The F.D.A. authorized the first at-home coronavirus test.
New York City will shutter all public schools again as virus cases increase.
A mini-outbreak on the U.S. Capitol Hill is threatening to disrupt the business of Congress.
New Orleans announced that there would be no parades during the February 2021 Mardi Gras celebrations.
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France bends the curve, again
After a summer lull, France faced a terrifying second wave of coronavirus infections this fall that hit most of the country at the same time and put intense pressure on its hospitals. This week, the country became the first in Europe to surpass two million confirmed cases and the number of hospitalized patients reached a record high.
And yet, a nationwide lockdown that was put in place last month seems to be turning things around.
“Our collective efforts are starting to bear fruit,” Jérôme Salomon, a top health ministry official, said yesterday at a news conference.
The New York Times
France is one of the first countries in Europe to re-enter lockdown, but the restrictions this time around are less harsh than in the spring.
Restaurants, bars and cinemas are once again closed, public gatherings are banned and movement outside the home has been limited. In most French cities, the wearing of masks is mandatory in enclosed public spaces. But parks and schools are still open, restrictions on visits to retirement homes are not as tight and a wider range of businesses are allowed to remain open.
New cases have come down by 32 percent over the past two weeks, and the number of deaths also seems to be stabilizing — an encouraging sign.
The New York Times
Officials say some of the latest restrictions may start to be lifted next month, and small businesses might be allowed to reopen during the run-up to Christmas. Still, the authorities plan to reverse the lockdown slowly, and only if the positive trends continue.
“Your efforts are starting to pay off, you must definitely not stop them,” Olivier Véran, the health minister, told the BFM TV news channel yesterday. “Yes it’s long, yes it’s difficult, but that’s the price to return to a normal life.”
Sweden changes course. In the spring, Sweden opted for a lighter touch in managing the virus. But responding to a fall surge in cases, the government abandoned its old approach, announcing its strictest limitations yet and warning of darker days ahead.
The New York Times