COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Wednesday 30th of September:
- World: 33,719,865 confirmed cases and 1,009,349 confirmed deaths.
- US: Another study, this time on health workers by the University of Pennsylvania, shows hydroxychloroquine has no effect on COVID-19.
- Disney: Disney to lay off 28k "domestic" staff, unclear if this is domestic as in the US or domestic as in housekeeping.
- Sell: Oil giant to lay off 9k staff as oil demand slumps.
- Italy: Senate suspended as two test positive.
- US: Study reveals historically black collages and universities have a lower COVID infection rate as the students are better at following the requirements of social distancing and wearing masks, apparently starkly aware of the disproportionate number of BAME victims of the virus.
- EU: Warns members to monitor for outbreaks of Avian Flu, which while not easily transmitted from species to species may sneak in under the cover of the COVID crisis.
- UK: 200 University of Coventry students hold a mass party in Student Accommodation breaching the 6 person cap by some 200 people. Police intervention was required, with the university installing more security to crack down on further incursions.
- EU: A number of countries still seeing record surges, including Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and the Netherlands.
- UK: Reports indicate some ventilators bought during the first wave were surplus to requirement and have not been used, just sitting in storehouses. I don't think this is a bad thing - better over-prepared than under and grief knows the UK have been on the back-foot for long enough.
- Germany: Brings in new restrictions with the leader of the country addressing the nation asking them to continue acting patiently and obeying the rules.