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Hours before France ends its strict seven-week coronavirus lockdown on Monday, a worrying new Covid-19 cluster has been reported in the Dordogne.
The outbreak has been traced back to the funeral of a 51-year-old man in the small village of L’Eglise-Neuve-de-Vergt – population 500 – south of Périgueux. The man did not die of Covid-19.
Local newspapers Midi Libre and Sud Ouest reported that about 20 people had gathered to pay their respects to the man, while allegedly following the distancing rules. However, afterwards many more turned up to the cemetery, some from Switzerland and Portugal from where the dead man originated.
Afterwards, a member of the family went to his local GP with Covid-19 symptoms and tested positive. The following day, five others were found to have been infected. The regional health agency identified, traced and tested those who had been in contact with those infected individuals, a total of 127 people. According to partial results, nine tested positive. The results of 63 tests are still not known.
“The situation has been brought under control,” a health official said.
During a press conference, local prefect Frédéric Perissat said the cluster was “an illustration of what we are hoping not to live through in the next few weeks”.
“There’s a slackening off, people gather in a group of 20 or 30 and one person contaminates others,” Perissat said.
The Dordogne department is “green” in the government’s coronavirus map, suggesting the virus is not circulating widely and the hospital intensive care departments are not “saturated” with cases.
Updated
05:09
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New infections on rise in Germany
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04:20
Afghanistan has announced its highest one-day rise of new infections as the government issued a decree to distribute bread to those affected by coronavirus.
This comes as at least six people were killed in a protest against unfair distribution of aid.
361 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 reported in the war-torn country, marking the biggest one-day rise of infections, five patients also died overnight, taking the total number of infections to 4,402 and death toll to 120.
The capital Kabul, which is Afghanistan’s worst affected area recorded its worst day with 117 new cases confirmed in last 24 hours. Total number of infections in the capital passed 1,000 and now stands at 1,096.
The country’s health minister, Ferozuddin Feroz, has been isolating at home after being infected with the virus, meanwhile local officials in Kandahar announced its governor also tested positive as 26 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the southern province.
Toward the east, six out of the eight new coronavirus cases in Nangarhar were from province’s prison, said Shah Mahmoud Meyakhil, provincial governor, adding there are 12 other suspected cases are in the prison.
The government announced yesterday that it was planning to distribute bread amongst the poor across the country with around two million Afghans losing their jobs due to the pandemic.
However, the heath ministry raised concerns that the distribution of bread through bakeries will even worsen the situation.
“Some bread is being distributed in the bakeries, but more people gathering. It has more disadvantages than advantages because the virus is spreading rapidly,” said Wahidullah Mayar, a spokesman for the health ministry.
At least six people were killed and more than a dozen wounded yesterday in a protest went violent against the unfair distribution of aid to those affected by coronavirus in central Ghor province of Afghanistan. Interior ministry spokesman said two police officers and four civilians were killed, including a journalist.
The country’s vice president apologised for the incident and said will investigate that.
“I want the countrymen of Ghor to keep calm, we will investigate the case seriously. I apologies for the incompetence of the management. Forgive us”, Amrullah Saleh said in a Facebook post.
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Source: US Politics - theguardian.com