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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 24 March 2020

U.K. government under pressure to toughen virus restrictions

By DANICA KIRKA and London Underground dur- mild or moderate symp-
PAN PYLAS ing the virus pandemic, toms, such as fever or
Associated Press London Mayor Sadiq Khan coughing. But for some old-
LONDON (AP) — The British implored people ito stay er adults and people with
government warned Mon- at home unless they "abso- existing health problems, it
day that it may introduce lutely need to" move about can cause more severe ill-
more draconian measures the city. ness, including pneumonia.
to slow the spread of the British Health Secretary Over 100,000 people have
coronavirus if people persist Matt Hancock expressed recovered, mostly in China.
in ignoring social distanc- frustration as well. Hancock But in the U.K, photos of
ing recommendations and said the government would people enjoying the sunny
crowding public places. consider locking down the weekend outdoors and of
Following a busy weekend country if the public kept London Underground trains
at U.K. parks and food mar- disregarding calls to stop packed with individuals
kets, there were growing mingling in groups. Han- afraid of losing jobs are giv-
calls for the government to cock described those not ing the British government
impose tighter restrictions heeding official recom- pause.
with more rigorous enforce- mendations to stay two The prime minister's spokes- Two tourist have their photo taken next to a traditional red
ment, including the poten- meters apart from others as man, James Slack, said the telephone box in Westminster, London, Monday, March 23, 2020.
tial involvement of military "very selfish." government was analyzing Associated Press
personnel. The U.K. had the 10th-high- data on public transit use,
Officials at Snowdonia Na- est number of virus cases foot traffic in stores and shopping or to exercise has to do, but, of course, it is
tional Park in Wales, which in the world, 5,903, and park visits to gauge wheth- offered wiggle room to a the sort of thing we might
had its "busiest visitor week- the sixth-highest number of er people were practicing public unaccustomed to have to do in order to pro-
end in living memory," has virus-related deaths as of proper social distancing. confinement. tect life,'' Hancock told Sky
urged the government to Monday, according to tal- "If that data shows they With health officials warn- News. "If you do go out, you
be more explicit with its lies from Johns Hopkins Uni- haven't stopped. then we ing that thousands could must not get closer than
social distancing advice. versity. will need to take further die if action was not taken two meters from someone
They said all the main park- New infections are increas- measures," Slack said. "We immediately, the govern- who isn't in your house-
ing lots would be closed ing at an exponential rate, won't hesitate to do so, ment's messages have hold.''
and Snowdonia administra- raising concern that the and we will do so quickly." become more dire,and its Hancock suggested the
torsare "exploring options to country will be on a trajec- While Britain has ordered willingness to entertain a military would be brought
close down the most popu- tory like Italy's in a week or bars and restaurants to nationwide lockdown like in to help distribute pro-
lar mountains and sites if two if containment efforts close, the government's re- the ones imposed in Spain tective equipment to the
the situation continues." are not successful. peated urging for people and Italy more serious. National Health Service in
Responding to the visibly For most people, the new only to go out only for es- "This is not the sort of thing what he characterized as
high use of parks and the coronavirus causes only sential reasons such as food that anybody would want a "war effort". q
Italy records smaller increase in virus cases for 2nd day

ROME (AP) — Italy has outside of China. trend, to be more certain
recorded a smaller day- As of Monday, Italy had that we are in a favorable
to-day increase in new a total of 59,138 virus cas- situation.," Brusaferro said.
coronavirus cases for the es compared to China's He stressed that while he
second straight day, offi- 81,496. favorably viewed the situ-
cials said while cautioning Health authorities have ation, "I don't feel like tak-
it was too soon to know said it will be a few more ing one side or the other
if the worst is behind the days before they will know to confirm that it is there or
country with the world's if Italy is at the beginning not. We can take note of
second-biggest caseload. of a positive trend. what we see today.''
Data released by Italy's Coffins are lined up on the floor in the Crematorium Temple A top national health of- In Milan, the capital of
Civil Protection agency of Piacenza, Northern Italy, saturated with corpses awaiting ficial, Silvio Brusaferro, re- Lombardy, by far Italy's
on Monday showed 4,789 cremation due to the coronavirus emergency Monday, March sisted being too optimistic, worst-hit region, local
new cases, nearly 700 few- 23, 2020. saying that the improve- health officials expressed
er than the day-to-day in- Associated Press ments registered Monday moderate optimistic that
crease of 5,560 new cases registered on Monday for new cases and deaths were due to actions taken day-to-day increases of
reported Sunday. compared to 651 on Sun- go down as its health sys- at the beginning of the both positive test results
The number of deaths also day. tem struggles under the month, not in recent days. and of new hospital ad-
did not rise by as much. Italy has been anxious to weight of the world's larg- ''We need more consecu- missions of patients with
There were just over 600 see the day-to-day figures est COVID-19 outbreak tive results to confirm the COVID-19 were smaller. q