Gulf Times

8 Monday, October 26, 2020

EUROPE
Bulgarian PM tests positive for Covid-19 after two negative results Frankfurt cancels Christmas market over spike in coronavirus cases
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said yesterday that Health authorities lifted Borissov’s quarantine late on Saturday The German city of Frankfurt has become the latest to cancel to announce they are scrapping or severely curtailing their
he had tested positive for coronavirus and would stay at home after two negative results from coronavirus tests, but then he its traditional Christmas market as the nation struggles to halt Christmas markets, although major ones are still going ahead
for any treatment for the time being, as recommended by his tested positive yesterday. an alarming rise in coronavirus infections. in Munich and Nuremberg.
doctors. Borissov, who met Keith Krach, US undersecretary “Although my quarantine was lifted, since Friday I have “Frankfurt is pulling the corona emergency brake,” the Germany is home to some 2,500 Christmas markets each year
of state for economic affairs on Friday, has informed the US postponed all my meetings and planned public appearances bestselling Bild daily wrote after city officials made the that kick off the festive season in late November and are much
embassy in Sofia of the situation, the head of Sofia health for the coming days,” Borissov, 61, said in a posting on his decision in emergency talks late on Saturday. loved by locals and tourists alike.
inspectorate said. official Facebook account. The Frankfurt “Weihnachtsmarkt” is one of Germany’s most The Christmas markets attract about 160mn domestic and
The government press office said Borissov was able to carry “After two PCR tests, as of today I am positive with Covid-19,” popular Christmas markets and usually attracts more than international visitors annually, who bring in revenues of €3-
out his duties and is in constant contact with his ministers. he said. “I have a general malaise. For the moment, on the 2mn visitors. 5bn ($3.6-5.9bn), according to the BSM stallkeepers’ industry
Borissov and three cabinet ministers had self-isolated late doctors’ discretion, I remain on home treatment.” “Our goal remains to avoid another lockdown,” Frankfurt association.
on Friday following contact with a deputy minister who had It was not clear if he was already receiving treatment. mayor Peter Feldmann said in a statement. Yesterday Germany reported more than 11,000 new cases
tested positive for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said on Facebook that he The worsening pandemic has already forced a slew of other over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number since the
the coronavirus. was self-isolating because he met Borissov on Friday. German cities, including Berlin, Duesseldorf and Cologne, start of the pandemic to 429,181.

Spain declares virus emergency

„ Italy orders nightspots to close early, shuts gyms Yesterday the authorities re- “Faced with the rapid and con-
„ Geneva hospitals call for volunteers ported a new record daily total of tinuous increase in the number
21,273 infections, as well as 128 of hospitalisations of Covid-19-
AFP/Reuters people have died from it. deaths. positive patients, the HUG is
Madrid/Rome/Geneva Authorities were responding The protests in Naples and looking for voluntary medical,
to calls for help from 10 Spanish Rome, while limited, underlined nursing and administrative staff
regions and the city of Melilla, the tense political climate fac- to strengthen and relieve their

S
pain has declared a national the government statement said. ing Conte who won praise for his teams,” the group said in a state-
state of emergency and a Under the state of emergency, handling of the initial phase of ment.
curfew for the entire coun- the regions would have the power the crisis. They are also calling on re-
try, except the Canary Islands, to to limit movement in and out of However he has come un- cently retired employees or those
curb a second wave of coronavi- their territories, and could also der increasing fire for failing to who are on unpaid leave to come
rus cases. extend the curfew by an hour on strengthen preparations includ- forward.
The coronavirus causes the either end depending on local ing testing and contact tracing “It is highly likely that the
Covid-19 respiratory disease. conditions. over the summer. peak of 550 hospitalised Covid-
The new state of emergency Spain was locked down dur- Meanwhile, hospitals in Swit- positive patients that we record-
will last until early May, Prime ing an initial state of emergency zerland have issued a call for ed during the first wave will be
Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a that lasted from March 15 to June medically-trained volunteers greatly exceeded in the coming
televised speech. 21, and the measures were among and recently retired staff to help days,” said HUG director-general
“The situation we are going the strictest anywhere in Europe. tackle a record number of coro- Bertrand Levrat. “We anticipate
through is extreme,” he stressed. Sanchez said that he sought navirus patients anticipated in that the number of beds and pro-
The measures were agreed “at any price” to avoid a second the coming days. fessionals needed to treat Covid
earlier yesterday at a two-and- severe lockdown. Geneva University Hospitals and non-Covid patients will be
a-half-hour cabinet meeting “Let’s stay home as much as (HUG) said the number of coro- far higher than what we experi-
convened following calls from possible,” he urged in the televi- navirus patients was expected to enced this spring.”
Spanish regions for the power to sion address. “The more we stay be “far higher” than at the peak There are currently 296 coro-
impose curfews themselves. home the more protected we and of the pandemic’s first wave in navirus patients in Geneva hos-
A government statement said others will be.” People take part yesterday in a rally against coronavirus restrictions at Berlin’s Alexanderplatz. March. pitals – almost triple the number
the overnight curfew would run Meanwhile, Italy ordered Geneva, Switzerland’s second- 10 days ago.
from 11pm until 6am, currently nightspots and restaurants to we’ll be able to breathe again in Casalino, said in a statement that The decree encourages people biggest city, is home to many in- In March, during the first
2200 GMT to 0500 GMT. close by 6pm and shut public December,” he told a news con- he had last seen Conte on Tues- not to go out and to limit contacts ternational institutions, includ- wave of infections, Switzerland
While the state of emergency gyms, cinemas and swimming ference, promising that sectors day at which time they had worn at home with anyone outside ing the United Nations. was not hit as hard by Covid-19
would initially last for just 15 pools to try to halt a rapid resur- hit by the measures would be masks and maintained social dis- their immediate family, but does According to the latest figures deaths and did not impose as
days, the government planned to gence in the coronavirus that has compensated. tancing. not impose a nationwide curfew released on Friday by the Swiss strict a lockdown as some other
ask parliament to extend it for six pushed daily infection rates to Italy, once the European coun- The new measures, which take and allows shops and most busi- health ministry, 5,057 new cases European states.
months, the statement added. new records. try hardest hit by the pandemic, effect today, follow two nights nesses to stay open. of the respiratory disease were From nearly no new cases at
Sanchez nonetheless said that Prime Minister Giuseppe Con- has been overtaken by Spain, of protests in Naples and Rome However, as well as early clos- registered in Geneva over the the beginning of June, infections
if conditions allowed, the meas- te said the measures were aimed France and Britain, but infec- against curfews ordered in sev- ing, bars and restaurants will be previous 14 days – an incidence rose slowly but steadily before
ures could be lifted earlier than at protecting both public health tion rates have been rebounding eral regions last week. subject to a series of controls to of 1,012.5 per 100,000 people. rocketing in October.
anticipated. and the economy and should rapidly and health services have Aware of the huge cost of shut- limit contagion, while cinemas Cases, hospitalisations and On Friday, 6,592 new cases
“The state of emergency is the bring the rising curve of the epi- come under increasing pressure. ting down the economy, the gov- and theatres as well as trade fairs deaths in Switzerland have dou- were announced in the daily
most effective tool to lower the demic under control in the next Underlining the spread of the ernment hopes to avoid the blan- will be shut. bled from one week to the next Swiss update, taking the total
rate of infection,” he argued. few weeks to allow a “serene” disease, spokesmen for both ket lockdown ordered in the first The decree also directs that up throughout October. throughout the pandemic over
On Wednesday, Spain be- Christmas. Conte and President Sergio Mat- phase of the crisis. to three-quarters of high school The government is expected the 100,000 mark to 103,323.
came the first European country “We think we will suffer a bit tarella said they had tested posi- But it has been forced to ratch- teaching should be online to limit to decide on Wednesday on new Switzerland – population
to record more than 1mn cases this month but by gritting our tive for the virus. et up restrictions steadily as the the number of pupils in school measures to control the spread of 8.5mn – has so far recorded 1,876
of the virus, and almost 35,000 teeth with these restrictions, Conte’s spokesman, Rocco pandemic has raced ahead. buildings. the virus. deaths from the coronavirus.

Belarus Local elections test Zelenskiy’s popularity

police AFP
Kyiv
disinfectant dispensers, elec-
tion officials wore masks and

use stun gloves.

Voters were asked to maintain

U
krainians voted yes- social distance, wear a mask and

grenades terday in local elec-

tions seen as a test for
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy,
have their temperature taken
before casting their vote.
In the capital Kyiv, act-

against whose popularity has suffered in

the year and a half since he came
unexpectedly to power.
ing mayor and former boxing
champion Vitali Klitschko, is
expected to win easily.

protesters Zelenskiy, a former comedian

with no political experience,
won a landslide victory in a 2019
But he was not able to vote
because he was self-isolating
after testing positive for coro-
A woman argues with law enforcement officers during an opposition presidential election promising navirus.
Reuters rally in Minsk. to root out corruption and end a Official observers sit next to a voting booth, intended for voters At a polling station in the
Kyiv/Moscow war with Russian-backed sepa- with a body temperature higher than 37° Celsius, at a polling station Pechersk district in Kyiv, more
The videos could not be im- into exile following the August ratists in the east. in Kyiv. than 30 people lined up to vote.
mediately verified by Reuters. 9 election, which Lukashenko’s His newly-created Servant of “I want to return to the time

B
elarusian police used stun Earlier, crowds streamed opponents accuse him of rigging the People party won an out- showed that just 17% of voters planned to cast their ballots for before 2014, before these re-
grenades against protest- through the capital shouting to win a sixth straight term. right majority in a parliament planned to cast ballots for the one of several Russia-friendly formers who are dragging us
ers yesterday as tens of “strike”, waving flags and beat- He denies electoral fraud. election last year, a record win Servant of the People party. parties. towards Europe came to power,”
thousands of people headed to- ing drums on the 11th straight Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, his in the former Soviet republic of In close second was a pro- “We will see the figures,” Inna, a retiree, who said she
wards Independence Palace in weekend of mass protests since main electoral challenger, has around 40mn people. Russian party, Opposition Zelenskiy said yesterday in re- voted for pro-Russian party,
the capital Minsk demanding a disputed election plunged the led calls from exile for a national But in the absence of tangible Platform – For Life, with 14%, sponse to a question about his told AFP.
that President Alexander Lu- country into turmoil. strike to begin today if Lukash- results, Zelenskiy’s popularity followed by the pro-Western party’s popularity. “What have we got since
kashenko resign. Twelve metro stations were enko refuses to release all politi- and that of his party has been on European Solidarity aligned “It’s important that we elect then? War, devastation, pov-
Protesters carrying the red- closed, helmeted riot police pa- cal prisoners and resign to make the decline. with former leader Petro Poro- people who we trust,” he said erty,” she said on the condition
and-white flags of the Belarusian trolled the streets and mobile way for a new election. The vote to elect mayors, local shenko with 13%. after casting his vote. “These that she withhold her last name.
opposition movement scattered internet services were disrupted Lukashenko has signalled that and regional councils is not be- In areas of the eastern Donet- are local elections, it’s impor- Seve n ty- fo u r-yea r- o l d
as loud bangs and flashes lit up in Minsk. he would ignore the ultimatum. ing held on the Crimea peninsu- sk and Luhansk regions that are tant what these people are able Viktor, who also declined to give
the city’s streets after nightfall, Two journalists were detained The United States, the Euro- la annexed by Russia in 2014 or still controlled by Kyiv, only to do in their localities.” his last name, said he voted for
videos showed. ahead of the protest, a local jour- pean Union, Britain and Canada in the self-proclaimed Donetsk 10% of voters planned to vote Yesterday’s vote is first held a candidate from Zelenskiy’s
The police action came hours nalists’ association said. have imposed sanctions against a and Luhansk People’s Republics for Zelensky’s party. in Ukraine since the start of the party to become mayor.
before the expiration of an ul- Tens of people were detained string of senior officials in Bela- in eastern Ukraine. In a separate opinion poll, coronavirus pandemic, and in “We must support the presi-
timatum set by the opposition: and security forces used tear gas rus accused of fraud and human A poll published this month some 60% of voters said they polling stations equipped with dent,” he said.
Lukashenko must resign by mid- in the western town of Lida, the rights abuses in the wake of the
night or face a national strike. Russian news agency RIA quoted presidential election.
Explosions and white smoke the regional branch of the inte- Lukashenko has accused
filled residential areas as people rior ministry as saying. Western countries of meddling
hid behind vehicles and ran from
police, the videos, shared online
by reputable news organisations,
A former Soviet collective farm
manager, Lukashenko has ruled
Belarus for more than a quarter
in the internal affairs of Belarus
and trying to instigate a violent
uprising against him.
Pope Francis names 13 new cardinals
showed. of a century and has shown lit- In a call with US Secretary of
Law enforcement confirmed tle inclination to quit, buoyed State Mike Pompeo on Saturday, Reuters elevated to the high rank at a limit by naming more, factoring cis’s attempt to heal the country
that riot control weapons had by loans and the offer of military he said that Belarus and Russia Vatican City ceremony known as a consistory in that some will turn 80 in the still reeling from a sexual abuse
been used and detentions had support from Russia. were ready to respond jointly to at the Vatican on November 28, coming year. crisis.
taken place, the Tass and RIA The president’s main oppo- external threats, Belarusian state and the selection of more cardi- The nine new electors come The new cardinal’s predeces-

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news agencies reported. nents have been jailed or fled television reported. ope Francis, leaving nal electors increases the pos- from Italy, Malta, Rwanda, the sor as archbishop of Santiago,
his mark on the Roman sibility that the next pope will United States, the Philippines, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, was the
Catholic Church into be someone who will continue Chile, Brunei, and Mexico. highest-ranking member of the
Lithuanian opposition scents victory in run-off vote the future, named 13 cardinals Francis’ policies. Two of the new cardinals, Chilean church to be caught up
from eight countries yesterday, Francis has now appointed Archbishop Antoine Kambanda in the scandal.
Lithuanians returned to the polls yesterday for the criticism for failing to create more jobs and stop debt including nine who are eligible about 57% of cardinal electors, of Kigali, Rwanda, and Bishop The appointment of Aos Bra-
second round of a parliamentary election where mounting. to enter a conclave to elect his whose number rises to about Cornelius Sim of Brunei, appear co was particularly stinging to
the centre-right opposition expects victory as The opposition Homeland Union, with roots in successor after his death or res- 128 with the naming of the new to be part of Francis’s policy Chileans because he is Spanish
unemployment and debt hurt the government. the 1980s anti-Soviet independence movement, ignation. cardinals. of giving more prestige to the and not a native, signalling the
Voting was scheduled to end at 1800 GMT, with led the proportional vote of the first round with The nine new cardinal elec- The others were appointed by church in far-flung places, of- Pope’s conviction that an out-
results reported a few hours later. 24.8%, versus 17.5% for the Farmers and Greens tors, whom the Pope listed in a Francis’s two more conservative ten where Catholics are a tiny sider was needed to clean up the
The Baltic Sea state of less than 3mn people has party (LVZS), an agrarian group leading Skvernelis’ surprise announcement while predecessors, Benedict XVI and minority. situation.
fared relatively well in the coronavirus crisis, though coalition. addressing pilgrims from his John Paul II. His elevation of Archbishop The four non-electors, who
cases have spiked of late as elsewhere around Under Lithuania’s hybrid system, the other half of the window overlooking St Peter’s Church rules usually limit the Celestino Aos Braco of Chile to will not be allowed to enter a
Europe. 141-member parliament were to be elected in run-off Square. number of cardinal electors to the rank of cardinal is signifi- conclave because they are over
But Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has faced votes in constituencies yesterday. The 13 new cardinals will be 120, but popes have bent that cant because it is part of Fran- the age of 80.