Health

Roundup: Curfew in Lombardy ordered, Portugal rules out new lockdown

Madrid Desk, Oct 20 (efe-epa).- Authorities in the northern Italian region of Lombardy – which in February became the first epicenter for coronavirus in Europe – will impose a curfew starting Thursday amid rising infection rates, while the Portuguese prime minister has ruled out another lockdown like the one seen in the spring.

In the United Kingdom, the government and Imperial College London have announced that they will hold the first of its kind human challenge trials for a Covid-19 vaccine.

Cases are also rising across Germany, which has put the Ruhr area under the highest “red alert”.

ITALY

A curfew from 11pm until 5am will be imposed in the northern region of Lombardy from Thursday as authorities try to slow rising infection rates that have exploded in recent weeks and are straining the region’s healthcare services.

Lombardy’s president Attilio Fontana said that the region’s mayors had called for the curfew as a measure to cap soaring caseloads.

Italy’s health minister Roberto Speranza has said that the government will approve the curfew measures.

“I agree with the hypothesis of more restrictive measures in Lombardy, and we will work together to achieve it in the coming hours,” Speranza said.

Fontana explained: “We have decided to issue a provision that from 11pm to 5am, activities are closed and people must be at home and that, except in case of emergencies or work or health, they cannot circulate in the streets of Lombardy,” pointing to nightlife and parties as a major cause for the resurgence of cases.

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