Page 9 - HOH OCT 24 2020

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WORLD NEWS Saturday 24 OctOber 2020
Dutch hospital airlifts patients to Germany amid virus surge

By PETER DEJONG and MIKE es were reported over the
CORDER last 24-hour period, just shy
Associated Press of the record 11,278 mark
ALMERE, Netherlands (AP) set the day before. The na-
— A bright yellow helicop- tionwide infection rate over
ter rose into a blue sky Friday the last seven days rose to
carrying a COVID-19 pa- 60.3 cases per 100,000 resi-
tient from the Netherlands dents, up from 56.2 the day
to a German intensive care before.
unit, the first such interna- At the same time, the coun-
tional airlift since the global try has more than 8,100 in-
pandemic first threatened tensive care beds free at
to swamp Dutch hospitals the moment, with about
in the spring. 21,500 occupied, accord-
The clatter of the helicop- ing to the German Interdis-
ter's rotors as it lifted off ciplinary Association for In-
from a parking lot behind tensive Care and Emergen-
the Flevohospital in Almere, cy Medicine. There's also
30 kilometers (20 miles) east a reserve of around 12,700
of Amsterdam, was a noisy beds that can be activat-
reminder of how the coro- ed within seven days if nec-
navirus is again gripping essary.
Europe and straining coun- During the first phase of
tries' health care systems. A COVID-19 patient is being carried into a helicopter at Flevoziekenhuis, or FlevoHospital, in the pandemic, in the last
The head of the World Almere, Netherlands, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. week of March and first
Health Organization Associated Press two weeks of April, Germa-
warned that countries in ny took in a total of 232 in-
the Northern hemisphere overnight curfews de- dro Sánchez publicly ap- pital in the German city of tensive care patients from
were at a "critical juncture" clared early in the week by pealed for the country to Muenster came amid soar- Italy, France and the Neth-
as cases and deaths con- governors of Italian regions pull together to defeat the ing rates of infection in the erlands.
tinue to rise. including Rome, Milan and new coronavirus. Netherlands, where the Germany is now also in
"The next few months are Naples, the capital moved "We have to step up the seven-day rolling average talks to take in people from
going to be very tough and to make "nightlife" hours fight," he said in a tele- of daily new cases has risen the Czech Republic.
some countries are on a even shorter for young vised address to the nation over the past two weeks In that hard-hit country, the
dangerous track," WHO Di- people who tend to hang which this week became from 24.58 new cases per health minister was under
rector-General Tedros Ad- out in trendy piazzas, ca- the first European country 100,000 people on Oct. pressure to resign Friday
hanom Ghebreyesus said rousing for hours without to surpass 1 million officially 7 to 47.74 new cases per after a media report that
at a media briefing from masks as they sip cocktails recorded COVID-19 cases. 100,000 on Oct. 21. he broke strict government
Geneva. and knock down beers. Sánchez admitted, though, Flevohospital spokesman restrictions and visited a
The U.N. health agency had Rome's populist Five-Star that the true figure could Peter Pels said flying pa- Prague restaurant for a
recorded about 445,000 Movement mayor, Virginia be more than 3 million, due tients across an internation- meeting, just hours after
new coronavirus cases in Raggi, signed an ordinance to gaps in testing and other al border was a last resort announcing tightened virus
the past 24 hours and that putting off limits, until Nov. reasons. after other hospitals in the restrictions.
nearly half of those were 13, several gathering spots In neighboring Portugal, region around Almere said Polish Prime Minister Ma-
from Europe, Maria Van highly popular for night- the parliament passed a their intensive care units teusz Morawiecki ap-
Kerkhove, WHO's technical time drinking starting at 9 law Friday making it man- couldn't take them. The pealed to his country to
lead on COVID-19, said. p.m. The crackdown covers datory for anyone age 10 hospital was transferring adhere to new restrictions
"In many cities across Eu- landmark nocturnal hang- or older to wear a mask in two patients to Germany coming into force Saturday
rope, the capacity for ICU outs including Campo de' public spaces whenever it on Friday. that include wearing face
is going to be reached in Fiori, a vast expanse in the is "impractical" to keep at "We actually prefer not to masks outdoors, closing
the coming weeks. And heart of Rome that doubles least a two-meter distance move patients because it primary schools and urging
that's a worrying situation as an open-air food market from others. is very drastic, also for fam- anybody aged over 70 to
as we're in October," she during the day, and Piazza Worldwide, the virus has ily," he said. "But to keep stay home.
said, noting the flu season Trilussa, a square near the infected more than 41 mil- the quality and safety of The virus also continues to
is about to begin and will Tiber River that is usually lion people and killed more care at a good level, un- wreak economic havoc.
likely increase the strain packed in the evening with than 1.1 million, accord- fortunately it is necessary to In Spain — where tourism
on hospitals. "The worry we rowdy drinkers. ing to a count by Johns move patients." generated 12% of the gross
have are the numbers of A curfew imposed on Paris Hopkins University. The true Dutch Prime Minister Mark domestic product and
individuals requiring hospi- and other French cities last numbers are far higher due Rutte said he called the sustained 2.6 million jobs
talization." week was extended to 38 to gaps in testing and re- governor of Germany's before the pandemic —
An absence of noise was set more regions starting Friday porting cases. North Rhine-Westphalia overnight hotel stays were
to underscore the extent of night. Restrictions on European state to thank him for his down 78% in September
the resurgence of the virus A four-and-a-half hour daily life even extended hospitality and solidarity in from the same month last
as major cities from Rome nightly curfew is to come to canceling the one-day taking the patients. A flight year, the national statistics
to Paris prepared to rein in into effect Saturday night in fall session of the 31-seat carrying a second patient agency said.
nightlife with new curfews the Greek capital, Athens, parliament on the Arctic left the hospital Friday af- Spain is the world's second
late Friday, part of the in- and the country's second island of Greenland after a ternoon. most popular vacation des-
creasingly drastic measures largest city of Thessaloniki, member of the assembly's Numbers have been spiking tination, after France, but
nations are enforcing in an as well as several other ar- financial committee was in in neighboring Germany as hotel stays in the first nine
attempt to slow the spread eas deemed to have high contact with a person who well, with the country's dis- months of 2020 were down
of the pandemic. infection rates. had tested positive. ease control center saying 71% from 2019, the agency
In addition to the three In Spain, Prime Minister Pe- The Dutch airlift to a hos- Friday that 11,242 new cas- reported.q