New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 7.7 crore cases and nearly 17 lakh deaths.
Even though Singapore is undergoing its “worst” recession, residents in the city state are still “obsessed” with buying expensive homes. Australian businesses are finding ways to keep up with the times amid a lockdown. In order to avoid mass gatherings, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has cancelled New Year’s celebrations.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.
Singapore’s real estate sector hopeful of recovery post pandemic
Despite retrenchments and jobs losses at record levels, Singapore residents are still queuing up to buy multi-million dollar homes, reports South China Morning Post.
According to the report, analysts predict Singapore will resume its “love affair” with property after the Covid-19 vaccine is rolled out. “With the somewhat sunnier outlook in the Covid-19 situation, property prices were expected to rise by an average of about 4 per cent next year,” the report said.
Singapore has recorded 58,422 cases of Covid-19 and 29 deaths so far.
Businesses in Australia keep Christmas cheer despite pandemic
With a five-day lockdown imposed on Australia’s northern beaches, businesses are getting “creative” to keep up with the times, reports The Age.
From food takeaways, businesses are now ready to even deliver boards, fins, clothing and accessories. Charlotte Rimmer, president of Manly Business Chamber said, “There’s a really positive vibe, we are all in it together, let’s just get on with the job and do what we can.”
Australia has recorded 28,197 Covid cases and 908 deaths.
Also read: Denmark to exhume millions of minks culled over Covid mutation
Egypt cancels new year celebrations due to Covid
Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has cancelled New Year’s celebrations in view of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s directions, reports Arab News.
“The ministry stressed that weddings, parties, special occasions and gatherings would continue to be banned from being held in closed halls until a decision to reopen the halls was issued,” the report said.
Egypt has recorded 1,25,555 Covid cases and 7,098 deaths.
France firms up monitoring of vaccine side-effects
France has strengthened its plans to monitor the rollout of Covid vaccines, including checking unwanted side effects during clinical trials, reports The Connexion.
The country’s national drug safety agency will be using pharmacovigilance, a method for signalling of side-effects, and will look at phamaco-epidemiology studies.
“The overall aim is to monitor how well people are tolerating the new vaccines, if or how they are unwanted side-effects, and how they develop in real time,” said the report.
France has recorded 24,73,354 Covid cases and 60,549 deaths.
London residents furious at ‘incompetent govt’ over restrictions
London woke up to new coronavirus lockdown measures Sunday. With shops and salons closed for business, people were unable to do last-minute Christmas shopping, reports The Guardian.
Residents felt “suspicious” of Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposing these restrictions. They questioned whether the government was “covering up” for not taking timely actions, said the report. Tim Sheehan, a farm shop owner, was quoted as saying: “I’ve given up on planning for the future… This is the most incompetent government I’ve seen in my lifetime.”
UK has recorded over 2 million Covid cases and 67,401 deaths.
What else we are reading
As Christmas nears, virus experts look for lessons from Thanksgiving: The New York Times
What do we know about the fast-spreading Covid variant in UK: The Guardian
Also read: Vaccines don’t mean we’ll see the last of Covid, experts warn