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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 7 april 2020
Virus pain easing in Spain, Italy; UK braces for bleak days

By ARITZ PARRA and
DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press
MADRID (AP) — A week
ago, emergency rooms
and intensive care wards in
Spain and Italy were over-
flowing with woozy, cough-
ing coronavirus patients
and literally buzzing with
breathing machines.
So many died that Bar-
celona crematories have
a waiting list of up to two
years, forcing some people
to bury loved ones tempo- People play instruments as other dance on their balconies in Financial Police patrols Canal Grande, in Venice, Monday, April
rarily in cemeteries with the support of the medical staff that are working on the COVID-19 6, 2020.
expectation of exhuming virus outbreak in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 5, 2020. Associated Press.
them for cremation later Associated Press. ing the measures that we patients to other regions.
on. when the nationwide lock- fatalities, the lowest toll in will need to adopt," Ábalos In the northern city of Ber-
But now the two countries down, now in its fifth week, 13 days, for a total of over said. gamo, one of Europe's virus
that have suffered more vi- would be lifted. 13,000 dead. New record- At the San Carlos Clinic epicenters, hospital staff
rus deaths than anywhere The current measures ex- ed infections were the low- Hospital in Madrid, near- were still pulling long, diffi-
else in Europe are starting pire April 13, but how and est in two weeks. ly 15% of the hospital's cult shifts even if the num-
to see their crisis ease, while when Italy will enter a next Emergency rooms in the 1,400-strong staff contract- bers of new patients had
Britain, where the prime phase of ''co-existing'' with hard-hit Madrid region of ed the coronavirus, in line eased a bit.
minister was hospitalized the virus will depend on a 6.6 million were returning with the national average, "There has been no reduc-
in intensive care Monday, technical panel of experts. almost to normal a week "Our priority at the moment tion in the work," said Maria
seems headed in the op- The country's business lob- after scenes of patients is to bring health workers Berardelli, a nursing coor-
posite direction. by is also eager to restart sleeping on floors and in back to work," said Dr. Julio dinator at Pope John XXIII
Between them, Italy and production, which also has chairs. Mayol, the facility's medi- hospital.
Spain saw nearly 30,000 been significantly blocked Patients awaiting treat- cal director. "There have been fewer
deaths and 265,000 con- by the lockdown. ment in Madrid-area ERs Still, there are fears for a admissions to the emer-
firmed infections in the Britain's outbreak was went down Monday to 390 new outbreak as Spanish gency room, but our inten-
pandemic. headed in the opposite cases, one-tenth of the ar- authorities begin talking sive care units are still full,
They, and other European direction as the country rivals last week, the region- about loosening the grip on so the activity hasn't been
countries that locked down reported more than 600 al government said. The mandatory confinement, reduced."
weeks ago and ramped up deaths Sunday, surpassing number of people being and the strain on hospital- Illness has been com-
testing, are now seeing the Italy's daily increase for the treated for coronavirus in izations will still be seen for pounded by shocking
benefits. second day in a row. intensive care stabilized at another week while that economic pain as all the
Prime Minister Giuseppe "I think that we are just a about 1,500 for five straight in intensive care units for world's largest economies
Conte promised Italians week away from the surge days. another two weeks, Mayol have ground to a halt, in-
Monday that they will soon of this," the deputy chief ex- Transport, Mobility and Ur- said. cluding in Italy and Spain.
''reap the fruit of these sac- ecutive of Britain's NHS Pro- ban Affairs Minister José Italy still has, by far, the In France, which slightly
rifices'' in personal liberties viders, Saffron Cordery, told Luis Ábalos said the figures world's highest corona- trails its two neighbors to
made to fight the corona- Sky News. show Spain is entering "a virus death toll — almost the south in deaths and in-
virus. In Spain, deaths and new new phase of the battle." 16,000 — but the pressure fections, the government
Conte declined during a infections dropped again "This new phase does not on northern Italy's ICUs has shut the country down two
press conference to say on Monday. The health mean we can let down eased so much that Lom- days after Italy — and has
ministry reported 637 new our guard. We are assess- bardy is no longer airlifting also seen a slight easing. q

US blocks millions of masks for Canada, but some allowed

By ROB GILLIES sides of the border from the virus that causes also meeting the needs of regions with the most
Associated Press COVID-19, outraged many officials in Canada. severe outbreaks." Trump used his authority un-
TORONTO (AP) — The premier of Canada's most Ford said delays in global shipments and recent der the 1950 Defense Production Act to direct
populous province said Monday U.S. officials restrictions at the U.S. border have left Ontario the government to acquire the "appropriate"
have stopped 3 million masks from getting to with about a one-week supply of critical pro- number of N95 respirators from Minnesota-
Ontario from manufacturing giant 3M, though tective equipment. based 3M and its subsidiaries. He also asked
he said 500,000 of them were being released The premier said he had been told Ontario will it to stop exporting such masks, also known as
Monday despite a Trump administration call get 500,000 masks on Monday. respirators, though 3M issued a statement say-
to prevent the export of N95 protective masks Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Free- ing that could have "significant humanitarian
needed amid the new coronavirus pandemic. land said the flow of medical equipment ben- implications" for healthcare workers in Canada
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he's hopeful efits both countries and needs to continue. and Latin America. The company said possible
Canada will get an exemption and said he State Department spokeswoman Morgan Orta- retaliation by other nations could actually lead
feels better about that after speaking with U.S. gus said in a statement that U.S. Secretary of to fewer of the masks being available in the U.S.
Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. State Mike Pompeo had spoken to Canada's Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has
"It is absolutely critical that they except Cana- foreign minister about it and "reiterated the Unit- noted Canada supplies the U.S. with many
da from this presidential order," Ford said. ed States' desire to work with Canada to ensure supplies, including pulp for surgical-grade N95
The move to block such masks, which are cru- the viability of international supply chains for masks, test kits and gloves. Canadian nurses
cial in protecting healthcare workers on both crucial medical supplies and personnel, while also work in the U.S.q