measure: the 360,000 who live in the canton concerned, as well as the 280,000 who live in the neighboring Warendorf. “For the first time in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany, we are going to return in an entire canton to the measures that applied a few weeks ago” before Germany begins a gradual deconfinement in early May, said Armin Laschet, the leader of the region, during a press conference in Düsseldorf, as reported The world.
In Germany, 7,000 people placed in quarantine
Concretely, the inhabitants of the cantons of Gütersloh and Warendorf will see their activities and their movements strictly limited, but will not be obliged to stay at home. Bars, cinemas and museums will be closed, while leisure activities will be prohibited in closed spaces. However, the restaurants will be able to remain open, on the condition that they only welcome customers from the same household.
Objective : “calm the situation”, and “increase testing” screening. For the time being, 7,000 people have been placed in quarantine, while 21 are hospitalized and 6 are in intensive care. The containment measures, which take place ten days before the start of the school holidays, should first last for a week. In addition, the ban on large gatherings has been extended until November across the country.
New containment measures in the Lisbon region
Simultaneously with Germany, Portugal resorted to several containment measures from Tuesday June 23 around Lisbon. Several foci of contagion had been detected there: between May 21 and June 21, 9,221 new cases of Covid-19 were identified in the country, 85% of them in the Lisbon region and the Tagus valley.
“Some measures will apply transversally to the entire Lisbon metropolitan area”, said the head of government following a meeting with the mayors of the five municipalities most concerned: Lisbon, Sintra, Odivelas, Loures and Amadora. “The core of the problem is located in 15 neighborhoods of these municipalities”, he specified. From now on, it is no longer possible for the inhabitants of the area to gather more than ten people, while the limit is set at 20 throughout the country. On the other hand, shops and cafes in the Lisbon region are now closed from 8 p.m.
The opening of an investigation into a birthday party
Relatively spared by Covid-19 with 40,104 confirmed cases and 1,543 deaths since the start of the crisis, Portugal must host the last phase of the men’s football Champions League in August in its capital. Nevertheless, the deconfinement is not without hitches: Saturday, June 20, justice announced the opening of an investigation into a birthday party. She would be at the origin of a new home in the tourist region of the Algarve, in Lagos.
Thus, Prime Minister António Costa declared on June 22 the entry into force of the reinforcement of the ban on the consumption of alcohol on public roads. Similarly, a legal framework authorizing the police to issue fines to people who organize or participate in unauthorized gatherings is in preparation.
Will Americans be denied entry to the EU this summer?
Caution also remains the watchword internationally. Because, in parallel with the measures announced in Germany and Portugal, the European Union is wondering: should Americans be prohibited from entering the territory once the borders are reopened to third countries? At issue: concerns related to the management of the crisis in the United States, where the balance sheet now stands at more than 2.3 million confirmed cases and 121,225 deaths.
According to New York Times, two still provisional lists concerning the admission of foreign nationals to the EU are under consideration. While countries such as China, Uganda, Cuba and Vietnam are included, the United States, Brazil and Russia are currently excluded. As a reminder, these are the three countries with the highest number of confirmed cases since the start of the health crisis. That of Jair Bolsonaro into account more than 1.1 million, as well as 52,645 deathswhile the nation of Vladimir Putin recorded 606,043 infected people and 8,503 deaths.
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