COVID Catharsis Corner - reports from around the world from today, Monday 12th of April:
- World: JHU web page inoperative again, Google News indicates 136,136,954 confirmed cases and 2,938,200 confirmed deaths.
- World: WHO indicates the planet needs a "Reality check" as confusion and complacency take hold. Although vaccines are going into bodies, the pandemic is still on an upward trajectory.
- UK: Shoppers hit the highstreets as restrictions eased and stores reopen.
- UK: Trial finds Asthma treatment budesonide administered twice a day to people with early COVID-19 can help them recover as much as 3 days faster and could also help reduce the number of people admitted to hospital. General Practitioners have been given permission to prescribe it on a case-by-case basis.
- UK: Track and Trace app update blocked by Google and Apple for breaching their requirement that the app does not track location data, after an attempt to make a 4Square check-in style QR code system was rejected by the tech giants.
- India: Sees another record high new daily cases, at 168,912.
- India: Overtakes Brazil to become worlds second most infected country, after the USA in first place.
- India: Millions participate in Kumbh Mela festival despite spiraling cases.
- Czech Republic: Schools, Libraries, Zoos and some shops reopen after months of begin closed due to restrictions.
- Greece: reopens High Schools following 5 month of closure due to pandemic restrictions.
- Bangladesh: Sees record high new cases, announces 8 day closure of all international and domestic transport to counter transmission.
- Brazil: Supreme Court set to approve a congressional investigation in to President Bolsonaros handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
- Italy: Small business owners once again scuffle with police as they protest the continuing lockdown restrictions.
- New Zealand: Boarder workers given until the end of April to be vaccinated or they will be moved to other lower-risk roles after a third Quarantine worker tests positive in Auckland.
- China: Official advises domestic vaccines may not be very efficient. Later advises their words were taken out of context, as they were talking about how to make them even more efficient by mixing and matching first and second doses.