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A28 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 4 april 2020
Scramble for virus supplies strains global solidarity

By FRANCES D'EMILIO was just extended,” said
Associated Press Jenny Johansson, the com-
ROME (AP) — San Marino pany’s global manager
needed medical masks. for corporate communi-
Badly. cations. She declined to
The tiny republic, wedged comment on reports that
next to two of Italy’s hard- France ultimately allowed
est-hit provinces in the CO- a million masks apiece to
VID-19 outbreak, had al- go to Spain and Italy.
ready registered 11 deaths “However, this is not only
by March 17 — a sizeable about France,” she said.
number in a country of just “We see government re-
33,000, and a harbinger of strictions across most coun-
worse to come. So authori- tries in which we are ac-
ties sent off a bank trans- tive.”
fer to a supplier in Lugano, The European Union, a bloc
Switzerland, to pay for a of 27 nations built upon
half-million masks, to be open borders and markets,
shared with Italian neigh- has tried to temper this na-
bors. tional free-for-all.
Next day, the truck re- The day after San Marino’s
turned empty. The compa- health minister publicly la-
ny was refusing to provide mented the rejected ac-
the masks. In this March 22, 2020 file photo distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, a military quisition, Switzerland en-
Said Dr. Gabriele Rinaldi, truck loads medical supplies for Italy on a board of an Il-76 cargo plane in Chkalovsky military acted an ordinance oblig-
director of San Marino's airport outside Moscow, Russia. From tiny San Marino wedged next to two of Italy's hardest-hit ing companies to seek
provinces in the coronavirus outbreak to more economically powerful nations like Italy, countries
Health Authority: “It was a are running up against export bans and seizures in the scramble for vital medical supplies. The government authorization
very bitter lesson.’’ new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially to export protective medi-
It’s not clear whether the older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. cal devices. But Swiss em-
mask supplier, who was not (Alexei Yereshko, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) bassy political attache
identified, refused to deliver cans arrive, take out cash scramble among state of- tween planes in Thailand. Lorenza Faessler noted that
because another customer and pay three or four times ficials. The U.S. embassy in Berlin the ordinance specifically
offered more. But what is more for our orders, so we A similar squabble followed didn’t immediately com- exempts the EU and several
clear is that the oft-pro- really have to fight," Dr. a shipment of masks aimed ment. other countries in Europe,
claimed solidarity among Jean Rottner, an emer- for Berlin police. France, meanwhile, has including San Marino.
nations waging battle gency room doctor in Mul- On Friday, Berlin’s top secu- laid claim to supplies within The EU's internal market
against the pandemic has house, told RTL radio. rity official, Andreas Geisel, its borders. In Lyon, inside commissioner, Thierry Bret-
been tested — if not shat- The U.S. Embassy in Paris accused the United States the main southern Euro- on, told the Italian daily
tered — by national and on Friday insisted that no of using “Wild West meth- pean distribution facility of Corriere della Sera that
corporate self-interest. one from the federal gov- ods” after a delivery of hun- the Swedish medical sup- progress had been made
A health official in France's ernment bought masks dreds of thousands of face ply company Molnlycke, in dealing with exports of
hard-hit eastern region said destined for France. Presi- masks destined for Berlin were millions of masks that medical equipment by
U.S. officials swooped in at dent Donald Trump has police was diverted to the France was reluctant to let France, Germany and
a Chinese airport to spirit suggested, however, that U.S. en route from China. go for export. some other nations. He said
away a planeload of masks states get their own medi- German media reported “We recognize that France at the moment only Poland
that France had ordered. cal equipment to fight the this happened as the masks has imposed an export ban and Slovakia were keeping
"On the tarmac, the Ameri- virus, setting off a mad were being transferred be- for face masks and this ban the ban.q
The show can’t go on: Virus halts circus in Netherlands

DRACHTEN, Netherlands mals, including eight Si- Children from the fam-
(AP) — Circus Renz Ber- berian steppe camels, 15 ily pass the time playing
lin’s fleet of blue, red and horses and a llama, are around the trucks and ani-
yellow trucks have had a spending their time in san- mals and get home school-
fresh lick of paint over the dy fields munching their ing -- that’s new for most
winter. But now, as corona- way through the circus’ children in the Netherlands
virus measures shut down supply of food and supplies but not for the Renz fam-
the entertainment industry donated by locals. ily, who usually are moving
across Europe, they have "We have food, but not for from one show location to
no place to go. long. We're already nearly the next too often to at-
"It's catastrophic for every- through our reserves. Now tend a regular school.
body," said Sarina Renz, of other people have helped For now, the family has to
the family circus that has by bringing things for the get used to a more sta-
been in existence since coming weeks. We've got tionary way of life, but one
1842. supplies from people, that's without the lifeblood of the
Sarina Renz kisses one of the eight Siberian Steppe camels, of For the foreseeable future, really fantastic." circus: The public.
the stranded Renz Circus in Drachten, northern Netherlands, the circus is parked up be- There are 18 members of "We're just used to per-
Tuesday, March 31, 2020. The circus fleet of blue, red and yellow hind an equestrian center the extended Renz family forming our shows. That's
trucks have had a fresh lick of paint over the winter. But now,
as coronavirus measures shut down the entertainment industry in a northern Dutch town, on hand to look after the our life,” says Sarina. “We
across Europe, they have no place to go. "It's catastrophic for waiting and hoping for an animals, other performers live to make other people
everybody", said Sarina Renz, of the German family circus that end to the crisis. have already been sent happy with our shows, our
has been in existence since 1842. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) The German circus’ ani- home, Sarina said. attractions."q