The daily tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan hit a record for the fourth day at 2,508, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said yesterday.
Japan has had fewer than 2,000 COVID-19-related deaths so far, avoiding the toll of harder hit nations, but fears are growing about another surge.
A flurry of criticism from opposition legislators and the public has slammed the government for being too slow in halting its “GoTo” tourism campaign, which encouraged travel and dining out with discounts.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday scrapped the campaign, but only after many people had already made travel reservations for a three-day Labor Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Airports and restaurants have been packed.
Some say the government should have offered to pay for cancelations, or stepped up testing instead, if the goal is to keep the economy going amid a pandemic.
Tutorials are circulating online on the proper way to eat and drink at restaurants while wearing masks.
India has registered 45,209 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours amid a festival season surge in the country’s capital and many other parts.
At least three Indian states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat — have imposed night curfews in many cities.
The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare yesterday also registered 501 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 133,227.
While the overall pace of new cases appears to be slowing, experts have cautioned that official figures might be offering false hope since many infections are undetected.
South Australia and Victoria states eased COVID-19 restrictions yesterday as Australia heads into summer in a better position to fight the virus.
Victoria, which was hardest hit, has gone 23 days without a new infection. In response, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced a number of changes to restrictions.
Mask-wearing outdoors, which until now has been mandatory, is no longer required where social distancing is possible. Masks must still be worn indoors and carried at all times.
Home gatherings of up to 15 people would be allowed and up to 50 people can gather outdoors. Up to 150 people would be allowed at weddings, funerals or indoor religious services.
Residents of South Australia emerged from a state-wide lockdown at midnight on Saturday, and are able to visit bars and restaurants in groups of up to 10 and host gatherings up of to 50 people with social distancing.
Gyms and beauty salons can open and students are to return to schools from today.
The border between Victoria and New South Wales states, closed at the height of the Victoria outbreak three months ago, was to reopen yesterday.
“We never want to see this ever again. We hope this is the last time that in our lifetime this border is closed,” New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
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