Spain reopens beaches, restaurants; millions of kids in Australia return to schools; Japan fully lifts virus emergency
Beachgoers enjoy the sunshine as they sunbathe on the beach on the May Bank holiday, in Southend-on-Sea, south east England, on Monday. Pic/AFP
Spain reopened some of its beaches for sunbathing on Monday, and restaurants and bars in Madrid and Barcelona served clients at outdoor seating as the country started relaxing its virus lockdown.
The two cities are the hardest hit areas by the pandemic in Spain, accounting for over 15,00 of the nation's 28,752 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. Travel between provinces will remain prohibited until late June and international tourists won't be allowed until July. Spain reported an eighth straight day with fewer than 100 confirmed deaths on Sunday, when health authorities said 70 people had died in the past 24 hours. In early March more than 900 Spaniards died a day.
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Children back to school
In Australia, millions of children have returned to schools in New South Wales and Queensland as numbers of COVID-19 patients across the country fall. The two states on Monday joined the less populous Western Australia and South Australia states and the Northern Territory in resuming face-to-face learning, instead of studying from home online.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Monday students and teachers had to observe one key message: Stay home if sick. The remaining jurisdictions — Victoria and Tasmania states and the Australian Capital Territory — plan to send kids back to school in stages in June.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo and four other remaining areas on Monday, ending the restrictions nationwide. Japan, with about 16,600 cases and about 850 deaths, has so far avoided the large outbreaks like in the US and the Europe despite its softer restrictions.
Pandemic a turning point in power shift from West to East, says EU top diplomat
The European Union's top diplomat has called for the bloc to have a "more robust strategy" toward China amid signs that Asia is replacing the US as the centre of global power. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told a gathering of German ambassadors on Monday that "analysts have long talked about the end of an American-led system and the arrival of an Asian century." "This is now happening in front of our eyes," he said. Borrell said the pandemic could be seen as a turning point in the power shift from West to East, and that for the EU the "pressure to choose sides is growing." The bloc "should follow our own interests and values and avoid being instrumentalised by one or the other", he said. Borrell added that "we only have a chance if we deal with China with collective discipline," noting that an upcoming EU-China summit could be an opportunity to do so.
3,47,022 - Total no. of COVID-19 deaths worldwide
5,520,828 - Total no. of COVID-19 cases worldwide
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