france24--2020-04-24--UK PM Boris Johnson recovering well from Covid-19 and in 'incredible' shape

Britain 's Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauds outside 10 Downing Street during the Clap for our carers campaign in support of the NHS , as the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues , London , Britain , March 26 , 2020 .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces the biggest conundrum of his premiership as he recuperates from COVID-19 : how to lift a lockdown that is destroying swathes of the British economy without triggering a deadly second wave of the outbreak .
Johnson , 55 , is on the mend at his country residence after spending three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital earlier this month with COVID-19 complications .
He later said he owed his life to the hospital staff .
But as speculation mounts that the prime minister is preparing to return to work , Johnson is under pressure to explain just how and when the world 's fifth largest economy will exit the crippling lockdown .
`` He sounded incredible , '' U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday of how Johnson sounded on a call they had two days earlier .
`` He was ready to go . ''
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said .
`` He 's doing great . ''
Johnson 's government , which was slower than European peers to impose a lockdown , has come under fire for its limited testing capacity and for failing to deliver enough personal protective equipment to front-line health workers .
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Johnson is planning to return to work as early as Monday , and his health minister , Matt Hancock , described the prime minister as cheerful , ebullient and getting much better .
`` That decision is for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Hancock said .
`` I spoke to him yesterday , he 's on very good form and is clearly recovering . ''
The government 's as yet unpublished strategy for unwinding the lockdown will be heavily scrutinised as investors try to work out which major economy will be worst hit by the most severe public health crisis since the 1918 influenza outbreak .
The United Kingdom has the fifth worst official death toll in the world , after the United States , Italy , Spain and France , and government scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only start to decline quickly in another couple of weeks .
Hancock said on Friday that it was too early to lift the lockdown , though economic data indicates Britain 's economy is crumbling under the strain of the lockdown .
According to the country 's budget forecasters , the economy could be heading into its deepest recession in more than 300 years even after the finance ministry and the Bank of England rushed out a string of emergency stimulus measures .
British retail sales fell by the most on record in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus lockdown was dwarfed by a plunge in sales of clothing and most other goods , official figures showed on Friday .
Sales volumes plunged by 5.1 % in March from February , the sharpest drop since the Office for National Statistics records began in 1996 .
It was also a bigger fall than the median forecast for a drop of 4.0 % in a Reuters poll of economists .
`` Clearly there is huge uncertainty as to how deep the downturn proves and how long restrictions remain in place , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in GDP over the next few months seems likely , '' said Thomas Pugh , an economist with Capital Economics .

Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces the biggest conundrum of his premiership as he recuperates from COVID-19: how to lift a lockdown that is destroying swathes of the British economy without triggering a deadly second wave of the outbreak.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauds outside 10 Downing Street during the Clap for our carers campaign in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, March 26, 2020.
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Johnson, 55, is on the mend at his country residence after spending three nights in intensive care at a London hospital earlier this month with COVID-19 complications. He later said he owed his life to the hospital staff.
But as speculation mounts that the prime minister is preparing to return to work, Johnson is under pressure to explain just how and when the world's fifth largest economy will exit the crippling lockdown.
"He sounded incredible," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday of how Johnson sounded on a call they had two days earlier. "He was ready to go."
"It's like the old Boris," Trump said. "He's doing great."
Johnson's government, which was slower than European peers to impose a lockdown, has come under fire for its limited testing capacity and for failing to deliver enough personal protective equipment to front-line health workers.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Johnson is planning to return to work as early as Monday, and his health minister, Matt Hancock, described the prime minister as cheerful, ebullient and getting much better.
"That decision is for the prime minister in consultation with his doctors," Hancock said. "I spoke to him yesterday, he's on very good form and is clearly recovering."
Lockdown
The government's as yet unpublished strategy for unwinding the lockdown will be heavily scrutinised as investors try to work out which major economy will be worst hit by the most severe public health crisis since the 1918 influenza outbreak.
The United Kingdom has the fifth worst official death toll in the world, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France, and government scientists have said that the death rate will only start to decline quickly in another couple of weeks.
Hancock said on Friday that it was too early to lift the lockdown, though economic data indicates Britain's economy is crumbling under the strain of the lockdown.
According to the country's budget forecasters, the economy could be heading into its deepest recession in more than 300 years even after the finance ministry and the Bank of England rushed out a string of emergency stimulus measures.
British retail sales fell by the most on record in March as a surge in food buying for the coronavirus lockdown was dwarfed by a plunge in sales of clothing and most other goods, official figures showed on Friday.
Sales volumes plunged by 5.1% in March from February, the sharpest drop since the Office for National Statistics records began in 1996. It was also a bigger fall than the median forecast for a drop of 4.0% in a Reuters poll of economists.
"Clearly there is huge uncertainty as to how deep the downturn proves and how long restrictions remain in place, a fall in the region of 25% in GDP over the next few months seems likely," said Thomas Pugh, an economist with Capital Economics.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-25--'No evidence' that recovering from Covid-19 gives people immunity, WHO says

A photo exhibit outside the headquarters of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) in Geneva amid the Covid-19 outbreak seen on April 15 , 2020 .
The World Health Organization warned on Saturday that recovering from coronavirus may not protect people from reinfection as the death toll from the pandemic approached 200,000 around the globe .
Governments across the world are struggling to limit the economic devastation unleashed by the virus , which has infected nearly 2.8 million people and left half of humanity under some form of lockdown .
The United Nations has joined world leaders in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , but effective treatments for COVID-19 , the disease caused by coronavirus , are still far off .
But with signs the disease is peaking in the US and Europe , governments are starting to ease restrictions , weighing the need for economic recovery against cautions that lifting them too soon risks a second wave of infections .
The WHO warned on Saturday that there is still no evidence that people who test positive for the new coronavirus and recover are immunised and protected against reinfection .
The warning came as some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passports '' or documents for those who have recovered as one way to get people back to work after weeks of economic shutdown .
`` There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from # COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection , '' WHO said in a statement .
`` People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice , '' it said .
On Friday , UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the private sector to join the effort to speed up development and distribution of a vaccine .
Any vaccine should be safe , affordable and available to all , Guterres said at a virtual meeting , which was attended by the leaders of Germany and France .
Absent though were the leaders of China , where the virus first emerged late last year , and the United States , which has accused the WHO of not warning quickly enough about the original outbreak .
The spread of COVID-19 is increasing other medical risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 400,000 more people could die from malaria because of disruption to the supply of mosquito nets and medicines .
Saturday marked World Malaria Day , a disease which the WHO said could kill around 770,000 this year , or `` twice as much as in 2018 '' .
With more than four billion people still on lockdown or stay-at-home orders , governments are debating how to lift restrictions without causing a spike in infections and how to revive economies battered by weeks of closure .
The daily death toll in Western countries seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologists had been looking for , but the WHO has warned that other nations are still in the early stages of the fight .
Global COVID-19 deaths have climbed past 197,000 , according to an AFP tally , but new reported cases appear to have leveled off at about 80,000 a day .
The United States is the hardest-hit country by far in the pandemic , recording more than 51,500 deaths and over 890,000 infections .
Spain 's daily virus toll -- the third highest fatality rate in the world -- rose slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day after the country registered its lowest number of fatalities in four weeks .
In a sign of potential risks , Iranian health officials Saturday also raised fears of a `` fresh outbreak '' with another 76 fatalities declared , bringing Iran 's official death toll to 5,650 .
Iran has steadily allowed the reopening of businesses that were closed to stop the virus spread .
But Alireza Zali , a health coordinator for the capital , criticised `` hasty reopenings '' that could `` create new waves of sickness in Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quick vaccine came a day after US President Donald Trump prompted outcry and ridicule with his suggestion that disinfectants be used to treat coronavirus patients .
As experts - and disinfectant manufacturers - rushed to caution against any such dangerous experiment , the president tried to walk back his comments , saying he had been speaking `` sarcastically . ''
The world 's biggest economy has been hammered by the pandemic , with 26 million jobs lost since the crisis began , and American leaders are under pressure to find ways to ease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , the governor of Georgia allowed some businesses , including nail salons and bowling alleys , to reopen on Friday , sparking both criticism and relief .
The mayor of the state 's capital Atlanta condemned the `` irresponsible '' move , telling ABC News : `` There is nothing essential about going to a bowling alley or giving a manicure in the middle of a pandemic . ''
In Michigan , Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended her stay-at-home order until May 15 , but she eased some restrictions by allowing landscapers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ended prohibitions against golfing and motorboating .
The unprecedented situation has left the world staring at its worst downturn since the Great Depression , and world leaders are trying to balance public health concerns with economic needs .
Beyond the US , other countries have already started loosening restrictions .
Italy announced plans Saturday to set price limits on face masks and ramp up antibody testing as it nears the end of the world 's longest active national coronavirus lockdown .
Italians are awaiting a decision this weekend about which of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably be allowed to leave their homes freely for the first time since March 9 by early May .
Sri Lanka said it would lift a nationwide curfew on Monday after more than five weeks , as Belgium joined other European nations to announce an easing from mid-May .
In France , which will be on lockdown until May 11 , residents still confined to home have taken to praising health workers and protesting their frustrations with officials on painted banners hung outside their windows .
`` Thank you to the caregivers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such banner hanging outside a building in a Paris suburb .
On the other side of the world in Australia and New Zealand , people held vigils from the isolation of their own driveways to pay tribute to their war veterans on Anzac Day .
Official memorials were held behind closed doors .
Across the Muslim world , hundreds of millions of faithful also opened the Ramadan holy month under stay-at-home conditions , facing unprecedented bans on prayers in mosques and on the traditional large gatherings of families and friends to break the @ @ @

The World Health Organization warned on Saturday that recovering from coronavirus may not protect people from reinfection as the death toll from the pandemic approached 200,000 around the globe.
A photo exhibit outside the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva amid the Covid-19 outbreak seen on April 15, 2020.
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Governments across the world are struggling to limit the economic devastation unleashed by the virus, which has infected nearly 2.8 million people and left half of humanity under some form of lockdown.
The United Nations has joined world leaders in a push to speed up development of a vaccine, but effective treatments for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, are still far off.
But with signs the disease is peaking in the US and Europe, governments are starting to ease restrictions, weighing the need for economic recovery against cautions that lifting them too soon risks a second wave of infections.
The WHO warned on Saturday that there is still no evidence that people who test positive for the new coronavirus and recover are immunised and protected against reinfection.
>> Read more: 'Grave concerns' about Covid-19 immunity passports
The warning came as some governments study measures such as "immunity passports" or documents for those who have recovered as one way to get people back to work after weeks of economic shutdown.
"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from #COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," WHO said in a statement.
"People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice," it said.
On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked for international organisations, world leaders and the private sector to join the effort to speed up development and distribution of a vaccine.
Any vaccine should be safe, affordable and available to all, Guterres said at a virtual meeting, which was attended by the leaders of Germany and France.
Absent though were the leaders of China, where the virus first emerged late last year, and the United States, which has accused the WHO of not warning quickly enough about the original outbreak.
The spread of COVID-19 is increasing other medical risks as well with the WHO warning nearly 400,000 more people could die from malaria because of disruption to the supply of mosquito nets and medicines.
Saturday marked World Malaria Day, a disease which the WHO said could kill around 770,000 this year, or "twice as much as in 2018".
Early stages
With more than four billion people still on lockdown or stay-at-home orders, governments are debating how to lift restrictions without causing a spike in infections and how to revive economies battered by weeks of closure.
The daily death toll in Western countries seems to be falling, a sign hopeful epidemiologists had been looking for, but the WHO has warned that other nations are still in the early stages of the fight.
Global COVID-19 deaths have climbed past 197,000, according to an AFP tally, but new reported cases appear to have leveled off at about 80,000 a day.
The United States is the hardest-hit country by far in the pandemic, recording more than 51,500 deaths and over 890,000 infections.
Spain's daily virus toll -- the third highest fatality rate in the world -- rose slightly on Saturday with 378 people dying, a day after the country registered its lowest number of fatalities in four weeks.
In a sign of potential risks, Iranian health officials Saturday also raised fears of a "fresh outbreak" with another 76 fatalities declared, bringing Iran's official death toll to 5,650.
Iran has steadily allowed the reopening of businesses that were closed to stop the virus spread. But Alireza Zali, a health coordinator for the capital, criticised "hasty reopenings" that could "create new waves of sickness in Tehran".
The UN push for a quick vaccine came a day after US President Donald Trump prompted outcry and ridicule with his suggestion that disinfectants be used to treat coronavirus patients.
As experts - and disinfectant manufacturers - rushed to caution against any such dangerous experiment, the president tried to walk back his comments, saying he had been speaking "sarcastically."
The world's biggest economy has been hammered by the pandemic, with 26 million jobs lost since the crisis began, and American leaders are under pressure to find ways to ease social distancing measures.
Despite criticism from Trump, the governor of Georgia allowed some businesses, including nail salons and bowling alleys, to reopen on Friday, sparking both criticism and relief.
The mayor of the state's capital Atlanta condemned the "irresponsible" move, telling ABC News: "There is nothing essential about going to a bowling alley or giving a manicure in the middle of a pandemic."
In Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended her stay-at-home order until May 15, but she eased some restrictions by allowing landscapers and bike mechanics to return to work, and ended prohibitions against golfing and motorboating.
Lifting lockdown
The unprecedented situation has left the world staring at its worst downturn since the Great Depression, and world leaders are trying to balance public health concerns with economic needs.
Beyond the US, other countries have already started loosening restrictions.
Italy announced plans Saturday to set price limits on face masks and ramp up antibody testing as it nears the end of the world's longest active national coronavirus lockdown.
Italians are awaiting a decision this weekend about which of its restrictions will be lifted and they will probably be allowed to leave their homes freely for the first time since March 9 by early May.
Sri Lanka said it would lift a nationwide curfew on Monday after more than five weeks, as Belgium joined other European nations to announce an easing from mid-May.
In France, which will be on lockdown until May 11, residents still confined to home have taken to praising health workers and protesting their frustrations with officials on painted banners hung outside their windows.
"Thank you to the caregivers, shame on the leaders" read one such banner hanging outside a building in a Paris suburb.
On the other side of the world in Australia and New Zealand, people held vigils from the isolation of their own driveways to pay tribute to their war veterans on Anzac Day. Official memorials were held behind closed doors.
Across the Muslim world, hundreds of millions of faithful also opened the Ramadan holy month under stay-at-home conditions, facing unprecedented bans on prayers in mosques and on the traditional large gatherings of families and friends to break the daily fast.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-25--Covid-19: France records 369 new deaths to bring its total toll to 22,614

A medical staff member , wearing protective suit and face mask , works in the Intensive Care Unit ( ICU ) for coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) patients at the Centre Cardiologique du Nord private hospital in Saint-Denis near Paris as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in France , April 22 , 2020 .
France reported 369 more coronavirus deaths on Saturday , a lower toll than in previous days , with the number of people in intensive dropping for the 17th day in a row .
While 22,614 people have died from the virus in France since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the mortality rate in hospitals was the lowest in a month , with 198 deaths in 24 hours .
However , 171 died in retirement and care homes , and officials said they were worried by an increase in critically ill patients suffering from other conditions .
More than 7,500 people are now being treated in the intensive care units across France - which is 50 percent more than the country 's total capacity before the epidemic struck .
Despite some encouraging , the system was still under strain , officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patients in intensive care shows the necessity for those with chronic diseases to be looked after as well as taking care of those in emergency situations , '' a statement said .
`` If the care ... ( of those with chronic problems ) is interrupted for a long time , their illnesses will become more serious . ''
Officials urged people with chronic diseases who are sick not to be afraid of contacting their doctors or medical carers .

France reported 369 more coronavirus deaths on Saturday, a lower toll than in previous days, with the number of people in intensive dropping for the 17th day in a row.
A medical staff member, wearing protective suit and face mask, works in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients at the Centre Cardiologique du Nord private hospital in Saint-Denis near Paris as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in France, April 22, 2020.
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While 22,614 people have died from the virus in France since the beginning of March, health officials said the mortality rate in hospitals was the lowest in a month, with 198 deaths in 24 hours.
However, 171 died in retirement and care homes, and officials said they were worried by an increase in critically ill patients suffering from other conditions.
More than 7,500 people are now being treated in the intensive care units across France - which is 50 percent more than the country's total capacity before the epidemic struck.
Despite some encouraging, the system was still under strain, officials said.
"The rise in the number of patients in intensive care shows the necessity for those with chronic diseases to be looked after as well as taking care of those in emergency situations," a statement said.
"If the care... (of those with chronic problems) is interrupted for a long time, their illnesses will become more serious."
Officials urged people with chronic diseases who are sick not to be afraid of contacting their doctors or medical carers.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-25--French PM set to present plan to unwind Covid-19 lockdown on Tuesday

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe speaks during a news conference in Paris , France March 28 , 2020 , on @ @ @ @ @ strict nationwide confinement seeking to halt the spread of COVID-19 disease .
French Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ government 's plan to unwind the country 's coronavirus lockdown to parliament on Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ vote , his office said in a statement .
The lockdown ordered by President Emmanuel @ @ @ @ @ of the virus has been in place since March 17 and is due to be @ @ @ @ @ Macron is aiming to ease some of the lockdown measures then with schools reopening first @ @ @ @ @ yet to finalise how it might work in practice .
France has also offered retailers @ @ @ @ @ wants them to reopen on May 11 , though some curbs could remain in certain @ @ @ @ @ wave of the coronavirus .
The death toll in France from the coronavirus now stands @ @ @ @ @ ministry said on Saturday .

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will on Tuesday present the national strategy for emerging from the coronavirus lockdown, his office told AFP.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe speaks during a news conference in Paris, France March 28, 2020, on the eleventh day of a strict nationwide confinement seeking to halt the spread of COVID-19 disease.
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His announcement at the National Assembly will be followed by a debate and a vote. An app for tracing contacts of confirmed cases is also due to be unveiled Tuesday.
Seventeen priorities have been identified for gradually bringing the country out of lockdown from May 11.
These include reopening schools, companies returning to work, getting public transport back to normal, the supply of masks and sanitiser, testing policy and support for the elderly.
A dozen ministers will on Monday consult with representatives of local authorities to discuss various options.
France has been under coronavirus restrictions since March 17 and the government faces a delicate balancing act to revive the economy without triggering a resurgence in the epidemic.
Only 39 percent of the French public have confidence in the government's ability to deal effectively with the virus, seven points lower than last week, according to an Ifop poll for the Journal du Dimanche.
The pandemic has killed 22,614 people in France since the start of March, with 369 new deaths recorded in the previous 24 hours, according to official figures released late Saturday, which saw a significant drop in hospital deaths.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-26--Algeria allows more businesses to-reopen amid fears of Covid-19 endangering economy

A vendor wearing a protective face mask serves a customer inside her shop , ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , amid concerns over the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in Algiers , Algeria April 19 , 2020 .
Picture taken April 19 , 2020 .
Algeria has taken further steps to ease restrictions over the novel coronavirus by allowing several businesses to reopen `` to reduce the economic and social impact of the health crisis '' caused by the pandemic , the prime minister 's office said on Saturday .
It said shops to be reopened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public works , appliances , fabrics , jewelry , clothing and shoes , cosmetics and perfumes , home and office furniture , pastries and hairdressers in addition to urban transport by taxi .
The government on Thursday decided to ease confinement measures by shortening the curfew for some provinces but called on citizens to be `` vigilant '' .
That measure came hours before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on Friday .
Algeria has said restrictions linked to the novel coronavirus has significantly hit the economy which is under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in global oil prices .
The government has reported a total of 3,256 confirmed infections with the virus , with 419 deaths and 1,479 recoveries .

Algeria has taken further steps to ease restrictions over the novel coronavirus by allowing several businesses to reopen "to reduce the economic and social impact of the health crisis" caused by the pandemic, the prime minister's office said on Saturday.
A vendor wearing a protective face mask serves a customer inside her shop, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Algiers, Algeria April 19, 2020. Picture taken April 19, 2020.
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It said shops to be reopened including those for materials for building and public works, appliances, fabrics, jewelry, clothing and shoes, cosmetics and perfumes, home and office furniture, pastries and hairdressers in addition to urban transport by taxi.
The government on Thursday decided to ease confinement measures by shortening the curfew for some provinces but called on citizens to be "vigilant". That measure came hours before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on Friday.
Algeria has said restrictions linked to the novel coronavirus has significantly hit the economy which is under financial pressure due to a sharp fall in global oil prices.
The government has reported a total of 3,256 confirmed infections with the virus, with 419 deaths and 1,479 recoveries.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-25--UK passes grim milestone of 20,000 hospital deaths from Covid-19

People wearing face masks cross Millennium Bridge , as the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues , in London , Britain , April 25 , 2020 .
Britain passed the grim milestone of over 20,000 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday , as the daily toll rose by 813 to 20,319 people who tested positive for the illness and died in hospital .
Back in mid-March the government 's chief scientific adviser said that keeping the death toll below 20,000 would be a `` good outcome '' .
The government is facing growing criticism over its response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rises .
Britain was slower to impose a lockdown than European peers and is struggling to raise its testing capacity .
The country has the fifth highest official coronavirus death toll in the world , after the United States , Italy , Spain and France .
Scientists have said that the death rate will only start to decline quickly in another couple of weeks .
The total number of deaths is likely to be thousands higher with the addition of more comprehensive but lagging figures that include deaths in nursing homes .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was short of the overall toll by around 40 % .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still recovering after falling seriously ill with COVID-19 earlier this month and in his absence , government ministers have been struggling to explain high death rates , limited testing and shortages of protective equipment for medical workers and carers .
'Years before the full effect is known' Health ministry data published on Saturday showed that 28,760 tests were carried out on 24 April .
That is likely to put further pressure on the government given its target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of April is just days away .
There are concerns that limited testing could mean a slow exit from lockdown and a worse hit for Britain 's economy , the world 's fifth largest .
Earlier on Saturday , Stephen Powis , the medical director of the National Health Service ( NHS ) in England , declined to give a new number for how many deaths could now be expected , but told BBC Radio : '' It will take some time , it may take many years , before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this country . ''
Striking a positive note , Powis added the NHS had not been overwhelmed in the way that hospitals in some other countries have been .
Healthcare providers were now preparing to ramp up non-coronavirus treatments , such as restarting planned surgeries .
`` As we are now beginning to see a decline , a decrease , in the number of patients with coronavirus , it is absolutely the time to start building up our services again , '' he said .

Britain passed the grim milestone of over 20,000 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, as the daily toll rose by 813 to 20,319 people who tested positive for the illness and died in hospital.
People wearing face masks cross Millennium Bridge, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, April 25, 2020.
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Back in mid-March the government's chief scientific adviser said that keeping the death toll below 20,000 would be a "good outcome".
The government is facing growing criticism over its response to the new coronavirus pandemic as the death toll rises. Britain was slower to impose a lockdown than European peers and is struggling to raise its testing capacity.
The country has the fifth highest official coronavirus death toll in the world, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France. Scientists have said that the death rate will only start to decline quickly in another couple of weeks.
The total number of deaths is likely to be thousands higher with the addition of more comprehensive but lagging figures that include deaths in nursing homes. As of April 10, the hospital toll was short of the overall toll by around 40%.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still recovering after falling seriously ill with COVID-19 earlier this month and in his absence, government ministers have been struggling to explain high death rates, limited testing and shortages of protective equipment for medical workers and carers.
'Years before the full effect is known'
Health ministry data published on Saturday showed that 28,760 tests were carried out on 24 April. That is likely to put further pressure on the government given its target of hitting 100,000 tests per day by the end of April is just days away.
There are concerns that limited testing could mean a slow exit from lockdown and a worse hit for Britain's economy, the world's fifth largest.
Earlier on Saturday, Stephen Powis, the medical director of the National Health Service (NHS) in England, declined to give a new number for how many deaths could now be expected, but told BBC Radio:
"It will take some time, it may take many years, before the full effect of the pandemic is known in this country."
Striking a positive note, Powis added the NHS had not been overwhelmed in the way that hospitals in some other countries have been. Healthcare providers were now preparing to ramp up non-coronavirus treatments, such as restarting planned surgeries.
"As we are now beginning to see a decline, a decrease, in the number of patients with coronavirus, it is absolutely the time to start building up our services again," he said.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-25--EU calls for humanitarian truce in Libya as conflict escalates

European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell , holds a virtual news conference on the approval of Operation Irini , at the European Commission in Brussels , Belgium March 31 , 2020 .
The foreign ministers of Germany , France and Italy and the EU 's top diplomat made a joint call on Saturday for a humanitarian truce in Libya , saying all sides must resume peace talks .
`` We want to unite our voices to those of the U.N. Secretary-General ( Antonio ) Guterres and his Acting Special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in their call for a humanitarian truce in Libya , '' the statement said .
`` We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by the spirit of the Holy Ramadan , engage in resuming talks for a genuine ceasefire , '' said the statement , signed by the EU 's Josep Borrell , France 's Jean-Yves Le Drian , Italy 's Luigi di Maio and Heiko Maas of Germany .
Libya 's conflict escalated sharply this month , with fierce fighting on several different fronts in the west of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N. and aid agencies for a truce to tackle the coronavirus crisis .
World leaders met in Berlin in January to set the basis for what they hoped was a fresh chance for a peace process .
But the new wave of fighting has been fuelled by arms imported from abroad , Williams has said .
The European Union has launched a new naval and air mission in the eastern Mediterranean to stop more arms reach warring factions in Libya but can not patrol the Egypt-Libya land border , through which artillery is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned that could that the conflict could worsen regional instability and swell the flow of migrants from the Middle East and Africa almost a decade after Muammar Gaddafi 's fall in 2011 .

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Italy and the EU's top diplomat made a joint call on Saturday for a humanitarian truce in Libya, saying all sides must resume peace talks.
European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, holds a virtual news conference on the approval of Operation Irini, at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium March 31, 2020.
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"We want to unite our voices to those of the U.N. Secretary-General (Antonio) Guterres and his Acting Special Representative for Libya, Stephanie Turco Williams, in their call for a humanitarian truce in Libya," the statement said.
"We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by the spirit of the Holy Ramadan, engage in resuming talks for a genuine ceasefire," said the statement, signed by the EU's Josep Borrell, France's Jean-Yves Le Drian, Italy's Luigi di Maio and Heiko Maas of Germany.
Libya's conflict escalated sharply this month, with fierce fighting on several different fronts in the west of the country despite urgent calls from the U.N. and aid agencies for a truce to tackle the coronavirus crisis.
World leaders met in Berlin in January to set the basis for what they hoped was a fresh chance for a peace process. But the new wave of fighting has been fuelled by arms imported from abroad, Williams has said.
The European Union has launched a new naval and air mission in the eastern Mediterranean to stop more arms reach warring factions in Libya but cannot patrol the Egypt-Libya land border, through which artillery is still being delivered.
The EU is concerned that could that the conflict could worsen regional instability and swell the flow of migrants from the Middle East and Africa almost a decade after Muammar Gaddafi's fall in 2011.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-25--French winemakers battle to keep crops alive during Covid-19

Brothers Alexandre and Stéphane Vosgien at their vineyard in Eastern France , April 2020 .
French winemakers can not afford @ @ @ @ @ lockdown is over to tend their vineyards .
FRANCE 24 travels to a vineyard in @ @ @ @ @ and Stéphane Vosgien are determined to keep this year 's crop alive .
Alexandre and @ @ @ @ @ vines must be regularly tended .
`` We can not leave them until the end @ @ @ @ @ says Alexandre .
They are also worried that the state aid from the government will @ @ @ @ @ vineyard to survive .
`` I think we are looking at a 25 to 30 @ @ @ @ @ '' says Alexandre .
`` And that is the part that we live off .
@ @ @ @ @ above to watch the full below .

French winemakers cannot afford to wait until the Covid-19 lockdown is over to tend their vineyards. FRANCE 24 travels to a vineyard in Eastern France where brothers Alexandre and Stéphane Vosgien are determined to keep this year's crop alive.
Brothers Alexandre and Stéphane Vosgien at their vineyard in Eastern France, April 2020.
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Alexandre and Stéphane Vosgien explain that their vines must be regularly tended. "We cannot leave them until the end of the lockdown," says Alexandre.
They are also worried that the state aid from the government will not be sufficient for their vineyard to survive.
"I think we are looking at a 25 to 30 percent drop in turnover," says Alexandre. "And that is the part that we live off."
Click on the player above to watch the full below.
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france24--2020-04-26--Global Covid-19 deaths top 200,000 as countries prepare to ease lockdowns

A member of the medical personnel stands at the entrance of the emergency unit at CHIREC Delta Hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues in Brussels , Belgium April 25 , 2020 .
Spanish children were allowed outside on Sunday for the first time in six weeks as countries prepared to ease lockdown measures and reopen economies gutted by the coronavirus despite the worldwide death toll surpassing 200,000 .
Governments from Belgium to the United States are gearing up for a partial reopening in an attempt to restore normality for nearly half of humanity forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic .
Coronavirus cases around the world rose to 2.86 million and deaths have doubled since April 10 , with well over half of them in Europe , according to an AFP tally .
The daily toll in Western countries appeared to be levelling off and even falling , but fears abounded in many places of a second surge after restrictions on movement are lifted .
Rejecting the advice of top disease experts , the US state of Georgia allowed thousands of businesses to resume operations , from hairdressers to bowling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to imprison ourselves ? ''
said 30-year-old Mackenzie Scharf , one of many in Georgia embracing the return to something resembling normalcy .
`` This is much safer than going grocery shopping , '' she told AFP on the beach at Tybee Island , where her five-year-old son flew a kite under a cloudless sky .
The US remains the worst-hit single country with more than 53,000 fatalities .
It is followed by Italy with around 26,000 , France and Spain with over 22,000 each , and the UK which has passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world 's strictest lockdowns since March 14 , with healthy adults only allowed to leave home to buy food or medicine or briefly walk a dog , and children not allowed out under any circumstances until now .
But from Sunday minors can walk , run or play for up to an hour a day , accompanied by one parent , in an area no further than a kilometre from their home .
Hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world stayed out of mosques on the second day of Ramadan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to break their day-time fasts under social distancing rules .
And Australians and New Zealanders marked Anzac Day without the normal parades and public ceremonies to commemorate fallen soldiers .
But as life under lockdown drags on , the pressure from broken economies and citizens frustrated by stay-at-home orders has people and officials in many countries pushing to open up .
German police arrested dozens of protesters in Berlin on Saturday for flouting the coronavirus lockdown measures they were demonstrating against .
`` 'When will we return to work ? '
is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , '' said Jane Fraser , the number two official at banking giant Citigroup , as New York gingerly prepared to get back to business after more than a month of virus shutdown .
France is set to outline a broad lockdown exit plan on Tuesday , and from next weekend all Spaniards will be allowed out for exercise and to take walks .
As Italy nears the end of the world 's longest active lockdown , in place since March 9 , citizens are awaiting a decision this weekend about which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably be allowed to leave their homes freely by early May .
Hard-hit Iran has steadily allowed the restarting of businesses , but health officials Saturday raised fears of a `` fresh outbreak '' with another 76 fatalities declared , bringing the country 's official death toll to more than 5,600 .
Alireza Zali , a health coordinator for the capital , criticised `` hasty reopenings '' that could `` create new waves of sickness in Tehran '' .
While new reported cases appear to have plateaued at about 80,000 a day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and governments race to develop treatments and , eventually , a vaccine for the virus .
Some governments are studying measures such as `` immunity passports '' as one way to get people back to work after weeks of shutdowns that have roiled the global economy .
`` If I 've already had corona then I 'm not infectious , '' said Berlin resident Lothar Kopp , hoping to test positive for antibodies as it could allow him to visit his elderly mother .
But the WHO warned that people who survive infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be hit again by the respiratory disease , which first emerged in China late last year .
`` There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from # COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection , '' the UN health body said in a statement .
The White House 's top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci said this week that the US will certainly have a coronavirus problem in the fall , which could be complicated by the return of seasonal flu towards the end of the year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of regulations were introduced to combat the pandemic , banning `` uncivilised '' behaviour such as not covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing .
Virus numbers in China have dwindled as it begins to cautiously lift control measures , although fears remain over a potential resurgence and imported infections from abroad .

Spanish children were allowed outside on Sunday for the first time in six weeks as countries prepared to ease lockdown measures and reopen economies gutted by the coronavirus despite the worldwide death toll surpassing 200,000.
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Governments from Belgium to the United States are gearing up for a partial reopening in an attempt to restore normality for nearly half of humanity forced into some form of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus cases around the world rose to 2.86 million and deaths have doubled since April 10, with well over half of them in Europe, according to an AFP tally.
The daily toll in Western countries appeared to be levelling off and even falling, but fears abounded in many places of a second surge after restrictions on movement are lifted.
Rejecting the advice of top disease experts, the US state of Georgia allowed thousands of businesses to resume operations, from hairdressers to bowling alleys.
"How long are we supposed to imprison ourselves?" said 30-year-old Mackenzie Scharf, one of many in Georgia embracing the return to something resembling normalcy.
"This is much safer than going grocery shopping," she told AFP on the beach at Tybee Island, where her five-year-old son flew a kite under a cloudless sky.
The US remains the worst-hit single country with more than 53,000 fatalities. It is followed by Italy with around 26,000, France and Spain with over 22,000 each, and the UK which has passed 20,000 deaths.
Spain has had one of the world's strictest lockdowns since March 14, with healthy adults only allowed to leave home to buy food or medicine or briefly walk a dog, and children not allowed out under any circumstances until now.
But from Sunday minors can walk, run or play for up to an hour a day, accompanied by one parent, in an area no further than a kilometre from their home.
Fresh outbreak fears
Hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world stayed out of mosques on the second day of Ramadan and avoided traditional, large family meals to break their day-time fasts under social distancing rules.
And Australians and New Zealanders marked Anzac Day without the normal parades and public ceremonies to commemorate fallen soldiers.
But as life under lockdown drags on, the pressure from broken economies and citizens frustrated by stay-at-home orders has people and officials in many countries pushing to open up.
German police arrested dozens of protesters in Berlin on Saturday for flouting the coronavirus lockdown measures they were demonstrating against.
"'When will we return to work?' is a question on many people's minds these days," said Jane Fraser, the number two official at banking giant Citigroup, as New York gingerly prepared to get back to business after more than a month of virus shutdown.
France is set to outline a broad lockdown exit plan on Tuesday, and from next weekend all Spaniards will be allowed out for exercise and to take walks.
As Italy nears the end of the world's longest active lockdown, in place since March 9, citizens are awaiting a decision this weekend about which restrictions will be lifted. They will probably be allowed to leave their homes freely by early May.
Hard-hit Iran has steadily allowed the restarting of businesses, but health officials Saturday raised fears of a "fresh outbreak" with another 76 fatalities declared, bringing the country's official death toll to more than 5,600.
Alireza Zali, a health coordinator for the capital, criticised "hasty reopenings" that could "create new waves of sickness in Tehran".
Immunity warning
While new reported cases appear to have plateaued at about 80,000 a day, the world remains in wait as companies and governments race to develop treatments and, eventually, a vaccine for the virus.
Some governments are studying measures such as "immunity passports" as one way to get people back to work after weeks of shutdowns that have roiled the global economy.
"If I've already had corona then I'm not infectious," said Berlin resident Lothar Kopp, hoping to test positive for antibodies as it could allow him to visit his elderly mother.
But the WHO warned that people who survive infection cannot be certain they will not be hit again by the respiratory disease, which first emerged in China late last year.
"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from #COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," the UN health body said in a statement.
The White House's top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci said this week that the US will certainly have a coronavirus problem in the fall, which could be complicated by the return of seasonal flu towards the end of the year.
Meanwhile in Beijing, a new set of regulations were introduced to combat the pandemic, banning "uncivilised" behaviour such as not covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
Virus numbers in China have dwindled as it begins to cautiously lift control measures, although fears remain over a potential resurgence and imported infections from abroad.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-26--UK PM Boris Johnson will return to work on Monday after battling Covid-19

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ( picture after he was discharged from hospital on April 12 ) is expected to return to work Monday after recovering from the coronavirus .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work on Monday , Downing Street has confirmed , after the premier battled the coronavirus and spent three nights in intensive care early this month .
Britain 's prime minister Boris Johnson will return to work at the start of this week , according to reports Sunday just hours after it was announced that the UK 's coronavirus death toll had passed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Press Association said Johnson would be back in his Downing Street office on Monday after himself recovering from the virus .
A Number 10 source quoted by Sky News said the 55-year-old was `` raring to go '' .
Johnson has been recuperating at the British prime ministerial retreat , Chequers , outside London since his release from hospital on April 12 Johnson spent three days in intensive care and later admitted `` things could have gone either way '' , after contracting the virus .
The prime minister 's return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government on several fronts over its handling of the crisis .
Health department figures released Saturday showed a further 813 people had died in hospital after contracting COVID-19 , pushing the official number of fatalities to 20,319 .
Home Secretary Priti Patel described it as `` a deeply tragic and moving moment '' .
Passing 20,000 was an unwanted milestone , as the medical director of NHS England Stephen Powis and Britain 's chief scientific advisor Patrick Vallance had said previously during the pandemic that keeping the number of fatalities below 20,000 would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The nation today will be deeply moved by the figures of the number of people who have died , '' Patel said during the daily Downing Street briefing .
It was an increase on the 684 deaths reported the previous day and comes after the government claimed the virus had hit its peak .
However , there was some optimism as the number of new infections fell by 473 to 4,913 , according to the same health department figures .
University of Oxford analysis also showed that the numbers dying in England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it said a third of the 711 additional deaths recorded in the latest government figures on Saturday occurred more than a week ago .
Despite that , the latest figures confirm Britain has been one of the worst-hit countries in the world and the actual death toll could be much higher when deaths in the community are taken into account , particularly at care homes .
As well as a rise in fatalities , questions are being asked of the government over shortages in personal protective equipment and a lack of widespread testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers .
There is also pressure , reportedly from within the ruling Conservative party , to relax social distancing rules .
Johnson ordered the country into lockdown on March 23 , but Patel said ministers would not yet give a date for any relaxation of the rules .
`` We 've made a great deal of progress , but actually we 're not out of the woods yet , we really are not , '' she said .
The lockdown was extended on April 16 and is due for review on May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the role played by Johnson 's controversial chief advisor , Dominic Cummings , after it emerged he attended meetings of the main scientific group advising ministers on the coronavirus pandemic .
Downing Street denied that Cummings and another advisor , Ben Warner , were members of the politically independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( SAGE ) .
However , following reports in The Guardian newspaper , the government admitted that Cummings had sat in on group meetings .
In a statement , a Number 10 spokesman said they attended meetings `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this emergency '' .
The statement added it was `` factually wrong and damaging to sensible public debate '' to suggest the committee 's advice was affected by the government .
Labour 's health spokesman , John Ashworth told BBC radio on Saturday that his `` concern '' was `` that political advisers have influenced the debate '' .
And a former Conservative frontbencher , David Davis , tweeted that `` we should publish the membership of SAGE : remove any non-scientist members '' .
Meanwhile on Saturday , health officials announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients could be treated with plasma from people who have recovered from the illness as part of a new approach .

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work on Monday, Downing Street has confirmed, after the premier battled the coronavirus and spent three nights in intensive care early this month.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (picture after he was discharged from hospital on April 12) is expected to return to work Monday after recovering from the coronavirus.
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Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson will return to work at the start of this week, according to reports Sunday just hours after it was announced that the UK's coronavirus death toll had passed the "tragic" milestone of 20,000.
Johnson returned to his official London residence on Sunday night, after spending more than two weeks recovering from a coronavirus infection.
"I can confirm that the prime minister has returned to Downing Street," an official told AFP. Johnson will resume his duties on Monday after recovering at his country residence.
A Number 10 source quoted by Sky News said the 55-year-old was "raring to go". Johnson has been recuperating at the British prime ministerial retreat, Chequers, outside London since his release from hospital on April 12
Johnson spent three days in intensive care and later admitted "things could have gone either way", after contracting the virus.
The prime minister's return to work comes as pressure intensifies on his government on several fronts over its handling of the crisis.
Health department figures released Saturday showed a further 813 people had died in hospital after contracting COVID-19, pushing the official number of fatalities to 20,319.
Home Secretary Priti Patel described it as "a deeply tragic and moving moment".
Passing 20,000 was an unwanted milestone, as the medical director of NHS England Stephen Powis and Britain's chief scientific advisor Patrick Vallance had said previously during the pandemic that keeping the number of fatalities below 20,000 would be "a good outcome".
"The nation today will be deeply moved by the figures of the number of people who have died," Patel said during the daily Downing Street briefing.
It was an increase on the 684 deaths reported the previous day and comes after the government claimed the virus had hit its peak.
However, there was some optimism as the number of new infections fell by 473 to 4,913, according to the same health department figures.
University of Oxford analysis also showed that the numbers dying in England may be on a downward spiral as it said a third of the 711 additional deaths recorded in the latest government figures on Saturday occurred more than a week ago.
Despite that, the latest figures confirm Britain has been one of the worst-hit countries in the world and the actual death toll could be much higher when deaths in the community are taken into account, particularly at care homes.
As well as a rise in fatalities, questions are being asked of the government over shortages in personal protective equipment and a lack of widespread testing, particularly of frontline health and social care workers.
There is also pressure, reportedly from within the ruling Conservative party, to relax social distancing rules.
Johnson ordered the country into lockdown on March 23, but Patel said ministers would not yet give a date for any relaxation of the rules.
"We've made a great deal of progress, but actually we're not out of the woods yet, we really are not," she said.
The lockdown was extended on April 16 and is due for review on May 7.
Concern over political influence
Meanwhile there was brewing row over the role played by Johnson's controversial chief advisor, Dominic Cummings, after it emerged he attended meetings of the main scientific group advising ministers on the coronavirus pandemic.
Downing Street denied that Cummings and another advisor, Ben Warner, were members of the politically independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
However, following reports in The Guardian newspaper, the government admitted that Cummings had sat in on group meetings.
In a statement, a Number 10 spokesman said they attended meetings "to understand better the scientific debates concerning this emergency".
The statement added it was "factually wrong and damaging to sensible public debate" to suggest the committee's advice was affected by the government.
Labour's health spokesman, John Ashworth told BBC radio on Saturday that his "concern" was "that political advisers have influenced the debate".
And a former Conservative frontbencher, David Davis, tweeted that "we should publish the membership of SAGE: remove any non-scientist members".
Meanwhile on Saturday, health officials announced that as many as 5,000 severely ill coronavirus patients could be treated with plasma from people who have recovered from the illness as part of a new approach.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-04-26--Covid-19: Older school children should wear masks, French science council says

An employee cleans tables in an empty classroom in a closed primary school as a lockdown is imposed to slow @ @ @ @ @ disease ( COVID-19 ) in Nice , France , April 22 , 2020 .
French @ @ @ @ @ wear masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus , the scientific council advising @ @ @ @ @ said on Saturday .
It added that staff at both French `` colleges '' and @ @ @ @ @ with children aged 11 to 18 - should also wear masks , although it said @ @ @ @ @ the youngest of schoolchildren , aged for example from 4 to 11 , to do @ @ @ @ @ Jean-Michel Blanquer said on his Twitter account on Saturday that the scientific council 's findings @ @ @ @ @ government 's considerations on how to re-open the country 's schools on May 11 .
@ @ @ @ @ virtual lockdown since mid-March in a bid to thwart the spread of the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ to gradually re-open the country from May 11 onwards .

French school children aged 11-18 should wear masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the scientific council advising the government on the pandemic said on Saturday.
An employee cleans tables in an empty classroom in a closed primary school as a lockdown is imposed to slow the rate of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nice, France, April 22, 2020.
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It added that staff at both French "colleges" and "lycees" - dealing with children aged 11 to 18 - should also wear masks, although it said it was impossible to get the youngest of schoolchildren, aged for example from 4 to 11, to do so.
French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on his Twitter account on Saturday that the scientific council's findings would form part of the government's considerations on how to re-open the country's schools on May 11.
Avec cette note du Conseil scientifique, nous avons la base pour l’élaboration du protocole sanitaire annoncé pour donner un cadre sûr au déconfinement scolaire.
Ce protocole national sera la référence de tous les acteurs pour la préparation de rentrée: https://t.co/dC4hPgwOHC — Jean-Michel Blanquer (@jmblanquer) April 25, 2020
France has been on a virtual lockdown since mid-March in a bid to thwart the spread of the coronavirus, and the government is hoping to gradually re-open the country from May 11 onwards.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-26--Covid-19: Spain to allow exercise and walks from next weekend

FILE PHOTO : Spain 's Minister of Social Security and Migration Jose Luis Escriva arrives to attend the first cabinet meeting at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid , Spain , January 14 , 2020 .
Spain 's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an easing of lockdown restrictions on Saturday , as children prepared to go outside for the first time in six weeks and figures confirmed a daily coronavirus death toll running well below the peak seen early this month .
In a televised address Sanchez said Spaniards will be allowed out to exercise alone from May 2 if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living together will be permitted to take short walks together .
He also laid out the government 's wider plan to loosen the lockdown at different speeds across different regions , depending on whether they meet with criteria established by the World Health Organization .
`` We will not suddenly recover activity across all sectors , '' he said .
`` The deescalation has to be gradual and asymmetric ... We wo n't all advance at the same pace but we will follow the same rules . ''
Sanchez said the plan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts for three weeks , will be rolled out through May and `` we will see what happens '' in June .
He said he will hold a virtual meeting with regional leaders on Sunday to discuss the plans , which the cabinet is set to approve on Tuesday .
His government 's handling of the crisis has met with fierce criticism and on Saturday residents across Madrid came to their balconies to bang pots and pans in protest .
Similar protests earlier in the week prompted the government to reverse an earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes for the first time since the state of emergency was declared on March 14 .
From Sunday they will be allowed one hour of supervised outdoor activity per day between 9am and 9pm , staying within one kilometre of their home .
Adults can accompany up to three children , who will not be allowed to use playparks and must adhere to social distancing guidelines , remaining at least two metres from other people .
Sanchez urged parents be responsible and follow the guidelines with the `` maximum safety precautions '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must stick to the rules .
Spain 's Health Ministry said 378 more people had died after being diagnosed with the coronavirus , up slightly on Friday 's 367 , the lowest in the past month , but well down on the high of 950 seen on April 2 .
Cumulative deaths rose to 22,902 while the overall number of cases rose to 223,759 from 219,764 the day before .
On April 13 sectors including construction and manufacturing were allowed to reopen , but with most people still confined to their homes except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and public spaces remain closed .
Catalan Regional President Quim Torra announced the region 's own plan to ease lockdown measures , including stipulating specific hours when children of different ages could go outside .
Defending his measures , which ignore Health Ministry guidelines and highlight a rumbling discontent in some regions with the national response , Torra said : `` We have the right to have our own deconfinement plan '' .
In Pineda de Mar , northeast Spain , volunteer seamstresses were hard at work making face masks for children ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100 people are making protective equipment , '' the town 's mayor Xavier Amor told Reuters .
`` We started with masks and then we followed the demand of hospitals , health centres , and nursing homes . ''
As bars and restaurants eye a gradual reopening one company is devising safety measures to encourage wary clients to return .
Leganes-based LlenaTuBar , whose name translates as fill up your bar , is fitting dining tables with clear plastic screens to protect customers and installing thermal cameras to detect any patrons with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday changed the methodology for logging cases of the virus .
It will no longer count antibody tests and will only include positive results from PCR tests .
Discounting antibody tests puts Saturday 's total number of cases at 205,905 and Friday 's at 202,990 .

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an easing of lockdown restrictions on Saturday, as children prepared to go outside for the first time in six weeks and figures confirmed a daily coronavirus death toll running well below the peak seen early this month.
FILE PHOTO: Spain's Minister of Social Security and Migration Jose Luis Escriva arrives to attend the first cabinet meeting at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, January 14, 2020.
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In a televised address Sanchez said Spaniards will be allowed out to exercise alone from May 2 if the coronavirus toll continues to fall. People living together will be permitted to take short walks together.
He also laid out the government's wider plan to loosen the lockdown at different speeds across different regions, depending on whether they meet with criteria established by the World Health Organization.
"We will not suddenly recover activity across all sectors," he said. "The deescalation has to be gradual and asymmetric... We won't all advance at the same pace but we will follow the same rules."
01:04
Sanchez said the plan, which the government has been preparing with experts for three weeks, will be rolled out through May and "we will see what happens" in June. He said he will hold a virtual meeting with regional leaders on Sunday to discuss the plans, which the cabinet is set to approve on Tuesday.
His government's handling of the crisis has met with fierce criticism and on Saturday residents across Madrid came to their balconies to bang pots and pans in protest.
Similar protests earlier in the week prompted the government to reverse an earlier decision and let under 14s leave their homes for the first time since the state of emergency was declared on March 14.
From Sunday they will be allowed one hour of supervised outdoor activity per day between 9am and 9pm, staying within one kilometre of their home.
Adults can accompany up to three children, who will not be allowed to use playparks and must adhere to social distancing guidelines, remaining at least two metres from other people.
Sanchez urged parents be responsible and follow the guidelines with the "maximum safety precautions", while top police officials cautioned that children must stick to the rules.
Spain's Health Ministry said 378 more people had died after being diagnosed with the coronavirus, up slightly on Friday's 367, the lowest in the past month, but well down on the high of 950 seen on April 2.
Cumulative deaths rose to 22,902 while the overall number of cases rose to 223,759 from 219,764 the day before.
On April 13 sectors including construction and manufacturing were allowed to reopen, but with most people still confined to their homes except for essential reasons, shops, bars and public spaces remain closed.
Deconfinement plan
Catalan Regional President Quim Torra announced the region's own plan to ease lockdown measures, including stipulating specific hours when children of different ages could go outside.
Defending his measures, which ignore Health Ministry guidelines and highlight a rumbling discontent in some regions with the national response, Torra said: "We have the right to have our own deconfinement plan".
In Pineda de Mar, northeast Spain, volunteer seamstresses were hard at work making face masks for children ahead of the deconfinement measure.
"More than 100 people are making protective equipment," the town's mayor Xavier Amor told Reuters. "We started with masks and then we followed the demand of hospitals, health centres, and nursing homes."
As bars and restaurants eye a gradual reopening one company is devising safety measures to encourage wary clients to return.
Leganes-based LlenaTuBar, whose name translates as fill up your bar, is fitting dining tables with clear plastic screens to protect customers and installing thermal cameras to detect any patrons with a fever.
The Health Ministry on Friday changed the methodology for logging cases of the virus. It will no longer count antibody tests and will only include positive results from PCR tests.
Discounting antibody tests puts Saturday's total number of cases at 205,905 and Friday's at 202,990.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-26--Yemen separatists break peace deal to claim control of south

Yemen 's southern separatists on Sunday broke a peace deal with the country 's internationally recognized government and claimed sole control of the regional capital of Aden , threatening to resume fighting between the two ostensible allies .
In a statement , the separatists ' Southern Transitional Council , which is backed by the United Arab Emirates , declared a state of emergency and said it would “ self-govern ” the key southern port city and other southern provinces .
The separatists accused Yemen 's government , which is supported by Saudi Arabia , of corruption and mismanagement .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdullah al-Hadrami called for Saudi Arabia to have a “ clear position '' and take “ decisive measures against the continuing rebellion of the so-called Transitional Council.
” The division between the two supposed allies is another facet of the country 's complicated civil war .
On one side are the separatists and on the other are forces loyal to former President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi .
Both have fought together in the Saudi-led coalition ’ s war against Yemen ’ s Shiite Houthi rebels .
The Houthis in 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the capital , Sanaa , pushing out the internationally recognized government and ushering in a war that has killed tens of thousands of people .
Hadi fled first to Aden and then to Saudi Arabia .
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the conflict in 2015 and has since waged war against the Houthis in an effort to restore Hadi ’ s government to power .
The fighting in the Arab world ’ s poorest country has also left millions suffering from food and medical care shortages and pushed the country to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy fighting broke out between Hadi ’ s forces and the southern separatists when the latter took Aden , the temporary seat of Hadi ’ s government , and key southern provinces .
The fighting stopped when the two groups reached a deal in November .
The deal however has yet to be implemented with both sides traded accusations on halting its implementation .
Saturday 's move came amid protests in Aden against Hadi ’ s government and the separatists following devastating torrential rains and floods earlier this week .
The rains plunged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causing extensive damage to homes and leaving dozens of people missing , homeless or dead .
It forced Hadi ’ s government to declare a state of emergency in Aden , which was hit hard .
Sunday 's announcement by the separatists raises concerns that Yemen could slide further into chaos amid the worldwide coronavirus pandemic .
Yemen so far has only one confirmed case , in the southern province of Hadramawt , but experts and health workers have warned that the disease could wreak havoc there due to the dilapidated health system @ @ @ @

Yemen's southern separatists on Sunday broke a peace deal with the country's internationally recognized government and claimed sole control of the regional capital of Aden, threatening to resume fighting between the two ostensible allies.
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In a statement, the separatists' Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, declared a state of emergency and said it would “self-govern” the key southern port city and other southern provinces. The separatists accused Yemen's government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, of corruption and mismanagement.
The government dismissed the separatists' move. Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdullah al-Hadrami called for Saudi Arabia to have a “clear position" and take “decisive measures against the continuing rebellion of the so-called Transitional Council.”
A complicated civil war
The division between the two supposed allies is another facet of the country's complicated civil war. On one side are the separatists and on the other are forces loyal to former President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Both have fought together in the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels.
The Houthis in 2014 overran major parts of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, pushing out the internationally recognized government and ushering in a war that has killed tens of thousands of people. Hadi fled first to Aden and then to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the conflict in 2015 and has since waged war against the Houthis in an effort to restore Hadi’s government to power. The fighting in the Arab world’s poorest country has also left millions suffering from food and medical care shortages and pushed the country to the brink of famine.
In August, heavy fighting broke out between Hadi’s forces and the southern separatists when the latter took Aden, the temporary seat of Hadi’s government, and key southern provinces. The fighting stopped when the two groups reached a deal in November.
The deal however has yet to be implemented with both sides traded accusations on halting its implementation.
Saturday's move came amid protests in Aden against Hadi’s government and the separatists following devastating torrential rains and floods earlier this week. The rains plunged swaths of the country under water, causing extensive damage to homes and leaving dozens of people missing, homeless or dead. It forced Hadi’s government to declare a state of emergency in Aden, which was hit hard.
Sunday's announcement by the separatists raises concerns that Yemen could slide further into chaos amid the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Yemen so far has only one confirmed case, in the southern province of Hadramawt, but experts and health workers have warned that the disease could wreak havoc there due to the dilapidated health system and damaged infrastructure.
(AP)
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france24--2020-04-26--S. Arabia partially relaxes lockdown for Ramadan but keeps 24-hour curfew in Mecca

Worshippers pray Taraweeh at Kaaba in the Grand Mosque on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in the holy city of Mecca , Saudi Arabia April 24 , 2020 .
Picture taken through a window .
Saudi Arabia 's King Salman issued an order to partially lift the curfew in all regions of the kingdom , to become from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. , starting Sunday through Wednesday May 13 , while keeping a 24-hour curfew in Mecca and in previously isolated neighbourhoods , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday .
The order also allowed the opening of some economic and commercial activities , which includes wholesale and retail shops in addition to malls , in the period from 6 to 20 Ramadan , which is from Wednesday April 29 to Wednesday May 13 .
The holy month of Ramadan began on Friday with Islam 's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere largely empty of worshippers as the coronavirus crisis forced authorities to impose unprecedented restrictions .
During Ramadan , Muslims the world over join their families to break the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pray .
But the pandemic has changed priorities , with curbs on large gatherings for prayers and public iftars , or meals to break the fast .
In a rare occurrence in Islam 's 1,400-year history , Mecca 's Grand Mosque and the Prophet 's Mosque in Medina - the religion 's two holiest locations - will be closed to the public during the fasting period .
Prayers from inside the mosque at Mecca on the first evening of Ramadan on Thursday were restricted to clerics , security staff and cleaners , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In comments marking the start of Ramadan , King Salman , who is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques , lamented the need for social distancing during the holy month .
`` It pains me to welcome the glorious month of Ramadan under circumstances that forbid us from prayers in mosques , '' he said , according to the official Saudi Press Agency .
`` It does n't feel special this year , we do n't feel any Ramadan vibes , '' said Sarah , a mother-of-two in Riyadh .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an imam called out the first Friday prayers of Ramadan across a windswept plateau almost devoid of worshippers .
A handful of clerics in face masks knelt below the pulpit , keeping several feet apart to comply with coronavirus restrictions .
`` We ask God to have mercy on us and all of humanity and to save us from this lethal pandemic , '' the imam said .
Ramadan typically draws tens of thousands of Muslims daily to the mosque and the adjoining Dome of the Rock .
Worshippers will instead have to @ @ @ @ @

Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued an order to partially lift the curfew in all regions of the kingdom, to become from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting Sunday through Wednesday May 13, while keeping a 24-hour curfew in Mecca and in previously isolated neighbourhoods, state news agency (SPA) said early on Sunday.
Worshippers pray Taraweeh at Kaaba in the Grand Mosque on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia April 24, 2020. Picture taken through a window.
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The order also allowed the opening of some economic and commercial activities, which includes wholesale and retail shops in addition to malls, in the period from 6 to 20 Ramadan, which is from Wednesday April 29 to Wednesday May 13.
The holy month of Ramadan began on Friday with Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere largely empty of worshippers as the coronavirus crisis forced authorities to impose unprecedented restrictions.
During Ramadan, Muslims the world over join their families to break the fast at sunset and go to mosques to pray. But the pandemic has changed priorities, with curbs on large gatherings for prayers and public iftars, or meals to break the fast.
In a rare occurrence in Islam's 1,400-year history, Mecca's Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina - the religion's two holiest locations - will be closed to the public during the fasting period.
Prayers from inside the mosque at Mecca on the first evening of Ramadan on Thursday were restricted to clerics, security staff and cleaners, in a ceremony broadcast live on television.
In comments marking the start of Ramadan, King Salman, who is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, lamented the need for social distancing during the holy month.
"It pains me to welcome the glorious month of Ramadan under circumstances that forbid us from prayers in mosques," he said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
"It doesn't feel special this year, we don't feel any Ramadan vibes," said Sarah, a mother-of-two in Riyadh.
At a near-empty Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, an imam called out the first Friday prayers of Ramadan across a windswept plateau almost devoid of worshippers.
A handful of clerics in face masks knelt below the pulpit, keeping several feet apart to comply with coronavirus restrictions.
"We ask God to have mercy on us and all of humanity and to save us from this lethal pandemic," the imam said.
Ramadan typically draws tens of thousands of Muslims daily to the mosque and the adjoining Dome of the Rock. Worshippers will instead have to watch prayers on television.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-25--French PM to present plan to unwind Covid-19 lockdown on Tuesday

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe speaks during a news conference in Paris , France March 28 , 2020 , on the eleventh day of a strict nationwide confinement seeking to halt the spread of COVID-19 disease .
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will on Tuesday present the national strategy for emerging from the coronavirus lockdown , his office told AFP .
His announcement at the National Assembly will be followed by a debate and a vote .
An app for tracing contacts of confirmed cases is also due to be unveiled Tuesday .
Seventeen priorities have been identified for gradually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 11 .
These include reopening schools , companies returning to work , getting public transport back to normal , the supply of masks and sanitiser , testing policy and support for the elderly .
A dozen ministers will on Monday consult with representatives of local authorities to discuss various options .
France has been under coronavirus restrictions since March 17 and the government faces a delicate balancing act to revive the economy without triggering a resurgence in the epidemic .
Only 39 percent of the French public have confidence in the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , seven points lower than last week , according to an Ifop poll for the Journal du Dimanche .
The pandemic has killed 22,614 people in France since the start of March , with 369 new deaths recorded in the previous 24 hours , according to official figures released late Saturday , which saw a significant drop in hospital deaths .


france24--2020-04-26--Italy unveils plan for life after Covid-19 lockdown

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attends a session of the lower house of parliament on the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) in Rome , Italy April 21 , 2020 .
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte promised Italians on Sunday they would soon be allowed to stroll in parks and visit relatives as the country emerges from the world 's longest coronavirus lockdown .
The Italian leader also vowed to reopen schools by September and most other businesses over the next three weeks .
But he warned that people would have to wear face masks in public places and rigorously observe social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted on May 4 .
Hugs and handshakes will still be discouraged and a decision to restart Italy 's beloved Serie A football championship has been postponed .
Italy was entering an era `` of responsibility and coexistence with the virus '' , Conte told the nation in a televised address .
`` If you love Italy , keep your distance from others . ''
Conte 's announcement followed a frantic weekend of talks with regional and business leaders aimed at deciding how the nation of 60 million will come out of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Italy 's official coronavirus death toll of 26,664 is Europe 's highest and only second globally to the United States .
But the number of cases has been ebbing and Italy believes its contagion rate -- reported at between 0.2 and 0.7 -- is low enough below the key threshold of 1.0 to try and get back to work .
Its 260 new deaths reported on Sunday were the lowest single-day toll since March 14 .
`` We can not continue beyond this lockdown -- we risk damaging the country 's socioeconomic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The damage could be irreversible , '' he warned .
Italy gradually closed everything over the first half March as it became increasingly clear that an initial crop of cases in northern areas around Milan was spreading .
Scientists now believe that Italy 's infections probably began in January -- if not earlier -- and that the virus was running rampant by the time the first official COVID-19 death was recorded on February 21 .
But Italy 's health care system held the line and Conte now appears to feel safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his team expects to shrink by eight percent this year .
Conte said his government will allow a select group of `` strategic '' companies to resume operations on Monday .
Restaurants can open for takeout and wholesale stores can resume business on May 4 .
All other shops will follow three weeks later -- as will Italy 's numerous museums .
Restaurants will be allowed to offer dine-in service and barber shops will return on June 1 .
Italy 's schools were closed before most other businesses and will now be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to resume .
Conte said the return to school was filled with peril because many teachers were older and at greater risk of catching the virus .
`` Schools are at the centre of our attention and will reopen in September , '' the premier said .
Conte explained that resuming tuition before then would involve `` a very high risk of contagion '' .
Many Italians appeared most concerned about when they would finally be able to walk in parks and jog without being stopped and fined by the police .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 9 and require everyone to stay within about a block of their front door .
Some have turned their roofs into improvised gyms and even tennis courts in a collective effort to avoid going stir crazy .
Conte explained that walks in the park and outdoor exercise will be permitted starting May 4 .
Italians will also be allowed to visit their relatives -- but with conditions .
`` We will allow people to visit relatives , but only if they respect distance and wear masks , '' said Conte .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ large ) family gatherings , '' he said .
Conte said his government would cap face mask prices at 50 cents .

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte promised Italians on Sunday they would soon be allowed to stroll in parks and visit relatives as the country emerges from the world's longest coronavirus lockdown.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attends a session of the lower house of parliament on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy April 21, 2020.
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The Italian leader also vowed to reopen schools by September and most other businesses over the next three weeks.
But he warned that people would have to wear face masks in public places and rigorously observe social distancing measures when the current restrictions are lifted on May 4.
Hugs and handshakes will still be discouraged and a decision to restart Italy's beloved Serie A football championship has been postponed.
Italy was entering an era "of responsibility and coexistence with the virus", Conte told the nation in a televised address.
"If you love Italy, keep your distance from others."
'Irreversible damage'
Conte's announcement followed a frantic weekend of talks with regional and business leaders aimed at deciding how the nation of 60 million will come out of its most traumatic experience since World War II.
Italy's official coronavirus death toll of 26,664 is Europe's highest and only second globally to the United States.
But the number of cases has been ebbing and Italy believes its contagion rate -- reported at between 0.2 and 0.7 -- is low enough below the key threshold of 1.0 to try and get back to work.
Its 260 new deaths reported on Sunday were the lowest single-day toll since March 14.
"We cannot continue beyond this lockdown -- we risk damaging the country's socioeconomic fabric too much," said Conte.
"The damage could be irreversible," he warned.
Back to school
Italy gradually closed everything over the first half March as it became increasingly clear that an initial crop of cases in northern areas around Milan was spreading.
Scientists now believe that Italy's infections probably began in January -- if not earlier -- and that the virus was running rampant by the time the first official COVID-19 death was recorded on February 21.
But Italy's health care system held the line and Conte now appears to feel safe enough to focus on mending an economy that his team expects to shrink by eight percent this year.
Conte said his government will allow a select group of "strategic" companies to resume operations on Monday.
Restaurants can open for takeout and wholesale stores can resume business on May 4.
All other shops will follow three weeks later -- as will Italy's numerous museums.
Restaurants will be allowed to offer dine-in service and barber shops will return on June 1.
Italy's schools were closed before most other businesses and will now be among the last features of daily life allowed to resume.
Conte said the return to school was filled with peril because many teachers were older and at greater risk of catching the virus.
"Schools are at the centre of our attention and will reopen in September," the premier said.
Conte explained that resuming tuition before then would involve "a very high risk of contagion".
50 cent masks
Many Italians appeared most concerned about when they would finally be able to walk in parks and jog without being stopped and fined by the police.
Italy's stay-at-home orders were announced nationally on March 9 and require everyone to stay within about a block of their front door.
Some have turned their roofs into improvised gyms and even tennis courts in a collective effort to avoid going stir crazy.
Conte explained that walks in the park and outdoor exercise will be permitted starting May 4.
Italians will also be allowed to visit their relatives -- but with conditions.
"We will allow people to visit relatives, but only if they respect distance and wear masks," said Conte.
"And there will be no (large) family gatherings," he said.
Conte said his government would cap face mask prices at 50 cents.
(AFP)
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