Page 18 - HOH OCT 23 2020_Neat

A30 world news
Diabierna 23 OctOber 2020

French PM says 2nd virus wave is here, vastly extends curfew

in Europe, the second wave than 44% percent and that go under curfew shows that
is here,” Castex said at a news four regions, including Paris, infections are reaching be-
conference, adding that “no have more than half of their yond big cities and into less
one is spared.” intensive care unit beds filled populated or even rural areas.
The extension means that by COVID-19 patients, in-
46 million of the 67 million cluding the Paris region. The southern coast, from the
people living in France will Pyrenees to Nice, is to go
be under curfews. Several other government under curfew, along with a
ministers joined Castex at the mass of areas in the southeast
The virus is spreading less news conference as he pre- and central France, as well as
rapidly during the second pared much of the nation for patches in the north, in the
wave but more extensively, a stay-at-home life after dark east and around Paris.
the prime minister said. The and the need to wear masks ICU beds represent a major
number of cases of COV- outdoors. challenge, he said, and sched-
ID-19 has doubled in France France has been using a tar- uled operations are being de-
in the past 15 days. geted approach to curb the layed to free up beds. France
“The situation is grave," virus, but some of the regions has increased its ICU beds
Castex said. to go under a curfew have yet from 5,100 to 5,800 but can
(AP) — French Prime six weeks before a review, he to reach alert-level infection go quickly to 7,700 beds to
Minister Jean Castex an- said. The number of cases report- rates. Castex said those areas treat COVID-19 patients.
nounced on Thursday ed daily recently has floated are being placed under cur-
a vast extension of the Hours after the prime min- around 30,000. However, the few for preventive reasons. In another step to better track
nightly curfew that is in- ister announced the curfews, count leaped to a new record the virus, the minister in
tended to curb the spiral- public health authorities re- Thursday, when health au- In just one week, the infec- charge of data and electronic
ing spread of the corona- ported that France had re- thorities reported 41,622 cas- tion rate per 100,000 people communications, Cedric O,
virus, saying “the second corded more than 41,600 es in the previous 24 hours. has climbed by 40%, he said. formally announced plans for
wave is here.” new virus cases, a daily high More than 34,200 people “The weeks ahead will be a new application that pro-
since the country began have died in France since the tough...and the number of vides more information than
The curfew imposed in eight widespread testing. Figures start of the pandemic, one of dead will increase,” he said. a previous version, included
regions of France last week, showed France nearing 1 the highest death tolls in Eu- French Health Minister Ol- the number of daily cases.
including Paris and its sub- million cases since the start of rope. ivier Veran called the rate at When ready, it will replace
urbs, is being extended start- the pandemic, with 999,043 which the virus is spreading the failed StopCovid app,
ing Friday at midnight to 38 as of Thursday evening. The prime minister said the “alarming” even if it is less which the prime minister re-
more regions and Polynesia, national hospital bed occu- rapid than earlier in the pan- cently admitted he had never
Castex said. It is likely to last “In France, like everywhere pancy rate is now at more demic. The map of areas to downloaded.

Mexico reaches deal to pay water debt to US

(AP) — Mexico announced for 13 border cities includ- that leftist President Andrés punching bag in the Nov. 3 increased reliability and pre-
Thursday it has reached ing Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa Manuel López Obrador has U.S. elections, as it was in dictability in Rio Grande wa-
a deal with the United and Matamoros. The Unit- maintained with U.S. Presi- 2016. ter deliveries to users in the
States to pay the shortfall ed States also agreed to help dent Donald Trump allowed United States and Mexico,"
in its annual contribution Mexico if it faces a municipal Mexico to gain a face-saving López Obrador noted re- according to the Internation-
of water from border-area water shortage. last-minute deal, and Mexi- cently that unlike 2016, can- al Boundary and Water Com-
rivers by giving the U.S. can officials appeared grateful didates in the November mission, which oversees the
Mexico's rights to water Mexico says the agreement for that. presidential race have been implementation of the treaty.
held in border dams that will leave it with some wa- “respectful” of Mexico and
normally supply cities and ter in the border dams it can “We want to thank (U.S.) he wants to keep it that way. The problem arose in part
towns downstream. draw on — about a three- Secretary of State Mike because of a lack of rainfall,
month supply — and more Pompeo and all his team for As a candidate in 2016, Don- but also because Mexico has
The agreement announced water in near-border dams their support in reaching this ald Trump accused Mexico long pursued a strategy of
Thursday allows Mexico to supply cities and towns, agreement,” said Foreign Re- of sending rapists across the falling behind in water pay-
to meet the Oct. 24 dead- mainly in the state of Tamau- lations Secretary Marcel Eb- border. But the rhetoric this ments, hoping for a last-
line which, if missed, could lipas. rard. year has been softer. minute storm or hurricane
have endangered a cross- The agreement “also estab- that would fill border dams
border water sharing treaty Under the 1944 treaty, the López Obrador was also wor- lishes work groups to analyze and streams and allow it to
that greatly benefits Mexico. quantity of water Mexico ried the water issue could and develop water manage- recoup shortfalls.
Mexican officials has also ships north from the central lead to Mexico becoming a ment tools to provide for
worried the water debt could section of the border is only
have become an issue in the a fourth of what it receives
upcoming U.S. elections. from the U.S. along the Col-
orado River to the west, and
The deal transfers Mexico's it has been worried about the
share of water held in the possibility of losing that.
Amistad and Falcon dams
to U.S. ownership. The Mexico was embarrassed
amount of water transferred when, over the summer,
is enormous: 170 million cu- angry farmers in the bor-
bic yards (130 million cubic der state of Chihuahua has
meters), or enough water to seized a key dam there and
flood 105,000 acres with a refused to allow any more
foot of water. water transfers to the United
States, claiming they needed
Mexico said it still had the water for their own crops.
enough water in other dams
near the border to satisfy But in the end, the surpris-
drinking water requirements ing friendly relationship