Quebec is officially struggling with a third wave of COVID-19. The Capitale-Nationale and the Outaouais have been imposed this week severe containment measures. This third wave is hitting hard everywhere on the planet, particularly in Europe, where some countries have already announced new containment measures. But some places even consider that they are already in a fourth wave like the United States, or in a fifth, as is the case in Hong Kong. The Journal presents you with an overview.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
British Columbia Public Health Director Bonnie Henry announced a series of measures last Monday to curb the exponential increase in cases.
As of Tuesday, dining rooms in restaurants, bars and places of worship have been closed, and additional restrictions have been placed on training halls.
ALBERTA
Alberta is also grappling with an increase in infections and hospitalizations. The spread of variants, which now account for around 30% of cases, could slow down the process of deconfinement initiated by the government in recent weeks.
Currently, outdoor gatherings of 10 people are permitted, stores and shopping centers are open with a 25% capacity, and team sports and sports activities involving less than 10 people are permitted.
ONTARIO
The number of cases started to increase again among our neighbors from the first week of March.
The province is on hiatus for 28 days from today. On Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford warned the population not to schedule meetings for Easter.
UNITED STATES
With nearly 60,000 cases per day since March 24, the United States is entering its fourth wave of COVID-19.
Despite this new trend, few US states are imposing measures to counter the pandemic. Wearing a mask in public places is however compulsory in the vast majority of states.
PERU
With more than 30,000 active cases in the country, the government has imposed new containment measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.
Since last Monday, all of Peru has switched to “very high alert level” and “extreme alert level”, imposing a curfew from 9 pm to 4 am. It is forbidden for everyone to travel by car on Sunday, residents on “extreme alert level” will also have to stay at home that day.
CHILE
Since last Saturday, the country has confined more than 14 million people after the more than 30% increase in the number of cases in two weeks. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the capital, Santiago, as well as all the neighboring cities are in quarantine.
The measures include a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the closure of bars and gyms, as well as a ban on the sale of non-essential products in grocery stores.
ARGENTINA
Worried about the increase in new cases, the Argentine government has imposed new measures on travelers.
As of March 27, direct flights from Mexico, Brazil and Chile have been canceled. Authorities have also banned access to the country through land borders. Travelers can therefore only enter Argentina through Buenos Aires airport.
BRAZIL
An outbreak of cases and deaths has been recorded in Brazil in recent weeks.
On March 31, some 3,869 people lost their lives, a record number in one day. Despite this, no measures have been announced by the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, to slow the spread.
NORWAY
After reaching a record on March 16 with 1,150 new cases, the country has imposed containment measures on its citizens that will extend until mid-April.
Since March 25, Norwegians can not be served alcohol in public places or go to swimming pools, gyms and amusement parks. The government also recommends limiting the number of guests to two people in private gatherings.
SWEDEN
Having abandoned its initial strategy of not confining its population at the start of the pandemic, Sweden has stepped up its containment measures.
In the capital, Stockholm, where more than 5,000 cases were recorded during the week of March 23-25, citizens are being asked to avoid congregating and wearing masks in shopping malls, public transport and public places. enclosed places.
Across the country, restaurants and bars are scheduled to close at 8:30 p.m.
FRANCE
Faced with an increase in cases in the country caused by the spread of the British variant, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that he would close businesses throughout mainland France.
Schools, colleges and high schools will also be closed for three weeks. The curfew is maintained at 7 p.m. and travel beyond 10 km from home is prohibited.
ITALY
Italy confined most of its territory on March 15 after a 15% increase in cases in one week. For the Easter weekend, the whole country is classified in the red zone.
This classification leads to the closure of bars and restaurants, except for take-out orders. Travel is limited to people who need to get to work, get health care, or buy essentials.
BELGIUM
After seeing a doubling of the number of cases in two weeks, Belgium decided to impose new measures on its citizens on March 29.
The Belgians will be able to meet only four people outside. They will have to make an appointment to access non-essential shops and will not be able to go to beauty salons. During the Easter holidays, border control will be tightened, as travel remains prohibited.
PAKISTAN
Containment was reimposed in Pakistan on March 29, as the number of cases has risen sharply for some time.
The government has therefore banned all social, cultural, political and sporting groups until April 5.
TURKEY
Turkish authorities have announced they will reimpose weekend lockdowns in 58 of 81 provinces, as the country currently records more than 30,000 cases per day.
Also, for the period of Ramadan, which will begin on April 13, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced new restrictions for the whole country. These measures include, in particular, the closure of restaurant dining rooms for one month.
GREECE
The average daily COVID-19 cases in Greece have been around 2,400 in recent weeks, up from around 450 at the end of January. The country recorded 4,322 cases on Tuesday, the highest since the start of the pandemic.
The government ordered private medical specialists around the Athens area to come to the aid of the public sector, but still decided to reopen hairdressing salons, beauty salons and archaeological sites, in addition to reducing the coverage. -two hour fire on weekends.
HONG KONG
Fearing a fifth wave after an outbreak of more than 100 new cases at a gym in mid-March, authorities in Hong Kong have deployed a drastic new technique to limit the spread.
Raids are carried out at night forcing all inhabitants of densely populated buildings to get tested and not go out until they have the results. All positive cases are then sent to hospital and those who have been in close contact are sent for two weeks to quarantine camps.
This is the number of countries, among the 192 states identified by Johns Hopkins University, where an increase in coronavirus cases has been observed for two weeks.