International COVID-19 Megathread

[Omega21]

The Austrian state of Vorarlberg will have municipal elections on Sunday (just like Bavaria) and the state of Styria the week after.

People are advised to bring their own pens with them (but the ones used at the precincts will get disinfected after every vote too ... )

Vienna's universities have also been closed.

[CumbrianLefty]

Tory MP and minister Nadine Dorries has confirmed she has the virus.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The third death was reported in Germany, again in the county of Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia. Heinsberg is essentially the main focal point of the German outbreak.

1,619 confirmed infections now. 689 in NRW, 317 in Bavaria, and 283 in Baden-Württemberg.

Public life gets gradually shut down here. I hope that I'll still be able to do things like going to the cinema in a week from now... but maybe not.

[Velasco]

What's happening in Spain? Their numbers are exploding and have surpassed Germany and are close France now.

See the Spanish thread in the IE board

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

Public life gets gradually shut down here. I hope that I'll still be able to do things like going to the cinema in a week from now... but maybe not.

Don't go to the cinema at this time, by doing so you unfortunately put your fellow citizens at risk. Find a substitute like watching netflix instead. While you yourself or any specific individual at this point is unlikely to spread the virus at any particular event, if everyone behaves like that then the virus will spread, and the more it spreads the worse it gets, and the more people will die.

[CumbrianLefty]

UK confirmed cases up to 456, the biggest daily jump yet. Eight fatalities.

This ain't looking too promising right now.

[Velasco]

Nearly 2200 cases in Spain, 49 dead. Half of the positives in Madrid, followed by Álava (Basque Country), La Rioja and other locations.

Former Speaker of the Congress Ana Pastor (PP) and Vox secretary general Javier Ortega Smith have tested positive for coronavirus. We are on the brink of state ofemergency, I am afraid

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Just carrying this over from the US thread:

The WHO has officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.  

[Tender Branson]

With ca. 250 cases as of today, Chancellor Kurz has just announced at a press statement that Austria will close all schools starting on Monday.

Universities are already closed and schools will also switch to e-learning.

There are exemptions for small children in kindergartens and elementary/middle schools who don't have parents at home taking care of them (because of work): they can still attend their schools.

The goal is to limit social interactions by 75%. Kurz also said that small children should not be taken care of by their grandparents, because they are the ones most at risk and should be protected the most.

This comes on top of a full border "closure" to Italy (already implemented).

[LAKISYLVANIA]

314 infected, first 3 deaths in Belgium.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Just saw an interview with a German sports scientist who gives his take on whether the banning of spectators from soccer stadiums will eliminate the "home advantage" for teams:

https://www.zeit.de/sport/2020-03/geisterspiele-heimvorteil-bundesliga-zuschauer

Life under coronavirus is pretty weird.



1,898 confirmed infections in Germany now. 801 in NRW, 366 in Bavaria, and 283 in Baden-Württemberg.

Italy: 12,462 infections, 827 deaths.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Starting tomorrow, public buses in Berlin will keep their front doors closed. Boarding will only occur through the rear doors, and the driver will be separated from passengers by stop-bands.

The first member of the German Bundestag (someone from the FDP) has been tested positive on the coronavirus.

[Mike88]

The number of cases in Portugal, after a slow increased yesterday, jumped to 59, 18 more. The major universities are closed, and the media is reporting that there was a huge wave of people, many of them students, going to the beaches in the Lisbon area, as temperatures reached 25ºC (77ºF).

https://twitter.com/dntwit/status/1237810281574625280

Flooding at Carcavelos beach, on a sunny day with classes suspended.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Kind of disappointed I'm the one to offer you an update on the single most important country on earth, which is Poland.

We've went rather quickly from first confirmed case on March 4 to 31 at this very moment, with no deaths so far.

At first the geographic locations provided for some amusing memery, as cases were only recorded on the so-called Recovered Territories, but it's spreaded beyond now. Measures, such as cancellation of large public events and shutdown of major universities were taken, but the panic is increading with obligatory mass buyout of a toilet paper, because idiocy transcends nations and borders.

Of course the Episcopate once againg reveals itself to be full of irresponsible idiots, deciding to go up with the number of masses.

[Lechasseur]

How bad do you think the coming recession due to this virus will be?

[President Johnson]

How bad do you think the coming recession due to this virus will be?

Entirely depends how fast we're getting this under control. Containment and development of vaccine/medicine.

[CumbrianLefty]

Now reported a Cabinet minister is believed to have the virus and has voluntarily self-isolated. It may or may not be the same one who was loudly coughing and spluttering during the Budget earlier today......

[Middle-aged Europe]

Germany has surpassed 2,000 infections now.

A total number of 2,090 have been reported, with 909 in NRW, 374 in Bavaria, and 344 in Baden-Württemberg.

In soccer news, Sky Group has decided to switch the broadcasting of Bundesliga games from Pay TV to Free TV due to the coronavirus outbreak. YAY!

[parochial boy]

Looks like we'll be stepping up the measures here. All non-obligatory (ie collèges/gymnases, universities...) schools closing; ski resorts closing; bars, night clubs, cinemas closed; restaurants and hotels only allowed to stay open if they limit themselves to a capacity of 50 people respecting the 2m distance limit; all amateur sports events cancelled; and a ban on all events of over 50 people.

Lucky I went skiing last weekend

[Middle-aged Europe]

The fourth coronavirus death - and the first one outside of NRW - has occurred. A 67-year-old man in Baden-Württemberg has succumbed to the disease.

Also, Berlin becomes the fourth German state to surpass 100 infections.
There are now 2,136 total infections in Germany. Berlin has 118.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has decided to suspend all competitions. This applies for instance for all continental club championships/champions leagues.

http://www.fiba.basketball/news/fiba-competitions-suspended

[Middle-aged Europe]

And Lower Saxony becomes the fifth German state to surpass 100 infections. They're now at 119, and the total count for Germany is 2,200.

[Velasco]

Breaking news from Spain:

Equality minister Irene Montero tested positive. Deputy PM and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias in quarantine. Iglesias and Montero are a couple and have sons together

[Middle-aged Europe]

The first death in Bavaria has occurred, the fifth overall for Germany. Total infections: 2,326.

[Middle-aged Europe]

North Rhine-Westphalia alone has now surpassed 1,000 infections (1,041 to be precise). Total infections in Germany: 2,484.