All developments in the COVID-19 pandemic

Whether in Quebec or elsewhere on the planet, the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting our lives.

Here you will find all the news throughout the day related to this crisis affecting the population, governments and the economy.

LAST REVIEW

PLANETARY

Case : 45 638 573
Death : 1 189 712

CANADA

Case : 231 029, 104 952 in Quebec
Death : 10 103, 6231 in Quebec

All developments for Saturday, October 31, 2020

7:26 am | Virus: Portugal is preparing to announce new measures.

The Portuguese government is holding an extraordinary council of ministers on Saturday, after which it is expected to announce new measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic, which the day before recorded a series of records.

“We do not exclude any measure, but we believe that we must adopt measures which disrupt as little as possible private, social and economic life”, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said Thursday.

Portugal announced on Friday 4,656 new cases of contamination and 40 deaths in 24 hours, and had 1,927 people hospitalized, including 275 in intensive care. For each of these indicators, this is the heaviest toll since the start of the pandemic for this country of ten million inhabitants.

The head of the socialist government on Friday received the parties represented in Parliament to consult them on the new measures under consideration, including the imposition of a curfew, the extension of local reconfigurations already in force or the enlargement teleworking.

The hypothesis of a return to the state of emergency decreed in the spring, which would allow the executive to take more restrictive measures, is not excluded, but it is not unanimous among the political parties consulted by Mr. Costa.

7:25 am | Coronavirus: Greece announces partial containment from Tuesday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced partial containment from Tuesday to combat the second wave of COVID-19 with an overnight curfew and the closure of bars and restaurants in Athens and other cities across the country.

“It is not a containment like in spring,” the prime minister said in a televised message to the nation on Saturday. “The measures will start at 6 am local Tuesday and traffic will be banned after midnight and until 5 am local”, added Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stressing that “we must act now” so that the intensive care units are not overwhelmed.

7:22 am | Italy: clashes in Florence between demonstrators and police.

Some images from last night in #Florence. Protesting in Italy is a right protected by the government where demonstrators work * in conjunction * with authorities. This was not an authorized protest, it was a riot. pic.twitter.com/D9EwUfx9h8

– Alexandra Lawrence (@ItalyAlexandra) October 31, 2020

Violent clashes erupted Friday evening in the Italian city of Florence between the police and demonstrators, nearly twenty of whom were arrested, who were protesting against the restrictions decided to counter the pandemic.

5:26 am | Slovakia is launching a coronavirus screening program on Saturday among the entire population with antigenic tests, a world first, already criticized for poor preparation.

5:21 am | The British government is preparing to announce next week a re-containment in England until December 1, abandoning a local approach in the face of the strong spread of the new coronavirus, several dailies reported on Saturday.

1h00 | Although gyms, theaters and cinemas located in the red zone had to close their doors, they were not the workplaces most affected by the COVID-19 outbreaks.