New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 4.6 crore cases and more than 12 lakh deaths.
The US is seeing a significant rise in the number of homicides that police are blaming on Covid-19. Nearly half of Slovakia’s population was tested in a single day. Meanwhile, in Spain, police arrested 32 demonstrators who took part in violent protests against the nationwide curfew.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.
US police pin rise in murders on an unusual suspect: Covid
In the US, Covid-related economical woes are being blamed for the surge in homicides, according to The New York Times.
Oakland has seen an overall 40 per cent increase in homicides while Los Angeles (LA) is on track to reported more than 300 homicides, a first since 2009.
The report quoted the chief of the LA Police Department, Michel Moore, who said, “We see a phenomena of more guns, more people carrying guns and disputes escalating into gun violence.” Moore noted that the situation had likely worsened because of the pandemic, a notion experts such as Professor Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz at the University of California have agreed with.
“These are particularly high-stress times,” the professor was quoted as saying.
The US has reported 94,73,911 cases and 2,36,471 deaths.
Also read: Trump dreaded Covid – inside story of how the virus got into the White House
Nearly half of Slovakia screened on day 1 of nationwide testing
Over 2.5 million people in Slovakia were tested on the first day of the two-day nationwide testing drive, reported Reuters.
According to the government, 1 per cent of the population or 25,850 tested positive.
“More than 40,000 medics and support teams of soldiers, police, administrative workers and volunteers staffed around 5,000 sites to administer the antigen swab tests,” the report further said.
The scheme, it added, is being keenly watched by several other nations as a method to slow the transmission of the virus.
Slovakia has reported 59,946 cases and 219 deaths.
Police arrest 32 in Madrid after second night of protests
The Spanish police arrested 32 people following demonstrations against the nationwide Covid-19 curfew that was imposed across Spain, reported El Páis.
Trash containers were set alight, store fronts damaged and police officers were injured in the violence. According to the report, the demonstrators had chanted slogans such as “Madrid says enough” and “Stop the political mafia, stop the dictatorship”.
It also noted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s tweet in which he had said the demonstrators were indulging in “violent and irrational” behaviour.
Spain has reported 12,64,517 cases and 35,878 deaths.
Also read: Europe’s coronavirus battle enters next stage with partial lockdowns
54 Covid hospitals in Mexico register 100% occupancy in general beds
In Mexico, 54 Covid hospitals reported a 100% occupancy as the number of infections in the country also increased, reported Vallarta Daily.
Data from the Federal Ministry of Health indicated that till 1 October, 47 hospitals had total occupation and 180 hospitals were seeing an occupancy of anywhere between 50 to 100 per cent. By 28 October, 54 hospitals saw full occupancy.
“As of 28 October, the entities that had the most hospitals with a total saturation of general beds were CDMX and Durango, with five hospitals each,” the report further noted.
Mexico had reported 9,29,392 cases and 91,895 deaths.
Party-goers in Vancouver flout Covid rules Halloween night
Vancouver in Canada witnessed crowds of Halloween partygoers who were in violation of Covid-19 protocols, reported The Globe and Mail.
The report quoted Vancouver police spokesperson Jason Doucette’s as saying it “wasn’t possible to try to disperse the alcohol-fuelled crowd or issue tickets due to a number of factors”.
Additional resources had to be brought in from around the city to control the crowds.
The Halloween festivities were especially concerning as the province had reported more than 2,300 active cases of Covid-19.
Canada has reported 2,36,841 cases and 10,179 deaths.
What else we are reading:
US polling places are unable to avoid the politics of mask-wearing: The Washington Post
New coronavirus curbs in Europe spark exasperation, anger: The Straits Times
Also read: 200 days with no locally transmitted case — Covid record that makes Taiwan envy of world