As Covid-19 instances continue to rise in various European nations, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand are scheduled to lift most of the Covid-related restrictions next week. After a large increase earlier in March, when it reported over 70,000 cases in a single day, the daily tally in Hong Kong remained below 1,000 for an entire week.
Meanwhile, authorities in Shanghai, China’s newest Covid hotspot, have reportedly put barricades in front of numerous residential complexes to restrict people’s movement in an effort to combat the current wave, causing a new outcry as inhabitants battle for basic necessities.

The following are the top eight updates on the global Covid-19 issue.

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1. Italy reported 70,520 new Covid cases on Saturday, compared to 73,212 the day before. According to sources, the daily death toll dropped to 143 from 202 on Saturday, according to the country’s health ministry.

2. On Saturday, France saw an increase of 88,389 Covid-19 cases in a single day, as the country prepares to vote in the second round of presidential elections amid the current wave.

3. Shanghai officials battling a Covid outbreak have placed mesh barriers outside some residential structures, igniting further public outrage over a lockdown that has forced much of the city’s 25 million residents to stay at home, according to Reuters.

4. The number of new cases in Shanghai, China’s financial capital, decreased marginally on Saturday, but remained in the tens of thousands. Around 21,000 instances were reported in the city, down from 23,300 the day before.
5. For the first time in more than two years, Hong Kong will allow non-residents to enter the city starting in May. According to the government, foreign visitors will be subjected to the same procedures as citizens. The news comes after daily infections fell below 1000 for more than a week after reaching a high of more than 70,000 on March 3.

6. In response to a drop in new daily infections, Singapore’s health ministry said that most remaining coronavirus restrictions will be lifted on April 26 and entry procedures for visitors will be relaxed. The efforts include lifting group size restrictions and allowing employees to return to work in full, as well as decreasing the Southeast Asian financial hub’s alert level for the first time since the outbreak began.

7. In the latest attempt to resuscitate Thailand’s beleaguered tourism industry, an official stated on Saturday that on-arrival Covid tests will be phased out starting in May, according to Reuters. Instead of the present “Test & Go” approach, where visitors must isolate themselves in a hotel while waiting for the results of a test, visitors are encouraged to do antigen self-tests throughout their stay.

8. According to one of the most recent estimates from the top US medical organisation, Coronavirus has risen to become the third biggest cause of mortality in the United States, with over 4,60,000 deaths linked to the virus recorded in 2021. The primary and second leading causes of death were cancer and heart attack, respectively.

(With contributions from Reuters, AFP, and the Associated Press)