4th Jun 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=23 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

MarketWatch Analysts at BCA Research compiled this chart showing German bookings have actually fully recovered. Another place showing a strong recovery is Australia which like Germany has been praised for its coronavirus response and has been further along in reopening than many countries. Germany and Australia show that quickly after the lockdowns are eased the number of reservations in restaurants rebounds strongly. This suggests that even if the behavior of households will not return to normal there is significant scope for improvement from current levels said the analysts. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/restaurant-bookings-have-fully-recovered-in-germany-in-a-sign-that-activity-rebounds-quickly-as-lockdowns-ease-2020-06-03 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Italians were allowed to travel to other regions of the country on Wednesday for the first time in nearly three months in a further relaxation of lockdown restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Travellers boarding trains in Milan capital of Lombardy in northern Italy were excited at the prospect of finally being able to visit family and friends elsewhere in the country. I work here in Milan and up until now I couldnt move between regions said Anna Falcone who was getting ready to board a train to Calabria southwest Italy to see her parents. But now with the possibility of smart working I can return home and go and meet my parents and hug them again after three months of not seeing them she said. I am happy and I cant wait to see them. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-italy/italians-on-the-move-again-as-lockdown-restrictions-ease-idUKKBN23A1GG 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg At the same time the predominance of the informal sector could offer some protection and help African economies rebound more quickly than advanced counterparts said Amaka Anku Eurasia Groups Africa head in a May 22 interview. Theyre less leveraged and less interlinked so theres not as much of a contagion effect she said. But the economic shock could still be devastating on a continent thats home to about half the worlds poor. Many African countries are pushing for a debt standstill to free up funds to focus on supporting citizens. Even before the pandemic rising interest costs were crowding out crucial social and health spending. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/africa-has-to-weather-covid-19-trauma-without-massive-stimulus?utm_content=business&amputm_source=twitter&amputm_medium=social&ampcmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&amputm_campaign=socialflow-organic 4th Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

Thomson Reuters Foundation News The brutal job losses registered in Spain following the coronavirus outbreak reversed in May with the creation of net jobs for the first time since one of Europes toughest lockdowns was imposed more than two months ago. As the lockdown gradually eased in May a net 97462 new jobs were created during the month although the overall number of jobs in the country was still 885985 lower than in May 2019. Data from the previous months had showed 900000 jobs were lost in the second half of March alone. Spain registered 26573 more people as jobless in May than in April which represented a 0.69 increase. About 3.86 million people were out of work data from the Labour Ministry showed on Tuesday. https://news.trust.org/item/20200602071534-pfhc1/ 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

iNews Spain holding its breath as it emerges from lockdown reported no deaths for the second day in a row since the pandemic started. One of the hardesthit countries by Covid19 it was positive news for Spaniards who had lived through dark times when hundreds of people lost their lives each day to the virus. https://inews.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-in-spain-latest-no-deaths-reported-madrid-lockdown-restrictions-2872679 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Times The speed with which freedoms are being handed back has caught many restaurant owners by surprise. They were only informed on Thursday that they could open and many have not had time to do so. Others like Le Select are serving drinks only. Jacques Viguier the owner who visited his brasserie every day during the two and a half months it was shut to give myself something to do said he had yet to buy in the ingredients needed for a menu that features dishes such as duck confit veal kidneys and beef tartare. He expects them to arrive in time to start serving meals tomorrow. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/its-like-the-1944-liberation-say-parisians-as-they-taste-freedom-from-lockdown-pqj8bz93k 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Before Covid19 struck Marseille was due to host the Manifesta art biennale in June. Now a reworked programme will tbe held in August. Joke Quintens an adopted Marseillaise from Belgium has brought visiting delegations from across Europe as part of her Moving Marseille cultural initiative. Marseille has faced many challenges throughout its history she says. Resilience is part of its DNA. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/jun/03/life-after-lockdown-in-resilient-marseille 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

FRANCE 24 English The French health ministry said that the number of fatalities had risen by 107 or 0.4 percent to 28940 the fifthhighest tally in the world. It also said the number of Covid19 patients in intensive care units fell to 1253 from Mondays tally of 1302. The latest toll comes as the country entered the second phase of easing the lockdown imposed to stem the spread of Covid19. On Tuesday restaurants bars and cafs opened throughout the country for the first time in almost three months. https://www.france24.com/en/20200602-covid-19-france-records-more-than-100-new-deaths-as-country-s-lockdown-eases 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

FRANCE 24 English Switzerland has warned its citizens that if they go to Italy they will be subject to health measures on their return. The country will open its borders with Germany France and Austria on June 15 but not with Italy. Austria is lifting restrictions in midJune with Germany Switzerland the Czech Republic Slovakia and Hungary but again not Italy described last week by Viennas health minister as still a hotspot. Other countries such as Belgium and Britain are still advising against or forbidding all nonessential travel abroad. In response to perceived antiItalian sentiment Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has warned countries not to treat Italy like a leper https://www.france24.com/en/20200603-italy-reopens-to-tourists-from-europe-after-economically-crippling-lockdown 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Air pollution in China has climbed back to prepandemic levels and scientists say Europe may follow suit. Air pollution causes at least 8m early deaths a year and cleaner skies were seen as one of the few silver linings of Covid19. Experts have called for action to help retain the air quality benefits of lockdowns and measures taken to date have included expanding cycle lanes and space for walking in cities. Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air Crea shows concentrations of fine particles PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide NO2 across China are now at the same levels as one year earlier. At the height of the countrys coronavirus response in early March NO2 levels were down by 38 from 2019 and levels of PM2.5 were down by 34. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/03/air-pollution-in-china-back-to-pre-covid-levels-and-europe-may-follow 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

Metro Production was halted as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe and prime minister Jacinda Ardern closed New Zealands borders in March. Having seemingly got the pandemic in the country under control lockdown measures have been loosened but some local businesses have employees still stuck overseas as New Zealands borders remain closed. As a result the arrival of the films crew has upset many residents who are still affected by the lockdown. Speaking to RNZ chair of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment June Ranson criticised the move to grant permission as a double standard. https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/02/james-camerons-special-permission-return-new-zealand-avatar-2-labelled-totally-unfair-local-businesses-wait-go-back-work-12794407/ 3rd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Germany lifted its blanket European travel warning as coronavirus lockdowns across the EU continued to ease with officials saying new cases in western Europe were now in steady decline. Parisians reclaimed their cafe terraces and Berliners took back their bars as normal life inched closer to returning in many parts of the continent. Germanys foreign minister Heiko Maas said his government was maintaining its travel warning for nonEuropean destinations but from Wednesday it would issue individual advice for all Schengenzone countries to allow holidaymakers to decide where they could safely travel this summer. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/02/global-report-germany-eases-travel-ban-cafe-culture-returns-paris 2nd Jun 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Independent James Camerons return to New Zealand for filming of Avatar 2 having been given special permission to do so has been met with some controversy. Over the weekend the director and 55 members of his crew were permitted to enter the country despite the countrys border being closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. While New Zealands prime minister Jacinda Ardern recently relaxed lockdown guidelines leading to the reopening of some offices and schools the border remains closed to all foreign nationals. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/avatar-2-james-cameron-new-zealand-return-border-lockdown-coronavirus-release-date-trailer-a9544601.html 2nd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Mercopress Brazil surpassed 30000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday as the disease continued to rip through South Americas worsthit country. Figures released by the health ministry showed a new record 1262 deaths in the previous 24 hours as well as 28936 new infections. The figures come as some Brazilian states began to emerge from weeks of economicallystifling quarantine measures despite warnings from the WHO and epidemiologists. https://en.mercopress.com/2020/06/03/brazil-surpasses-30-000-coronavirus-deaths-in-sao-paulo-city-partial-lifting-of-the-lockdown-delayed 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

NBCNews.com Protests over the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis continued throughout the U.S. overnight raising fears of a wave of new infections. According to NBC News tally there have been 1.8 million coronavirus infections in the U.S. and 105000 related deaths the highest of any country on both counts. Meanwhile countries across the world were lifting lockdown measures with schools and businesses opening as a new way of life after the coronavirus pandemic emerges. Paris famous streetside cafes will reopen Tuesday while restrictions are also being eased in parts of Latin America. Schoolchildren returned to classes in Singapore Tuesday all wearing face masks following the United Kingdom on Monday and several other European and Asian countries last month. http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/2020-06-02-coronavirus-news-n1221816 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Times Higher Education (THE) Universities UK has confirmed that the sector is planning a blended learning approach for the coming academic year while student bubbles and an optional January start date for overseas students are being considered by some institutions. The organisation published a set of principles on 3 June outlining how universities should prepare for the next academic year stating that institutions will provide as much inperson learning teaching support services and extracurricular activities as public health advice and government guidance will support. This will include new ways of providing practical sessions in socially distanced forms and innovative approaches to extracurricular activities such as welcome week programmes it said. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/universities-uk-publishes-principles-emerging-lockdown 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The latest coronavirus rules from Monday 1 June are plentiful and complicated. This is your ultimate guide. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/03/coronavirus-lockdown-rules-what-is-allowed-in-england-scotland-wales-and-northern-ireland 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Yahoo Finance UK German foreign minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday announced that the country will lift its travel restrictions for 31 countries on 15 June. As well as allowing its citizens to travel to 26 EU member states Germany will also lift its warning for Iceland Norway Switzerland Liechtenstein and the UK. However Maas said that the government does not recommend travel to the UK while the country still has a 14day quarantine period in place. I realise that this decision will raise great hopes and expectations but let me say that travel warnings are not travel bans and travel advisories are not invitations to travel Maas said. https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/germany-lifts-travel-ban-for-31-countries-including-uk-112613086.html 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

YAHOO! The Italian tourist board has announced that British visitors can now travel to Italy with no quarantine restrictions. But before you start packing its worth noting that the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office FCO is currently advising against all but essential travel abroad. Whats more if you visit Italy from 8 June you will likely have to quarantine for 14 days on your return. https://uk.style.yahoo.com/italy-open-to-british-tourists-holiday-quarantine-14-days-090600651.html 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

ABC News Italy officially ended its long coronavirus lockdown Wednesday opening regional and international borders in a bid to boost summer tourism but found itself alone as European neighbors viewed the move as premature and remained wary of visitors from Italy. Italys longawaited internal and external opening after nearly three months allowed residents to finally reunite with friends and family members and brought a flood of French shoppers across the border for less expensive groceries and cigarettes. But normalcy was a long way off. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/italy-opens-borders-ahead-neighbors-beckoning-tourists-71041059 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Euro Weekly News Spains Health Ministry has not completely ruled out allowing football fans back into stadiums during lockdown Phase three to watch matches when La Liga kicks off again next week. At a press briefing on Tuesday Health Emergency Coordinator Fernando Simon said the issue is being looked at but also made the point it would be unfair if not all football grounds could open their doors to supporters. https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2020/06/03/spains-football-fans-allowed-back-into-stadiums-to-watch-matches-in-lockdown-phase-three-not-ruled-out/ 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters Chancellor Angela Merkels ruling coalition on Wednesday agreed a bumper stimulus package to speed up Germanys recovery from the coronavirus. Speaking at a news conference after marathon talks that extended well into the night Merkel said the package would amount to 130 billion euros 116 billion pounds and include lower valueadded tax VAT to boost consumption. The size of the package will amount to 130 billion euros for the years 20202021 120 billion of which will be spent by the federal government Merkel said. So we have an economic stimulus package a package for the future. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-germany-stimulus/german-coalition-parties-agree-130-billion-euro-stimulus-package-idUKKBN23A1JD 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

KVIA South Korea on Wednesday reported 49 new cases of COVID19 continuing a weekslong resurgence of the virus as the government defended its decision to reopen schools despite health risks. The figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on brought national totals to 11590 cases and 273 deaths. All but one of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area where hundreds of infections have been linked to entertainment venues church gatherings and a massive ecommerce warehouse. Mayors and governors in the greater capital area have shut thousands of nightclubs hostess bars karaoke rooms churches and wedding halls to slow the spread of the virus. Some entertainment venues in Seoul Incheon and Daejeon began collecting the personal details of their customers through smartphone QR codes this week so they could be located easily when needed a requirement that will be expanded nationwide on June 10. https://kvia.com/news/us-world/2020/06/03/asia-today-s-korea-reopening-schools-despite-spike-in-cases/ 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

CP24 South Korea on Wednesday reported 49 new cases of COVID19 continuing a weekslong resurgence of the virus as the government defended its decision to reopen schools despite health risks. The figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on brought national totals to 11590 cases and 273 deaths. All but one of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area where hundreds of infections have been linked to entertainment venues church gatherings and a massive ecommerce warehouse. Mayors and governors in the greater capital area have shut thousands of nightclubs hostess bars karaoke rooms churches and wedding halls to slow the spread of the virus. https://www.cp24.com/world/south-korea-reopening-schools-despite-spike-in-cases-1.4966903 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Australian tourists could soon be able to take a trip to Japan as the nation considers opening its borders to countries that have low rates of coronavirus. On Monday in Tokyo lockdown restrictions began to be lifted with the Japanese capital reopening sports clubs cinemas department stores and schools. The country had previously closed its border to overseas travelers in February to stem the spread of COVID19. Japan is now considering allowing in tourists from New Zealand Australia Thailand and Vietnam over the next few months. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8382213/Australians-tourists-allowed-Japan-coming-months.html 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Japan Times Remote working was already on the rise in many parts of the world before the pandemic. Now as firms grapple with social distancing rules that limit how many workers can return they are thinking about what their offices are really for. That in turn will force planners and city officials to reconsider and redesign central business districts said Tony Matthews a senior lecturer in urban and environmental planning at Australias Griffith University. If daytime working populations fall new populations are likely to be needed to keep these areas buzzing and generating incomes he said. Some areas may need to be redesigned if they are no longer economically viable retail districts for example. Some office buildings may be demolished or repurposed with the surrounding infrastructure and public space also changing in time he said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/06/03/world/rethinking-world-largest-cities-coronavirus/ 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

YAHOO! Easing coronavirus lockdown measures over a 12month period will minimise the impact on the global supply chain compared to lifting restrictions quickly new research suggests. The study led by University College London UCL and Tsinghua University in China assessed how the worlds economy could be affected by Covid19 lockdowns. It found that a gradual easing of restrictions rather than lifting them over a twomonth period and introducing a second lockdown in January next year would be less disruptive for the global supply chain. It also suggests that stricter lockdowns implemented over a shorter period of time were economically preferable to more moderate measures imposed for four to six months. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/gradual-easing-lockdown-better-global-090000524.html 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Researchers hope the addition of Facebook deidentified movement data will give a better overview of people slowly returning to their regular travels as we emerge from the coronavirus lockdown period and help identify any potential places where physical distancing may be an issue. Several companies including Google Apple and Citymapper make public deidentified data from their mapping and other locationbased apps to track traffic flow across cities states and countries. Researchers have been using this data to model the massive traffic reductions seen as public health orders were put in place businesses closed and some people began working from home. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/03/facebook-data-to-show-australians-movement-as-they-emerge-from-coronavirus-lockdown 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

YAHOO! New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday she could lift all social distancing measures to return the country to normal life bar the international border closure as early as next week. Ardern will decide on Monday whether the country is ready to shift to alert level 1 more than two months after she imposed a strict level 4 lockdown shutting most businesses and forcing people to stay home in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Arden said waiting until Monday would allow her to see if recent changes like the removal of restrictions on the number of people in bars and at social gatherings had led to a rise in cases. If it hasnt then we will be in a good position to move she said during a televised news conference. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/zealand-could-return-normal-life-040326679.html 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail PM Jacinda Ardern said Our strategy of go hard go early has paid off. New Zealand has not recorded a new case of coronavirus in the last 11 days. And there was just one active case of COVID19 in the country on Tuesday. Level 1 will remove almost all restrictions and life will feel very very normal https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8379369/New-Zealand-set-scrap-social-distancing-week.html 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Sky News Testing doing it well accounting for it well and using the results sensibly is clearly a crucial part of the solution. Yet here in Britain we dont know how many people have been tested for the disease. Indeed while the government was up until recently producing numbers on people tested it recently admitted those figures are suspect and will have to be revised. This is only one of the issues the Statistics Authority has with the government as covered in a highly critical letter from its head Sir David Norgrove to Health Secretary Matt Hancock. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-how-did-the-uks-covid-19-testing-data-become-such-a-mess-11999797 3rd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

The Scotsman In France lockdown measures have been slowly relaxing over the past few weeks after one of the strictest quarantines in the world. The latest development sees bans on journeys of more than 100km62 miles ending from today 2 June along with cafes bars and restaurants in green areas where the virus is not circulating widely also reopening on the same date. No more than 10 people will be allowed to sit together and tables must be spaced one metre apart with staff wearing masks. Establishments in orange areas such as Paris will only be able to reopen outside terraces. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/read-this/latest-france-travel-advice-phase-ii-easing-lockdown-cafe-reopenings-begins-2008930 2nd Jun 2020

Exit Strategies

Sky News New Zealand could lift its remaining restrictions on social distancing and group gatherings next week after recording no new coronavirus cases for an 11th consecutive day. Our strategy of go hard go early has paid off Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday. In moving to level one so soon we will be one of the first countries in the world to have experienced a COVID19 outbreak and then return to that level of normality so quickly. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-new-zealand-could-lift-all-lockdown-restrictions-next-week-after-11-straight-days-with-no-new-cases-11999176 2nd Jun 2020

Partisan Exits

Evening Standard Thousands of people have said they are following lockdown rules less strictly and citing Dominic Cummings as part of the reason according to a new poll. The YouGov survey found that one in five adults or 21 per cent stuck to lockdown restrictions less stringently last week than the week before. Out of this group one in three seven per cent of the total mentioned Mr Cummings as part of the reason. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/dominic-cummings-durham-trip-brits-break-lockdown-rules-a4458521.html 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Hundreds of Bogots poorest residents are caught between two brutal forces a nationwide quarantine that makes working impossible and authorities forcing people from homes they say were unlawfully built. In the middle of a pandemic the authorities are breaking all protocols without a care for how it affects us Don Pacho said as a pack of his 15 dogs barked around his partially destroyed home overlooking Colombias capital. Theyve got us stigmatized segregated and forgotten. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jun/02/colombia-coronavirus-poor-evicted-lockdowns 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian The Met which covers London issued 973 fines between 27 March 2and 14 May. White people who make up 59 of Londons population received 444 fines or 46 of the total black people who make up 12 of Londons population received 253 fines or 26. Asian people who make up 18 of Londons population received 23 of the fines. Analysis for the Guardian by Dr Krisztin Psch a lecturer in crime science at University College London shows a clear disproportionality. Posch said Compared to their share of the population people from a black ethnic minority were 2.17 times more likely to receive a fine and Asians around 26 more likely. In comparison whites were 23 less likely to be fined. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/03/met-police-twice-as-likely-to-fine-black-people-over-lockdown-breaches-research 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Poverty campaigners have called for an emergency cash support scheme to help struggling lowincome households after UK food bank charities reported that the first full month of coronavirus lockdown was their busiest ever. The charities said their experience of record food bank use in April following a huge surge in food aid in March showed it was clear that current social security safety net measures were not enough to prevent poorer families being swept into destitution. The Trussell Trust the UKs biggest food bank network said it gave out 89 more food parcels in April compared to the same month last year while the Independent Food Aid Network Ifan recorded a 175 increase over the same period. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/03/record-numbers-used-uk-food-banks-in-first-month-of-lockdown 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

The News-Gazette Spanish lawmakers have voted to extend for two additional weeks the state of emergency that allows the government to restrict movement and other rights as part of its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Pedro Snchez says Spain has overcome the worst of the pandemic and declared that he wont seek further extensions beyond the end date of the special powers at midnight on June 21. https://www.news-gazette.com/news/nation-world/the-latest-minority-londoners-targeted-under-lockdown-rules/article_342e3979-5ba0-5967-afd8-4f34c761a63f.html 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

China.org.cn A South African court ruled on Tuesday that the COVID19 lockdown regulations in the country are unconstitutional and invalid. Some of the regulations promulgated by the government simply did not meet the rationality test in preventing the spread of COVID19 the North Gauteng High Court said in its ruling. The court gave the government 14 days to amend and republish the regulations to avoid infringing on peoples rights. The court decision followed an application by the Liberty Fighters Network which asked the court to declare the national state of disaster established under the Disaster Management Act unconstitutional and unlawful. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2020-06/03/content_76121704.htm 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Global Village space Hong Kong has been praised for the way it has contained the coronavirus. However a new cluster of cases has propelled the government into extending restrictions. This extension comes amid protests about a new law being imposed by the central government. https://www.globalvillagespace.com/hong-kong-extends-coronavirus-lockdown-amid-protests-over-new-chinese-law/ 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Wired UK As restrictions eased and Dominic Cummings revealed details of his Barnard Castle eye test the lockdown has collapsed https://www.wired.co.uk/article/cummings-lockdown-data-hidden 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Sydney Morning Herald Australians ramped up their saving efforts during the coronavirus pandemic and saw their bank accounts swell according to national data released by Bankwest on Wednesday. Analysis of savings account data from the end of March to midMay found median balances were up 45 per cent from the preCOVID period and up 56 per cent yearonyear. https://www.smh.com.au/national/covid-19-fattens-up-wallets-as-australians-embark-on-savings-sprees-20200602-p54yvn.html 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

Minneapolis Star Tribune New Zealand is on the verge of eradicating the virus from its shores after it notched a 13th straight day with no reported new infections. Only a single person in the nation of 5 million people is known to still have the virus and that person is not hospitalized. However it remains likely that the country will import new cases once it reopens its borders and officials say their aim remains to stamp out new infections as they arise. The country has already lifted many of its virus restrictions and could remove most of those that remain including limiting crowd sizes next week. Just over 1500 people have contracted the virus during the outbreak including 22 who died. https://www.startribune.com/the-latest-wuhan-finishes-mass-testing-effort-isolates-300/570977322/ 3rd Jun 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Councils around Australia have seen a huge increase in volumes of household rubbish and dumping of waste triggered by a combination of more online shopping home improvements international workers returning to their home countries and a clearing out of unwanted possessions during the coronavirus lockdown. Streets across the country have been littered with items discarded by households either unable or willing to dispose of them any other way. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/03/australian-councils-struggle-with-huge-rise-in-household-rubbish-during-covid-19-lockdown 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC Some lockdown measures may have to be reintroduced in the winter Health Minister Vaughan Gething has warned. A top Welsh Government official said there was a real prospect of a resurgence of the virus later in the year. Mr Gething said it will depend on the prevalence of coronavirus. Meanwhile the minister announced NHS health boards are looking at how they can restart planned NHS operations and cancer services. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-52890762 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Mirror Online A strict lockdown would be needed in the UK for the next year to control coronavirus save lives and prevent UK hospitals from becoming overwhelmed a new study has suggested. Researchers said extreme measures are likely required to prevent very large numbers of deaths and intensive care units from filling up. The measures could include social distancing school closures shielding by the elderly and vulnerable and selfisolating at home the study said. It comes as the Governement gradually eases lockdown restrictions in England after 10 weeks amid fresh signs that more Britons are ignoring social distancing rules. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/strict-lockdown-needed-next-year-22131883 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Eastern Daily Press If the UK had entered lockdown 10 days earlier it could have reduced the number of coronavirus cases and deaths by up to 85pc a University of East Anglia professor has said. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/health/uea-professor-says-earlier-coronavirus-lockdown-would-have-saved-lives-1-6682136 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Huffington Post UK The scientist behind Swedens decision to impose one of the lightest coronavirus lockdowns of any European country has admitted the approach has not been effective and has led to one the highest death tolls per capita in the world. Per capita the Scandinavian country has the 7th highest Covid19 death toll in the world. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/sweden-coronavirus-lockdown-did-not-work_uk_5ed75fdfc5b6a209e0b9d271 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian Until a vaccine or effective treatments become available we face the prospect of living with coronavirus and the risks it presents. Public health experts are clear that testing and contact tracing offer the best hope of managing these risks. But as the lockdown is relaxed England seems illprepared to undertake the testing and tracing that will be necessary to avoid a second peak in cases and deaths. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/03/england-lockdown-test-trace-covid-19-restrictions-risk-lives-leaders 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Epidemiologist said he was shocked by how badly sector had been protected Said R rate would hover around 1 because staff keep taking virus out of homes But warned of second wave in winter when the disease transmits much better https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8383191/Professor-Lockdown-Neil-Ferguson-warns-Covid-infections-continuing-spill-care-homes.html 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Much public debate in Japan had turned on cultural factors such as high standards of hygiene obedience to government requests and even claims that the lack of aspirated consonants in the Japanese language reduces the spread of virus droplets. But local experts do not believe their country has any magic power to defeat the virus. Instead they point to three more prosaic factors a special contacttracing strategy early awareness that brought a positive reaction from the Japanese public and the timely declaration of a state of emergency. https://www.ft.com/content/7a4ce8b5-20a3-40ab-abaf-1de213a66403 3rd Jun 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Mirror Online Sir Patrick Vallance said the number of deaths was also coming down but it is not coming down as fast as we would like it to come down https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-chief-scientist-warns-coronavirus-22134091 3rd Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Wall Street Journal This past weekend the government gave permission for all state employees to return to work and allowed gyms to reopen removing most of the restrictions on businesses. Mosques across the country some of which had been allowed to perform Friday prayers are now permitted to hold daily congregations. Such moves have been met with warnings from Iranian health officials. Not only is corona not finished but we might also get a dangerous peak at any moment Health Minister Saeed Namaki said Monday according to the semiofficial ILNA news agency. https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-iran-lifts-its-lockdown-coronavirus-cases-return-to-peak-level-11591127761 3rd Jun 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

WNYT New Zealand is on the verge of eradicating the virus from its shores after it notched a 13th straight day with no reported new infections. Only a single person in the nation of 5 million people is known to still have the virus and that person is not hospitalized. However it remains likely that the country will import new cases once it reopens its borders and officials say their aim remains to stamp out new infections as they arise. The country has already lifted many of its virus restrictions and could remove most of those that remain including limiting crowd sizes next week. Just over 1500 people have contracted the virus during the outbreak including 22 who died. https://wnyt.com/money/the-latest-wuhan-finishes-mass-testing-effort-isolates-300/5749464/ 3rd Jun 2020