Comment: Yes, Sweden REMAINS OPEN.
Who'd have thought Sweden would end up being the Last of the Mohicans?!?!
© REUTERS / Leonhard FoegerSebastian Kurz wears a protective face mask as he attends a session in the Parliament.
Sweden remains open and has kept its borders open as well as its preschools, grade schools, bars, restaurants, parks, and shops.
Norway is planning to open kindergarten next week.
The Danish Prime Minister announced that she expects to open day care and schools up to 5th grade on April 15th.
And Austria is planning to lift its coronavirus lockdown while requiring citizens to wear face masks.
Metro.UK reported:
Austria could be the first EU country to start lifting its coronavirus lockdown, but it all depends on people continuing to obey strict social distancing rules.
Countries across Europe have put strict measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19, ordering bars, theatres, gyms and non-essential shops to close their doors. People have been told to stay at home as much as possible and to only venture out for absolutely essential purposes.
The lockdown in Austria has curbed the daily increase in infections to single digits in percentage terms and the number of people admitted to hospital with the disease has stabilised. Today the government announced plans to start reopening shops while widening a requirement to wear face masks.
Despite warning last week that the country's healthcare system could soon be stretched, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the Alpine republic's decision to take action early is now starting paying off. At a press conference he said: 'We reacted faster and more restrictively than in other countries and could therefore avoid the worst.'
Comment: More of Kurz's statement:
"We are a country in West Europe that has the best trend in [Covid-19] numbers. This is thanks to the self-isolation measures, further steps and participation of the population," Kurz said in a statement.
But Austrians should keep in mind that "the virus is still among us" and plan how they celebrate Easter accordingly. He asked people to refrain from customary family reunions for the celebration and not be tempted by good weather into unnecessary walks or to mingle outdoors. Sticking to the rules will save lives, he stressed.
"After Easter, we can gradually return to normal," he promised. "But that will only be possible if we do in the next few days what we have done so impressively over the past three weeks."
The Czech Republic is also planning to ease some measures.
Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech said the government also will discuss a proposal to allow more small stores to reopen, depending on the development of the epidemic. The Cabinet will decide on the measures later this week.
Comment: Merkel too has expressed "cautious hope" at signs of Germany's curve "flattening out" - Germany could start easing restrictions next week. Global carmakers also plan to reopen their plants, promising increased worker safety. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Moscow is tightening control over people's movement, planning to implement a "pass system" for traveling to work, and "if necessary", even movements within districts. Residents will have to apply for these travel passes. Local authorities in two Indian towns are resorting to measures previously adopted by some Chinese authorities: physically locking people in their homes for "breaching quarantine". They must call delivery services to receive essential items.
Hungary's PM Orban says the "real test is yet to come" for his country, despite signs of the crisis "peaking" in other countries. UK PM Johnson has reportedly been moved out of intensive care and will be closely monitored. Gaza Strip has reportedly run out of test kits, and Hamas fears a health sector collapse, saying they will not hesitate to impose a curfew if necessary. According to some medical sources in Ecuador, more than 40 medical workers have died in recent weeks, but such data "has been kept hidden from the public eye." It's hard to say at this point how much is hysteria and disruption of normal operating procedures, and how much is do to a real overloading of the system, as happened in northern Italy.
After the USS Theodore Roosevelt "scandal", Air Force General John Hyten unintentionally said something extremely true: You can say that again. Yankee, go home.
Here's Dr. Fauci back in January. Wonder what changed his mind?
And yesterday, Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the Covid-19 death toll will be "much lower" than models have suggested. Hmm... When the overall impact of the virus turns out to have been much lower than people's expectations, they will be able to say, "See, all our measures were effective!" But will they have been? Or did the virus just run its course fairly naturally?