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Masks ordered by France bought back "on the tarmac" by the Americans

Some of the millions of masks ordered in France from China will finally be shipped to the United States...

Masks ordered in China by France are being bought back by Americans on the tarmac of Chinese airports from which the delivery planes are due to depart, which then head for the United States instead of France, the President of the Grand Est region, Jean Rottner, regretted on Wednesday.

"It's complicated, we're fighting 24 hours a day" to get the masks delivered, Jean Rottner told RTL. "I myself have a small unit at regional level that is working flat out with the sponsors to win these contracts. And indeed, on the tarmac, the Americans come up with the cash and pay three or four times the orders we have placed, so we really have to fight. And I was very happy to see this aircraft arrive here last night", he added.

The President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Renaud Muselier, has also heard of such a practice by American buyers: at a meeting between the regional presidents, "a regional president explained to us that his order for masks had been stolen from him at the airport itself, by the Americans, who paid three times the price, in cash. But I won't give you the name of the region or the number of masks ordered", said Renaud Muselier.

It's an incredible obstacle course

To collect an order for four million masks, which had been ready since Saturday, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region had "finally decided to go through Ceva, the logistics subsidiary of CMA-CGM", a French charter shipping company based in Marseille, explained Mr Muselier. "At least I can be sure that nobody is going to buy them from me on the tarmac. Normally, they're on the way to the airport. But I'm still as cautious as a Sioux, it's an incredible obstacle course" from a logistical point of view, he noted.

Two million surgical masks ordered from China by the Grand Est region were delivered to Basel-Mulhouse airport on Tuesday night. Jean Rottner, himself an emergency doctor, ordered a total of five million masks, financed by the regional budget. The Grand Est was the first region to receive its own order of masks, in addition to national orders.

Emmanuel Macron, who has been criticised for the shortage of masks in France, promised "full independence" for mask production by the end of the year during a visit to a manufacturing plant in Anjou on Tuesday.

The United States, which has been slow to take measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus on its territory, is also looking for masks.

source: https://www.vosgesmatin.fr/

Coronavirus. In Dubai, a couple run a marathon on their balcony

In Dubai, two South Africans ran a marathon on their balcony. The couple plan to carry the project forward to help people beat the new coronavirus blues.

Their names are Collin and Hilda Allin. This couple completed 42.2 km by walking back and forth over 2,100 times on their 20-metre balcony on Saturday. On the live webcast, the couple proudly show the stopwatch at the end of the distance, indicating 5 hours, 9 minutes and 39 seconds.

We did itCollin said on Instagram under the hashtag #balconymarathon, congratulating his wife on her first ever marathon and thanking people for their support. Thank you for all the love and support [...] It was great to have you all along the way.he said.

The couple's daughter Geena, aged 10, played the role of race director, putting up signs indicating the start and turnaround and providing her parents with water and snacks as well as inspirational music.

Collin stated that he planned to organise a a bigger, more global and more inclusive race to allow people who feel cooped up but want to stretch their legs to join the race for a few kilometres or more.

It's about giving people something else to think abouthe said on Friday before the race. It's about getting people to make contact when they're worried about the impact of the coronavirus.

The pandemic has disrupted the calendar of sporting competitions around the world and limited the opportunities for outdoor sporting activities.

On a seven-metre-long balcony near Toulouse, a 32-year-old man ran back and forth more than 6,000 times, relaying his marathon on Instagram where many of his followers cheered him on throughout his race, which lasted more than six hours. Another ran around his terrace 727 times, completing the 42.2 kilometres in just over five hours to the applause of his neighbours.

The United Arab Emirates has imposed night-time restrictions on travel, except for employees in essential sectors, to allow for cleaning and disinfection operations.

With 468 cases of infection and two deaths, the Emirates are also encouraging residents to stay at home during the day and only go out if necessary.

source:Ouest-FranceOuest-France.

Coronavirus: without a hairdresser, the D-system of the French during a period of confinement

It was a non-essential business that closed more than 10 days ago, before the confinement, and yet it would have been essential for some: the hairdressing salon. Europe 1 asked how the people confined were coping, "hair-wise" speaking.

Growing hair, receding ends, bleached roots... With confinement and no chance to go to the hairdresser, are we soon going to look like John Lennon or Yoko Ono in the 60s? This confinement, which is likely to last for a few more weeks, could in any case do some damage to our hair. Europe 1 has gathered testimonies from French people who are already tearing their hair out.

"What was going to happen to my hair and my dye job?"

Every day, the white roots on the brown head of Diane, who is not lucky enough to work from home, gain ground. The confinement is giving her grey hair, and that's what worries her: "A lot of stress, obviously: what was going to happen to my hair and my dye job," she laughs.

"We had to act. As soon as the lockdown was announced, I asked my daughter to go and get me some hair dye to make up for the disaster. And her daughter isn't really sure she made the right choice: "To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure I chose the right colour," she laughs.

For those who did not take precautions before the confinement, you will have to wait...

By Pierre Herbulot edited by Séverine Mermilliod

Coronavirus: no general confinement in Switzerland, groups of more than 5 people fined

With the FOPH now reporting 4,840 positive cases of the coronavirus, the Federal Council is banning gatherings of more than five people in the country and releasing €32 billion for the economy. Relive the press conference.

16h41

End of press conference

The press conference is now over. We are therefore bringing this live broadcast to a close. Thank you for tuning in, and have a responsible weekend.

16h41

And in the car?

"It's not up to the state to decide how people behave. We're really appealing to people's sense of responsibility. But it's not the best time to put a sick person with a cough together with three healthy people."

16h34

"We need common sense

Alain Berset points out that in countries that have declared general confinement, many activities are permitted. "We're not saying that elderly people shouldn't go out for a bit of exercise or walk their dog. But common sense is needed.

16h32

The Swiss stranded abroad

"We are aware that everything is closing down at international level," says Alain Berset when asked whether the Confederation will come to the aid of Swiss nationals stranded abroad. "We need to look at what can still be done when everything is becoming blocked."

16h30

Towards other support measures?

Self-employed people who do not meet the criteria could be seriously affected, or even go bankrupt. "We are ready to analyse and devise other measures. It's an ongoing process," says Guy Parmelin.

16h25

"The whole population must respect the measures".

"We have to get to a point where the whole population respects the measures," says Alain Berset. "Solidarity doesn't just mean making a speech on 1 August.

16h23

Geolocation used?

"There is no question of using personal data to monitor people", exclaims Alain Berset, adding that no legal basis exists in Switzerland. "The idea is not to use what is happening in real time.

16h20

"We still have to do something for those who don't understand".

"The police will deal with the fines," replied Alain Berset to a question on the subject. "They have been working hard over the last few days, in particular explaining the social distance to people."

"I'm impressed to see how things are going on the streets: during rush hour in Berne, I've noticed that it's being implemented quite well. But something still needs to be done for those who don't understand, or don't want to understand", added the Federal Councillor.

16h13

No general containment to ensure long-term survival

Without an announcement of a total curfew, some people would not take the situation seriously. "We need people to get on board," exclaims Alain Berset. "The countries that have decided on total containment have done so until the end of the month or for the next few days in April. This timeframe will be too short. We have to hold out for the next few weeks.

16h08

"We've caught up

Alain Berset acknowledges that the Federal Council is trying to improve its system of communication between the various players in the healthcare sector.

"It's not that we're not up to date. We had a backlog of entries, but we have made up for it," defended Daniel Koch, head of the FOPH's Communicable Diseases Division, adding that the figures are correct.

16h02

Damage to the economy

"The medium- and long-term damage is very difficult to measure," explains Guy Parmelin. "It will depend on how long the epidemic lasts.

"We can reckon on a loss in Swiss GDP of €30 billion," adds Eric Scheidegger, Chief Economist at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

16h00

Containment is not necessary?

"The measures we have in place seem to me to be well calibrated and well monitored," says Alain Berset. "Behaviour will make the difference, not political decisions. The reality is how people behave to slow the spread of the virus."

15h58

"This is an extremely strong restriction on individual freedom".

Why didn't you ban gatherings of more than five people earlier? "It's an extremely strong restriction on individual freedom", replies Alain Berset, "Imagine if six months ago we had banned this type of gathering in the public space. It's a difficult measure that requires an extraordinary situation.

From midnight onwards, a group of young people hanging around the station could be fined CHF 100 per person, added the Federal Councillor.

15h55

And the big families?

Are families of more than 5 people affected by the ban? "Gatherings of people can cause the virus to spread," explains Alain Berset. "We need the public to accept this in order to curb the spread of the virus. We have noticed that these provisions are not respected in public places.

"But you have to keep common sense," he added. "It's not a problem for a family of five children to stay together." Nevertheless, he reminds us that social distance and hygiene measures must be respected.

15h52

"We're calling on the elderly to stay at home".

On Thursday, the canton of Uri banned anyone over the age of 65 from going outside. But the Confederation is not formally banning them. The message is clear: we are calling on the elderly to stay at home," explains Ueli Maurer.

15h49

Now it's time for the Q&A.

15h47

Cash for business

"Thousands and thousands of companies will receive money next week," says Ueli Maurer. "Within half an hour, the money can be obtained." The banks have received instructions on the subject.

"We'll have to see over the next few weeks whether the 20 billion will be enough," concluded the Federal Councillor.

15h44

"The financial centre is in very good shape".

"We have all done our duty and implemented all the necessary measures. The financial centre is in very good shape", assures Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer.

15h43

Ueli Maurer takes the floor.

15h41

Concerning rents

"The current situation is causing problems with rents," says Guy Parmelin. "It is essential that tenants talk to landlords. I call on all parties to work in a spirit of compromise."

15h39

Culture, sport and tourism

Guy Parmelin presents the support measures for culture, sport and tourism.

Independent artists in particular will be compensated. CHF 270 million will be allocated to artists in difficulty. With regard to sport, CHF 100 million is already available for sports organisations. As for tourism, 530 million francs will be invested in the regions.

15h35

No apprentice redundancies

Guy Parmelin announces the measures relating to work and in particular short-time working. "There is no reason to make apprentices redundant", he said.

Companies hit by the crisis will be able to temporarily defer payment of social security contributions (AVS, AI, APG, AC) without interest. These measures also apply to self-employed workers whose turnover has fallen.

Short-time working for temporary workers

The right to compensation in the event of reduced work will be extended. Short-time working can now be granted to temporary workers. Loss of work will also be counted for apprentices. The waiting period for entitlement to short-time working has been abolished.

Parents who have to stop work to look after their children are entitled to compensation. The same applies in the event of a medical quarantine.

15h33

"Help is on the way

"There will be measures for sport, culture and tourism. Help is on the way," says Guy Parmelin. "The Federal Council and the cantons are committed to helping those affected as quickly as possible.

15h31

32 billion more for the economy

"An additional CHF 32 billion will be allocated to those affected and to the Swiss economy," says Guy Parmelin. "We are all directly or indirectly affected.

15h30

Guy Parmelin takes the floor.

15h27

A call to responsibility

"We have to show that we are capable of taking responsibility. People over 65 need to protect themselves and stay at home. The younger generations are also concerned. It's a question of responsibility", said Alain Berset.

"It's time to show what we can do.

15h26

"We don't play politics for show".

For Alain Berset, the difference with neighbouring countries is that "we are not engaged in show politics or announcement politics. What matters is that the public support these measures over the next few weeks.

15h24

What about general containment?

Alain Berset is coming on board. "It's a discussion we've had. We have come to the conclusion that what we are doing in our country is very close to what neighbouring countries are doing. But what is essential is what the Swiss do in relation to these measures."

15h23

"It's the last moment to apply these measures".

"Gatherings of more than five people, including spontaneous gatherings, are prohibited throughout the country", says Alain Berset, pointing out that the cantonal police can impose fines if this rule is not respected. "This is the last moment to apply these measures.

15h22

Alain Berset pointed out that the Federal Council had taken strong measures on Monday, "necessary to curb the spread of the virus".

15h20

Solidarity

Alain Berset points out that this can only work if all Swiss people pull together. He called for solidarity and reminded everyone that everyone is affected. In particular, he thanks all those who have offered to help. He also took the opportunity to thank other people.

15h20

"The next few days will be difficult

Alain Berset took the floor to announce that the Federal Council had taken strong measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. "We must do everything we can to ensure that our healthcare facilities are not overloaded", he declared. "This is a serious time. The next few days will be difficult.

15h18

Because of the coronavirus crisis, the Federal Council will now hold two weekly meetings, on Wednesdays and Fridays.

15h16

The press conference is about to begin. The Federal Councillors get ready and collect their notes.

15h16

Fines for groups of more than five people

The Swiss have escaped the general lockdown. However, the Federal Council decided on Friday to tighten the measures: gatherings of more than five people are banned. Such groups will be liable to a fine.

32 billion for the economy

On Friday, the Federal Council released a further CHF 32 billion to support businesses. This is in addition to the CHF 10 billion already made available to the economy.

15h15

15:12

Welcome to our website and apps for live coverage of the Federal Council's press conference on the coronavirus. Berne will be announcing the new measures that will be applied in Switzerland to prevent the spread of the virus.

Le Nouvelliste - Valais, National and International News

The Coronavirus is tested to find out if it will make it through the summer?

The spread of the epidemic could be slowed by heat and humidity. Scientists are now trying to find out.

Many viruses are not heat-resistant, which is why the flu season, for example, is winter. We had hoped that this would also be the case for the new coronavirus, but the fact that it has still spread in regions where the temperature is over 30°C, such as Singapore, is not a very encouraging sign.

However, according to a Chinese study, warm temperatures could at least slow it down, noted ZME Science. A statistical study of 4,711 cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 throughout China showed that the higher the temperature and humidity, the less the epidemic spread. If confirmed, this would be good news for the northern hemisphere in the months ahead, and bad news for the southern hemisphere.

Test on a harmless replica

But all this is based on probability. To find out more scientifically, a study has just been launched at the University of Utah in the United States. The researchers are going to test the resistance of the coronavirus to heat, humidity and other environmental changes. To do this, they will recreate synthetic particles of the coronavirus, but without its genome, so that it cannot infect anyone or multiply. The idea is really to see how the physics of its spread can be affected.

As with influenza, SARS-CoV-2 travels between humans in the form of airborne mucus droplets. Observing how these droplets react to temperature and humidity should give us an idea of whether or not the virus will slow down as the warmer weather sets in. And anything that alters the structural integrity of the coronavirus is a good thing. "This is not a vaccine. It won't solve the crisis, but we hope it will inform future policy decisions," said Michael Vershinin from the university's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Multidisciplinary centre

While previous viruses have been studied for their means and speed of propagation, the influence of climate has rarely been considered. The laboratory at the University of Utah, which has just received a grant of 200,000 Swiss francs to carry out this research, has years of experience in studying viruses on a nanometric scale. In addition, it is part of the University's Centre for Cell and Genome Sciences (CCGS), where physicists, chemists and biologists work together. As a result, interdisciplinary collaboration can easily be set up if required.

Michel Pralong

source: Le Matin

Coronavirus: the world confines itself and Switzerland?

More and more countries are closing their borders, schools, restaurants and non-essential businesses.
But what about Switzerland?
Will she be confined by force of circumstance?

Netflix shares rise on the stock market, despite coronavirus scare sending markets into panic mode

Netflix is not suffering from the coronavirus crisis. The streaming company's shares are on the rise, even though the stock market is falling amid growing fears about the epidemic.

Netflix is not suffering from the coronavirus crisis. Shares in the streaming company are on the rise, even though the stock market is falling amid growing fears about the epidemic. Netflix shares have risen by around 5 % this week, up to this Thursday 27 February, while the S&P 500 index, which brings together the 500 biggest US listed companies, was down by around 5 %. The index is currently on course for its worst weekly fall since the 2008 financial crisis, after fresh warnings from the US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation suggested that the coronavirus was becoming a very real threat to Western countries.

Netflix could be immune to the blow to other stocks, so far, because investors think an epidemic could encourage people to spend more time at home - and watch the streaming service. Netflix shares continued to rise on Thursday afternoon. The stock was trading up 2 % at around $387 at around 7pm (Paris time). Other media stocks, including Comcast, Disney, Discovery, Fox and Roku, fell on Thursday afternoon. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were both down around 2 %.

The rise in Netflix shares also comes despite the increased competition the platform is facing from new streaming services such as Disney+ and Apple TV+, and soon-to-be-launched platforms led by Peacock and HBO Max.

Netflix shares have risen by almost 18 % since the start of the year, while the S&P 500 has fallen by around 4 %.

Original version : Ashley Rodriguez / Business Insider

Business Insider

Coronavirus: tonnes of toilet paper in his van...

LONDON Out of fear of an epidemic, a British driver had built up a huge and illegal stock of toilet paper.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the UK body responsible for road standards and enforcement, posted an image of the van and its load on Twitter. The agency explains that the vehicle was checked on Wednesday near the Blackwall Tunnel in London. It noted that the driver had stocked up on toilet paper and household paper, which it described as "extreme".

The driver was lightened

The total weight of the unthinkable stock is not given. However, the DVSA points out that the vehicle's authorised loading weight was exceeded by "more than a tonne"... And the agency ironically concludes that the driver has been given a £300 (360 francs) reduction, which is the amount of the fine imposed.

Coronavirus. Before and after: in Venice, the water in the canals is clear again

The inhabitants confined, the tourists gone, the gondolas docked: the canals of Venice have regained their tranquillity... and their clarity. In just 10 days, the water has become clear again. A rare piece of good news for the Serenissima, hard hit by the coronavirus.

The cruise ships are gone, the gondolas are docked and the water in the canals of Venice is clear again, after ten days without tourists, driven away by the coronavirus pandemic.

This new-found purity is rare good news for the city and its region, which have been hard hit: according to the latest figures, 94 people have died in the Veneto region, where the number of positive cases has soared in the space of 24 hours (510 more, giving a total of 3,214 and an increase of 20 %).

Following the cancellation of the Venice Carnival, the hotels, restaurants and cafés that bring Venice to life were closed, as in the rest of the country.

The fast boats that criss-cross its canals and lagoon, stirring up the mud, no longer navigate. Only the boats of the police or the hospital services still cut through the waves.

Source: ouest-france.fr

What if Covid-19 gave the environment a break?

Despite the anguish of a health crisis following the spread of the coronavirus around the world, it could be that the Earth will come out on top.

Containment has done its job. Images recently shared by the NASA show a sharp drop in nitrogen dioxide emissions - which come from the combustion of fossil fuels - in China. According to "Estimates to be taken with caution shared by Marshall Burke, a scientist at Stanford University, this reduction is not so surprising. "It has probably saved the lives of 4,000 children under the age of five and 73,000 adults over the age of 70 in China.he said in a press release. But he does not forget that this in no way diminishes the danger of a pandemic. " We learn nothing here, apart from an ounce of satisfaction at this reduction in air pollution in China - the main source of Covid-19.

extract from Rolling Stone