Beaches in France and Italy were open Saturday for the first weekend since the easing of coronavirus lockdowns while football fans awaited the return of major league action with Germany's Bundesliga set to kick off.
Italy also announced it will reopen to holidaymakers from June 3 and scrap quarantine requirements for arrivals, welcome news for the important tourism industry in one of the nations worst hit by COVID-19.
As some countries start to reopen despite fears of a second wave of the pandemic, President Donald Trump voiced hope that a vaccine would be available by late 2020.
"We are looking to get it by the end of the year if we can, maybe before," Trump told reporters at the White House Friday as he discussed America's "Operation Warp Speed" effort in the global race for a vaccine. The timeline - deemed unrealistic by many experts - is more aggressive than the one-year scenario put forward by European scientists.
The hunt for a vaccine for a disease that the World Health Organization (WHO) says may never disappear has also threatened to become a source of tension between the globe's haves and have-nots, with trials underway in various countries. Many governments are not waiting, with borders and beaches reopening around Europe after two traumatic months in which life ground to a halt.
Germany, which this month began its slow emergence from confinement, was ready to kick off its top-flight football league Saturday, although in front of empty stadiums and under draconian health measures. "The whole world will be looking at Germany, to see how we get it done," said Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick.
"If we manage to ensure that the season continues, it will send a signal to all leagues."
Russia pushed ahead with plans to ease restrictions despite reporting more than 10,000 new cases, with its football league set to return next month and thousands of people being tested for antibodies to show whether they have had the virus or not. "We will be respectful, but we have to make decisions in the best interest of our sport and our athletes," the British former track legend told Indian television channel WION. The coronavirus has killed at least 307,321 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally on Saturday at 1100 GMT based on official sources.
There have been more than 4.5 million officially recorded cases in 196 countries and territories. The United States has recorded the most deaths at 87,568. It is followed by Britain with 33,998, Italy with 31,610, Spain with 27,563, and France with 27,529.
Comments
Comments are closed.