UK (finally) closes schools and underground, South Korea an example of crisis management

(Patria) – The United Kingdom has announced that it will close all schools from Friday afternoon until further notice, a measure that seems belated given the number of infected cases and deaths in the country.

The British government attempted to fight the virus with the stance that the population should develop immunity to be able to cope with the virus in the future. At the same time, it warns the elderly population not to leave their homes due to the high vulnerability of this part of the population. However, as the number of cases quickly rose to 2,626, with 104 deaths, Britain is beginning to introduce stricter measures and is (finally) closing schools now, and the underground has been closed since Thursday.

At the same time, the World Health Organization reminds that 'there is hope' and warns that much can be done to prevent the spread of the virus, such as avoiding any gatherings. They insist on testing, because otherwise the virus will return when social distancing measures are lifted.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom cited South Korea as an example of crisis management caused by the coronavirus – mass testing, locating and tracking patients, educating the public about the virus.

Iran on Wednesday reported its largest single-day increase in deaths, with 147 more fatalities, bringing the total number of fatal cases to 1,135.

The first death in sub-Saharan Africa was reported in Burkina Faso.

China's Hubei province, which was the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, recorded its first day with no new infections; the Chinese government will take special measures regarding entries into the country from affected areas, which means the number of new infections cannot be reduced to zero.