New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 4.3 crore cases and more than 11 lakh deaths.
The pandemic has put a stop to bullfighting in Peru, something that animal rights activists had been aiming for since decades. The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Israeli scientists will begin human trials from next week. And in Italy, the town of Bergamo is fearful of a second wave of infections.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.
Peru’s famous bullfighting festival cancelled
For decades, animal rights activists have been trying to end the practice of bullfighting in Peru. What they couldn’t do, the novel coronavirus has achieved in months, reports The Straits Times.
“The annual Senor de los Milagros (lord of the miracles) festival at Lima’s Acho bullring that usually takes place in October or November was cancelled this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The 14,000-capacity ring is being used to provide shelter for homeless pensioners affected by the pandemic,” says the report.
This is the first time the festival, which began in 1946, will not take place.
Peru has recorded 8,88,715 cases of Covid-19 and 34,149 deaths.
Israel to begin human trials for Covid vaccine next week
On Sunday, the Israel Institute for Biological Research announced that it will start human trials for its Covid-19 vaccine, called Brilife, from next week, reports The Jerusalem Post.
“The Phase I human trial will last several months and be conducted on 80 health volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and Jerusalem’s Hadassah-University Medical Center,” explains the report. It adds, “The trial will kick off on November 1 with two volunteers. Depending on their responses, the others will gradually receive the vaccine candidate — 40 people at each medical center. Each volunteer will receive an injection, but some will receive a placebo.”
Israel has recorded 3,09,946 cases of Covid-19 and 2,397 deaths.
Also read: Spanish PM says Covid infections could be 3 times higher than reported
Students in Melbourne excited to return to physical class
Students from grade 8 to 10 in Australia’s Melbourne are excited to be back at school after months of online classes, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
“[Adam Iozzi] admitted to being unnerved, but was happy to be back after such a long absence. As the school bell rang out for the first time on Monday, he said that even the act of walking from classroom to classroom between lessons would initially feel a bit weird,” the report states.
On Monday, over 1,63,000 students from grades 8 to 10 returned to school.
Australia has recorded 27,523 cases of Covid-19 and 905 deaths.
With second Covid wave emerging, Italy fears ‘history repeating itself’
The Italian town of Bergamo, which had been hit hard by the first wave of Covid-19, is now fearful of a second round, reports The Guardian.
“After Italy took a dramatic turn for the worse following months of relative calm, nowhere is the fear of history repeating itself more palpable than in Bergamo. Covid-19 is estimated to have killed more than 7,000 across the province during the first wave,” says the report.
Italy has recorded 5,25,782 cases of Covid-19 and 37,338 deaths.
Turkey to allow all schools to reopen in November
Turkey is now going to allow all its students to come back to school on 23 November, reports the Daily Sabah.
First-grade students had already started coming to school in September.
“In person classes are not mandatory, but students are required to attend online live classes if they skip school. Minister of National Education Ziya Selcuk recently announced that student turnout at schools reached ‘near 80%’,” says the report.
Turkey has recorded 3,61,801 cases of Covid-19 and 9,799 deaths.
Game Day in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin, is a town that is obsessed with its football team, the Packers. But now, the city eerily quiet on game day during the pandemic, reports The New York Times.
“On a game day, when the Packers were taking it to the Texans in Houston, the scene back home was noticeably subdued, as the coronavirus surged in Wisconsin and people avoided the bars that are usually jammed when the Packers are playing,” says the report. It explains that the Great Lakes states are witnessing a spiral in Covid cases. Wisconsin itself has seen a bigger spike in caseload in the last week than in any previous week.
The US has recorded 88,89,719 cases of Covid-19 and 2,30,510 deaths.
What else we are reading:
Covid leaves 6m UK small businesses and 16m jobs in ‘precarious position’: The Guardian
Chinese city of Kashgar finds 100 new cases linked to first positive: South China Morning Post
Also read: Why we should not dismiss zero-emission climate targets by politicians as rhetoric