France May Refuse Entry to Britons If No Strict Lockdown Is Imposed in UK

THE GUARDIAN: French PM says UK citizens may not be allowed in as part of measures to fight coronavirus

France has warned it may start turning travellers from Britain away unless the UK adopts a similar near-total lockdown to those in place in other European countries.

With EU governments including Italy, Spain and France requiring citizens to stay at home to curb the coronavirus, and Rome threatening to tighten restrictions further, the French prime minister, Édouard Philippe, has said that if the UK does not follow suit soon, arrivals from Britain could be refused entry.

“Everyone in the EU must adopt logical methods and processes to fight against the epidemic,” Philippe said. “It’s obvious that if neighbouring states like the UK leave it too long, we would have difficulty allowing British citizens who are moving freely around their country to come to France.” » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent, and Kim Willsher | Thursday, March 19, 2020

Corona-Krise: Merkel: Es ist ernst!

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel fordert die Menschen in Deutschland auf, beim Kampf gegen die Ausbreitung des Coronavirus mitzuhelfen. „Es ist ernst. Nehmen Sie es auch ernst“, sagt Merkel in einer Fernsehansprache. „Seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg gab es keine Herausforderung an unser Land mehr, bei der es so auf unser gemeinsames, solidarisches Handeln ankommt.“ Außerdem: „Wir müssen das Risiko, dass der eine den anderen ansteckt, so begrenzen wie wir können.“ Alle sollen sich an die Abstandsregeln halten, bittet sie die Bevölkerung. Zwar hätte Deutschland ein gutes Gesundheitssystem: „Aber auch unsere Krankenhäuser wären völlig überfordert, wenn in kürzester Zeit zu viele Patienten eingeliefert würden, die einen schweren Verlauf der Coronainfektion erleiden."

Es ist das erste Mal in ihrer Amtszeit, dass sich Merkel außerhalb der Silvester-Ansprache im Fernsehen direkt an die Bevölkerung wendet.

Coronavirus Update: Europe Starts Closing Down Borders | DW News

Travel into Europe, the current epicenter of the coroanvirus pandemic, is being severely restricted. European Union leaders have agreed on a 30-day ban on travellers entering the bloc. The decision will affect most non-citizens and non-residents of the European Union - with some exceptions. It will be up to each member state to implement the new regulations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would do what's necessary to protect the public's health and the economy. European countries aren't the only ones clamping down on their borders. The United States and Canada, which share the world's longest land frontier, are working out the details of banning all non-essential travel between the two countries. Australia has declared its first-ever 'human biosecurity emergency.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison has advised Australians not to travel abroad. Saudi Arabia, which holds the rotating chair of G-20 countries, says it will convene a video summit next week to coordinate the coronavirus response among the world's biggest economies. And Japan's deputy prime minister says holding the Summer Olympics would make 'no sense' if countries can't send athletes.

Europe Shuts Out Visitors to Slow Coronavirus

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Even as European countries erect barriers between one another, the E.U. announced a coordinated ban on nearly all travelers from the rest of the world.

BRUSSELS — European leaders agreed on Tuesday to close off their territory to almost all visitors, shutting the door to most travelers for at least 30 days as they struggled to arrest the rapid spread of the coronavirus on the continent.

The leaders, meeting by teleconference, agreed to close off a region encompassing at least 26 countries and more than 400 million people — setting out on a long stretch of isolation unlike almost anything seen in modern European history.

Exceptions will be made for European citizens and residents coming home, although some countries were asking them to self-isolate for two weeks, in some cases away from their families. Medical professionals and scientists will also be exempt.

Britain said it was not planning to participate in the measure, said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. » | Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Trump Now Claims He Always Knew the Coronvirus Would Be a Pandemic

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president tried to rewrite his history with advising Americans about the coronavirus. His own words prove him wrong.

WASHINGTON — For weeks, President Trump has minimized the coronavirus, mocked concern about it and treated the risk cavalierly. On Tuesday he took to the White House podium and made a remarkable pronouncement: He knew it was a pandemic all along.

“I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic,” Mr. Trump told reporters.

Here is what Mr. Trump actually said from the beginning of the pandemic. » | Katie Rogers and Maggie Haberman | Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Who can lie like Trump? What a load of BS this is! – Mark

Donald Trump, l’anti-européen

LE MONDE: Editorial. Le président américain a décidé, jeudi 12 mars, d’interdire l’accès aux Etats-Unis pendant un mois aux personnes venant des 26 pays membres de l’espace Schengen, sous prétexte d’empêcher la propagation du coronavirus. Une décision aberrante.

Editorial du « Monde ».Le coronavirus a permis à Donald Trump de réaliser enfin son rêve : mettre l’Europe en quarantaine. En décidant, jeudi 12 mars, de fermer la porte du territoire des Etats-Unis pendant un mois aux personnes venant des 26 pays membres de l’espace Schengen, sous prétexte d’empêcher la contamination de ses compatriotes par ce qu’il appelle « un virus étranger », le président américain a trahi, une fois de plus, son hostilité viscérale à l’égard de l’Union européenne.

Cette décision est pitoyable à plusieurs égards. Dans sa forme, d’abord : prise sans la moindre concertation avec les gouvernements des pays concernés et mise en œuvre dans un délai de moins de quarante-huit heures, elle a semé le chaos dans les aéroports, les compagnies aériennes, déjà lourdement mises à l’épreuve, les représentations consulaires, sur les places boursières et parmi des centaines de milliers de voyageurs. » | Samedi 14 mars 2020

Macron Declares France ‘at War’ With Virus, as E.U. Proposes 30-Day Travel Ban

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Emmanuel Macron commanded the French to stay at home for at least 15 days, joining other European leaders who are taking measures never before seen in the postwar West.

BRUSSELS — Adopting martial language, President Emmanuel Macron ordered the French to stay at home for at least the next 15 days, as France put in place some of the most severe measures in Europe to try to curb the raging coronavirus.

The aggressive move by France came as other countries in the region introduced measures that their leaders described as unprecedented in postwar Europe, and as the European Union proposed a 30-day shutdown of all nonessential travel into the bloc from other countries.

The movement of French citizens will be tightly restricted, starting from midday on Tuesday and lasting through at least the end of the month, with people expected to stay home, leaving only for essential activities like food shopping. Anyone violating the order faces punishment.

“We are at war," Mr. Macron said in an address to the nation Monday night. “The enemy is invisible and it requires our general mobilization.”

The French army will deploy to transport the sick to hospitals, and a military hospital with 30 intensive care beds will be set up in the eastern region of Alsace, where one of the largest infection clusters has erupted.

Mr. Macron was responding to severe warnings from doctors about an increasingly dire situation. Jérôme Salomon, a top official at France’s health ministry, told France Inter radio on Monday that the situation in France was “deteriorating very quickly.” » | Steven Erlanger | Monday, March 16, 2020

Coronavirus: How Spaniards Aren't Going to Let Life under Lockdown Get Them Down

Spaniards were ordered into lockdown this weekend as the country struggled to control a spiralling coronavirus outbreak – but residents weren’t going to let it get them down.

Told they would only be allowed to leave their homes for essential business – such as to buy food or medical supplies – for the next 15 days, people sprung [sic] into action to keep neighbourhood morale high.

Videos circulated online showed neighbours performing music to each other from their balconies, playing bingo between windows, and even offering exercise tutorials from their courtyards.

Historic: New York Grinds to a Halt

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have ordered the closure of bars, restaurants and movie theaters in an attempt to stem the growing number of COVID-19 coronavirus infections. The once-teeming streets of New York City have become still. RT America’s Trinity Chavez reports from coronavirus-stricken New York City.

Boris Johnson Tells UK Public to Avoid Non-essential Contact and Travel

Prime Minister Boris Johnson updates the UK on the latest coronavirus advice after a Cobra meeting.

Jetzt live: Schweiz: Bundesrat erklärt Notstand, riegelt das Land ab, mobilisiert Armee

TAGES ANZEIGER: Die Landesregierung informiert in diesen Minuten über den aktuellen Stand in Sachen Coronavirus. Wir berichten laufend.

Bundespräsidentin Simonetta Sommaruga hat sich mit klaren Worten an die Bevölkerung gewandt. «Wir müssen jetzt, sofort, handeln.» Es müsse ein Ruck durch Land gehen, ansonsten könne die Ausbreitung des Virus nicht verlangsamt werden.

Das Umsetzen der drastischen Massnahmen sei «im Interesse von uns allen», sagte Sommaruga am Montagabend vor den Bundeshausmedien. Jeder Einzelne müsse sich daran halten. Wenn es keine Reaktion gebe, wenn zu viele Menschen erkrankten, dann komme es in den Spitälern zu einem Engpass. » | red/sda | Montag, 16. März 2020

Coronavirus Update: Spain on Lockdown, Germany Shuts Borders | DW News (15.03.20)

Galloway | Is MBS's Public Executing & War Funding Not Enough to Stop Leaders from Bowing to Him?

Galloway’s take on Saudi Arabia’s atrocities, as well as Western politicians’ habit of looking the other way.

Notstand in Spanien: Ausgangssperren gelten ab Montag

Der Notstand gilt ab Montagmorgen und dauert zunächst 15 Tage an. Bürger dürfen dann das Haus nur noch verlassen, um zur Arbeit zu gehen oder um lebensnotwendige Besorgungen zu machen. Viele Straßen und öffentliche Orte in Spanien waren aber schon am Samstag weitgehend leergefegt.

Spaniens Ministerpräsident Pedro Sánchez stellte die einzelnen Vorkehrungen am Samstagabend auf einer Pressekonferenz vor: Das öffentliche Leben wird stark eingeschränkt, Menschen sollen ihr Haus nur verlassen, wenn sie einkaufen, zur Apotheke, zum Geldautomaten oder zum Arzt müssen. Auch der Weg zum Arbeitsplatz und zurück nach Hause ist erlaubt. Allerdings sind die Menschen angehalten, nach Möglichkeit von zu Hause aus zu arbeiten. Einen Spaziergang machen oder Freunde besuchen, ist damit tabu. Nur Besuche bei Älteren und Minderjährigen, körperlich geschwächten Personen und Behinderten sind erlaubt. Spanien hat in den vergangenen Tagen einen besonders dramatischen Anstieg der Infektionen erlebt. Nach offiziellen Angaben waren bis Samstag mehr als 6000 Menschen am Coronavirus erkrankt, mehr als 190 sind an den Folgen der Krankheit gestorben.

The Sick Joke of Donald Trump's Presidency Isn't Funny Any More

THE GUARDIAN: The coronavirus outbreak has revealed the full stupidity, incompetence and selfishness of the president to deadly effect

For three long years the world has been treated to the sick joke of Donald Trump’s presidency. Some days were more sick than others. But now the joke is over.

So is the entire facade of the Trump White House: the gold-plated veneer of power and grift will be stripped bare by a global pandemic and recession.

Of all the obituaries we’ll read in the next several weeks, every one will be more meaningful than the political end of a former reality-TV star.

But make no mistake. The humanitarian crisis about to unfold will consume what’s left of this president and the Republican party that surrendered its self-respect and sense of duty to flatter his ego and avoid his angry tweets.

Trump was right about one thing, and only one thing, as the coronavirus started to spread across the world. The sight of thousands of dead Americans will hurt him politically. It will also hurt many thousands of Americans in reality. » Richard Wolffe | Friday, March 13, 2020

Coronavirus : les « lieux recevant du public » non essentiels fermés dès minuit

LE POINT: Edouard Philippe a annoncé samedi soir la fermeture dès minuit et « jusqu'à nouvel ordre » de tous les « lieux recevant du public non indispensables à la vie du pays », appelant les Français à « plus de discipline » face à la pandémie de coronavirus. Restaurants, bars, discothèques, cinémas sont appelés à fermer leurs portes. Les commerces sont aussi touchés, à l'exception des magasins alimentaires, pharmacies, banques, bureaux de tabac ou encore stations-essence, a précisé le Premier ministre. En revanche, le premier tour des élections municipales se déroulera dimanche « comme prévu ». Le directeur général de la Santé Jérôme Salomon a annoncé que 830 nouveaux cas de patients infectés par le nouveau coronavirus avaient été détectés en France, pour un total de 4 500 depuis le début de l'épidémie qui a fait pour l'heure 91 morts dans le pays. » | Par LePoint.fr (avec AFP) | Samedi 14 mars 2020

Be Careful. Trump May Exploit the Coronavirus Crisis for Authoritarian Ends

THE GUARDIAN: When he no can longer lie or deny, he’ll blame immigrants, journalists, people of color, liberals and other enemies

Donald Trump’s Oval Office address on coronavirus was terrifying because it revealed a man completely unmatched to the moment. Even though he was reading from a teleprompter, the president got the details of his major policy announcements wrong. He attempted no emotional connection with or comfort of the tens of millions of Americans whose lives are being upended by the threat of the disease. He didn’t even have anything useful to say about what his own top scientist has described as America’s “failing” testing regime, which has screened about as many people all year as South Korea does in a day. In a presidency accustomed to lows, this one was quite literally sickening. » | Andrew Gawthorpe* | Saturday, March 14, 2020


* Andrew Gawthorpe is a historian of the United States at Leiden University

Coronavirus: US to Extend Travel Ban to UK and Ireland

BBC: The US is to extend its European coronavirus travel ban to include the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The ban will begin at midnight EST on Monday (04:00 GMT Tuesday), Vice-President Mike Pence announced. » | Saturday, March 14, 2020

Italians Sing Patriotic Songs from Their Balconies During Coronavirus Lockdown

THE GUARDIAN: Neighbours from Naples to Tuscany make harmonies across empty streets to lift spirits and pass the time during quarantine

Italians have been singing from their balconies across the country, in an effort to boost morale during its nationwide lockdown that began this week, due to Covid-19.

Videos of Italian neighbours singing together have been appearing on social media after Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced the restrictions that shut down virtually all daily life, and leftonly grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies open. » | Christine Kearney | Saturday, March 14, 2020



Italians Cope with Quarantine by Singing on Their Balconies »

Rom zu Zeiten von Corona - "La Dolce Vita" in Quarantäne | ARTE

Der Coronavirus breitet sich weiter aus. Immer mehr Städte sind in Quarantäne. Rom in Zeiten von Corona: Einen Espresso im Bistro zu bestellen, ist in Italien zu einem Akt des Widerstandes geworden. Denn um die Covid-19 Epidemie einzudämmen, hat der Ministerpräsident drastische Maßnahmen ergriffen: Schulen und Geschäfte wurden geschloßen, Fußballspiele und andere Menschenansammlungen abgesagt. Der italienische Alltag beschränkt sich fortan (fast) auf die eigenen vier Wände. Mit unserem Korrespondenten tauchen wir in das Leben unter Quarantäne ein.