Biden vows virus action on 'day one' as Europe reels from second wave
AMERICA reported record new coronavirus cases for the 3rd day in a row, as Joe Biden vowed to do something against the pandemic on "day one" if he wins the presidential election in the world's worst-hit nation.
Global infections have surged past 49 million and Europe has become the new pandemic epicenter in recent weeks, with more than 300,000 deaths -- practically 25 % of the global total.
A lot more than 127,000 new infections were reported in the US on Friday, the 3rd straight day of record cases, as votes from the bitterly fought presidential election were still being counted.
No winner has been declared but Biden promised late Friday that he would not waste any moment in addressing the pandemic if he's victorious.
"I want everyone, everyone to know on day one we will put our intend to control this virus into action," the Democrat said.
The infection figures came as President Donald Trump, who survived a episode of Covid-19 in October and has been widely criticized over his handling of the crisis, trailed his Democratic challenger in the ongoing vote count.
US cases are fast approaching 10 million, with an increase of than 236,000 deaths, and the pandemic has hammered the world's biggest economy, leaving millions jobless.
Trump is a vocal opponent of lockdown measures, citing their effect on the economy, and has repeatedly clashed along with his own government's professionals over coronavirus policy.
Unlike Biden, Trump held massive campaign rallies prior to the November 3 vote, and had insisted that the US was "rounding the turn" on the virus despite the surges.
Several senior members of his administration have contracted the virus in recent weeks, with Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows the most recent to check positive, US media said late Friday.
The pandemic has been cited among the factors for the delay in US election results, with state authorities deluged with an incredible number of ballots mailed by citizens not willing to risk infection by voting personally.
Across the Atlantic, Greece became the most recent European nation to enter lockdown Saturday with the continent reeling from a second, relentless coronavirus wave.
Beneath the measures, which arrived to force at 6 am (0400 GMT), Greeks can only just
leave their homes if they make the official request via mobile phone and then receive authorization. Only "essential shops" including supermarkets and pharmacies can stay open.
The measures follow the imposition of restrictions in Italy, France, Ireland and Britain, while Switzerland can be being hit hard by the virus.
Poland will also impose fresh measures Saturday, closing most stores in shopping malls, with some exceptions such as for example grocery stores, pharmacies and hair salons. The federal government can be closing cinemas, theatres, galleries and other cultural institutions and making hotels designed for business travelers only.
Governments are also exploring mass testing in an effort to curb the pandemic.
In England, Liverpool on Friday started the country's first city-wide coronavirus testing program. All 500,000 residents will be offered repeat tests, regardless if asymptomatic, under a pilot scheme that could be rolled out nationwide if successful.
With populations growing increasingly weary of lockdowns, protests have broken out in a few countries. Demonstrators and the police have clashed in parts of Italy and the Czech Republic in recent weeks.
Giorgio Gori, the mayor of Bergamo -- the epicenter of Italy's coronavirus crisis earlier this season -- said "there is more tiredness and more distrust around" than through the first lockdown, after persons protested outside his home.
Prior to the Greece lockdown, persons rushed to obtain a haircut despite the fact that hairdressers and salons are allowed to open for just two more days.
Athens hairdresser Apostolos Gelbas said he was desperate for the time to serve all his clients: "It appears that this was one of the key things that the people missed through the first lockdown." -- AFP
