This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
As the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic nears 700,000, countries are tightening measures to combat the spread of the virus. According to a report published on August 5, 2020, France and the Netherlands are introducing stricter mask-wearing rules.
Paris, Toulouse, and other cities in France have announced that wearing masks will be compulsory in busy streets and squares. This measure is in addition to the existing requirement for people to wear masks inside most private businesses and all public buildings.
A scientific committee advising the French government has warned that the country could lose control of its spread 'at any time.' In response, the government is taking steps to contain the virus.
In the Netherlands, the same mask-wearing measure will be applied in Rotterdam and the famous red-light district of Amsterdam from Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Ireland has postponed the reopening of pubs and other nightspots on the advice of scientists, concerned about rising infections.
Other countries are also taking measures to combat the spread of the virus. The Philippines has placed millions of people back under lockdown, while the United States is launching trials of an antibody treatment for Covid-19.
Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home on Tuesday in a bid to contain the rising rate of infections and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals.
More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon, including the capital Manila, went back into a partial lockdown. People have been told to stay home unless going out to buy essential goods, for exercise, or for work.
However, with only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many people were stranded in Manila, unable to get back to their hometowns after public transport and domestic flights were halted.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the worst-hit country, the United States, had added 1,300 new deaths as of Tuesday evening, bringing its toll to nearly 156,000. The caseload grew by 53,847 to nearly 4.8 million.
Far from slowing down, the latest figures show that the rate of infection is accelerating. Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean, where infections passed five million on Monday.
The world's hope of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rests on finding a treatment. The United States has announced that it has begun late-stage clinical trials into a drug that they hope will be an antibody against the coronavirus.
On Monday, Russia said it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out 'several million' doses per month by next year. However, the World Health Organization has urged Russia to follow the established guidelines for producing safe and effective vaccines.
"There's no silver bullet at the moment -- and there might never be," warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the agency's chief.
