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Coronavirus in Europe: Germany and Portugal reimpose localised restrictions

Restrictions have been reimposed in Lisbon
Restrictions have been reimposed in Lisbon Copyright  AP Photo/Armando Franca
Copyright AP Photo/Armando Franca
By Euronews with AP
Published on Updated
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Euronews brings you all the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic from around the world.

This article dates from Tuesday. Please click here for Wednesday's latest updates.

Tuesday's key updates:

Live updates:

Live ended

Bulgaria's prime minister fined for not wearing a mask

 
Bulgaria's prime minister Boïko Borissov is to be fined for entering a church without a mask, according to the country's health ministry.
 
Under rules brought in by his own government, Borissov, his staff and some journalists will face fines of as much as €150.
 
The compulsory use of facemasks in public indoor spaces was reinstated in Bulgaria on Tuesday because of an increase in coronavirus cases.
Borissov has refused to wear a mask since the outbreak began. Read the full story here: https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/23/bulgaria-s-prime-minister-borissov-fined-for-not-wearing-a-mask
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Here's what's opening in the UK on July 4

 
Hairdressers, pubs and restaurants are to open back up again in the UK, although swimming pools, nightclubs, bowling alleys are all to stay closed for the time being.
 
Social distancing rules are also to be reduced. 
 
Euronews reporter Victoria Smith has all the details, watch below.
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France records 517 new cases of coronavirus

France recorded 517 new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours and is investigating 5 new clusters, bringing the total number of clusters in the country to 89.

The country eased out of lockdown, opening bars and restaurants from early June but continues to see hundreds of new daily cases.

Italy, meanwhile, recorded 122 new cases of coronavirus.

Both countries recorded low daily death tolls: there were 26 people who died in hospitals in France in 24 hours, and 18 people died in Italy due to COVID-19.

Across Europe, countries have been easing restrictions, but some are concerned that new clusters will create a second wave of infections.

There have been clusters reported in Spain and Germany that have led to new restrictions being imposed.
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'It's going to be a long haul', says England's chief medical adviser

Chris Whitty said they learn more about the virus every few weeks and hope that there will be more breakthroughs on treatments.

But they said although they hope vaccines and therapeutics come soon, there are no guarantees.

Making it a "manageable disease" would mean changes in restrictions, UK officials said.

Whitty said that through the winter and next spring he expects coronavirus to be circulating and the current situation to be in place.
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US infectious disease expert Dr Fauci says 'it will be when not if' for a COVID-19 vaccine

The US government’s top infectious disease expert told Congress on Tuesday he thinks “it will be when and not if” there will be a COVID-19 vaccine.

He added that he remains “cautiously optimistic” that a vaccine will be ready at the end of the year.
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UK officials asked about outbreaks in meat industry in several countries



The risk that meat is a vector for transmitting the virus is very low, said Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK government's chief scientific adviser. 

He said, however, that meat factories were cold and often crowded, making it easier to transmit the virus.

Very often the area of maximum risk are "common areas or social areas," said Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer.


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Just 340 coronavirus patients in ventilated beds in UK hospitals

Boris Johnson is leading the UK's coronavirus briefing. There are just 340 people on ventilators in the UK down from a peak of 3,301 in April.

The average number of daily deaths this week is at 121 down from a high of 943 in mid-April.

The UK has confirmed more than 306,000 coronavirus cases and recorded nearly 43,000 deaths.

Watch the briefing here: https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/23/england-will-reopen-pubs-and-restaurants-on-4-july-with-social-distancing-reduced-to-1-met
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Germany imposes new lockdown measures in west

 
New lockdown measures have been imposed on a region in western Germany that has seen an outbreak of coronavirus infections, linked to a slaughterhouse.
 
Authorities initially said more than 1,550 people had tested positive for coronavirus at the Toennies slaughterhouse in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck, but by Tuesday afternoon they said the exact number was still being verified.
 
The governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state, Armin Laschet, said people in Guetersloh county for the next week will face some of the same restrictions that existed across Germany during the early stages of the pandemic in March.
 
These include limiting the number of people who can meet in public, and closing cinemas, gyms and bars.
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Portugal reimposes restrictions in Lisbon region

 
Lockdown restrictions to halt the spread of coronavirus have been reimposed in the Lisbon area in Portugal. 
 
Just as its neighbours are opening back up in the hope of saving their tourism seasons, Portugal has been forced to take a step backwards from reopening, as it currently ranks second in the EU for the most new cases in per capita, according to data collected by AFP.
 
Restrictions have been reimposed in the Lisbon metropolitan area, which include: the banning of consumption of alcohol in public areas, the closure of terraces or cafes at 8pm local time, and the limiting of the size of rallies.
 
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French contact tracing app has only notified just 14 people of coronavirus contamination risk

StopCovid has only notified 14 people that they're at risk of being in contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, the country's digital secretary Cédric O said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile just 68 people have used the application to date to prevent people they meet from becoming infected.

The digital secretary said the app had been downloaded 1.9 million times, but uninstalled 460,000 times.

He attributed the low numbers reported in the app to low virus figures even though France has recorded hundreds of new coronavirus cases per day.
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Mitigation strategies will be in place as England reopens

Restaurants and pubs indoors will be limited to table service to mitigate contact between people.

Hairdressers will be able to reopen but must use visors.
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PM says he will not hesitate to reimpose restrictions if necessary

Johnson said his vision was to get back to normal as "fast as possible for as many as possible" but said he was ready to reimpose restrictions if necessary.
 
He warned that they will see future outbreaks but will be in a "much better position to control them."

"If there are localised outbreaks... no one should be penalised for doing the right thing," Johnson said about the furlough scheme that is set to expire in October.
 
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England will reopen pubs and restaurants on 4 July

England will reopen pubs, restaurants and other businesses from July 4 as part of the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Hairdressers, outdoor gyms and playgrounds, hotels, cinemas, museums, art galleries, arcades, libraries, and community centres can all reopen.

Nightclubs, indoor gyms, and swimming polls will remain closed. Theatrical performances and concerts will also not be able to take place.

People from more than two households can now meet indoors with social distancing. Groups of six people from multiple households can meet outside.

Places of worship can reopen for prayer and services including weddings with a maximum capacity of 30 people.
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Johnson says two-metre social distancing rule to be reduced

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the two-metre social distancing rule would be reduced to 1 metre + as the virus is no longer spreading exponentially.

Johnson emphasised that people should still remain two metres apart if possible.
 
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COVID-19 infection rate continues to drop, virus not spreading exponentially in England

"We do not believe there is currently a risk of a second peak of infections that might overwhelm the NHS," Boris Johnson told the UK's parliament while announcing further easing of restrictions in England.

He said they can now safely ease lockdown in England.

"Caution will remain our watchword," said Johnson.
Watch the press conference in the video player above.
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is revealing the next steps in phasing out coronavirus restrictions. Follow here for live coverage.
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New Swedish poll shows confidence drops for leaders, yet remains relatively high

A new coronavirus poll showed that confidence has dropped in Swedish leaders over their handling of the coronavirus crisis, but it remains relatively high.

The Ipsos poll, published in Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, surveyed over a thousand Swedes in early June.

Some 57% of them said they had "great confidence" in Sweden's public health agency, which was down 12 points from an April survey, according to AFP.

At least 60% of them said they had "great confidence" in chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell who is leading the coronavirus response.

45% of Swedes polled said they had "great confidence" in the authorities' ability to handle the coronavirus crisis - down 11 points from April. But at least 29% said they had "little confidence" in authorities.


Support for Prime Minister Stefan Löfven also fell 10 points to 39% in comparison to the month of May.


Sweden has been criticised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The country did not do a lockdown like many other European countries and has suffered a higher death toll than its Scandinavian neighbours.


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Spain reimposes some restrictions in Huesca due to new cluster

Spanish authorities are bringing some restrictions back in Huesca, a province in northern Spain due to a coronavirus cluster.

There have been several new virus clusters detected since Spain began emerging from its lockdown.
The Spanish government said that it is considering declaring a state of emergency for territories if the situation gets out of control

"If the time comes that we have a serious situation, the Government can decree lockdown in a part of the territory, or everywhere," said deputy prime minister Carmen Calvo.

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South Africa's coronavirus cases make up nearly one third of cases in Africa


South Africa’s coronavirus cases passed 100,000 with the country making up nearly one third of recorded cases in Africa.


Cases in Gauteng province, home to the capital city of Pretoria and economic hub of Johannesburg, have been rising and now make up more than 20% of South Africa's total.


The country is continuing to ease its lockdown restrictions amid economic pressure despite rising cases.


Africa overall has more than 315,000 cases including more than 8,000 deaths but the true number of cases is likely much higher due to the lack of testing.


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France is not making full use of its testing capacity - scientific council member says

France is not making full use of its testing capacity to detect the coronavirus, said epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet, who is member of the country's Scientific Council, on French news channel LCI on Tuesday.

"We have a testing capacity that goes up to 100,000 tests per day," he said, but "this testing capacity is not used enough, we are at around 30,000 tests per day".

Fontanet said they should do at least "50,000 tests per day," by testing people who have symptoms of COVID-19, but also by carrying out more test campaigns, such as in markets and streets.

 
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New lockdown in German county after slaughterhouse outbreak 

The governor of Germany’s most populous state has announced lockdown measures in a county that has seen a large increase in COVID-19 cases linked to a slaughterhouse.
Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state, said Tuesday that people in Guetersloh county should only have contact with their own household or one person from outside.
Laschet said cinemas, fitness studios and bars will be closed, although restaurants can continue to cater to people from the same household.
More than 1,500 people have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Toennies slaughterhouse in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck and thousands have been put under a quarantine to try to halt the outbreak.
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Saudi Arabia heavily-curtails Hajj numbers

Only a handful of pilgrims will be permitted to attend the Hajj in Mecca in 2020 as Saudi Arabia drastically reduces the number of visas it issues in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 
While the move from Riyadh was not a surprise - Saudi Arabia's borders have been closed to foreigners since February -  it marks the first time in almost a century since Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 that the Hajj has not brought millions of pilgrims to the country. 
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest infection rates in the Middle East, currently standing at 161,000, and has seen 1,307 deaths. 
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Another tennis player infected after Novak Djokovic tournament

Another tennis player has tested positive for the coronavirus after taking part in an exhibition series organized by Novak Djokovic in Serbia and Croatia, AP reported. 


Viktor Troicki says he and his pregnant wife have both been diagnosed with the virus. The former top-20 player from Serbia played against Djokovic in Belgrade during the first part of the two-leg tour.


Djokovic was the face behind the Adria Tour. The series started in the Serbian capital and then moved to Zadar, Croatia, last weekend.


There were no social distancing measures observed at the matches in either country.


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German outbreak centred on meat processing plants: authorities

More on that new outbreak in Germany in this report from Monday 22 June. The infection rate in Germany - which had a more relaxed lockdown than in many of its neighbours - is now at 2.88, up from 1.79 on Saturday and from 0.86 on June 18. 
Known as the 'R-value', the infection rate signifies how many people an infected person will pass the virus onto. 
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New infections in Spain, Portugal and Germany

Portuguese authorities in Lisbon have re-introduced a curfew after new infections of COVID-19 were detected. These include restrictions on gatherings of 10 people and an order that cafes and shops in the capital must close at 8 pm. 
New cases in both Germany and Spain, concentrated in the Huesca region, have also worried health authorities that as lockdown end there has been a rise in infections. 
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UK expected to re-open bars, restaurants on July 4

Bars, restaurants and museums could begin re-opening across the UK from July 4 if British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces an easing of the country's coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday. 
Johnson will speak at the UK's daily briefing later today and is also expected to relax an unpopular rule that requires people indoors to stay two metres apart. The rule has been criticised by many in the hospitality sector as being unduly harsh, arguing that one-metre is enough of a distance. 
But while a loosening of restrictions will be welcomed by many in the UK, scientists fear that it is too early, especially given that the UK is third only to the coronavirus-ravaged U.S. and Brazil in terms of cases of the deadly virus. 
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Italy sees spike in cases including in Lombardy, former European epicentre

Italy added another 218 coronavirus infections to its official count, evidence that the virus is still circulating in the one-time European epicentre.


Another 23 people died in the past day, one of the lowest day-to-day death tolls and bringing Italy’s total number of confirmed victims to 34,657.


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China sees 22 new cases, 13 in Beijing

China has reported 22 new cases of coronavirus, including 13 in Beijing, a day after a city government spokesperson said containment measures had slowed the momentum of a new outbreak in the capital that has infected more than 200 people.


Another nine cases were brought by Chinese travellers from outside the country, seven of them on board a flight from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia that arrived in the western city of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, according to a notice from the provincial government.


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