The decline continues slowly in Europe, where several countries see their hospitals emptying of patients with Covid-19. In France, despite 131 additional deaths in 24 hours, confinement continues to produce its effects, and there are now less than 2,000 patients in intensive care. In Italy and Spain, severely bereaved by the epidemic, the scenario is the same, with a daily death toll of less than 100 on Monday.
The economic response to the crisis, for its part, is beginning to take shape. A 500 billion euro European recovery plan has been proposed by France and Germany, who have affirmed their common will to build a “Europe of health”. In interview to read in “Les Echos”, Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, called on European states to “be up to the challenge”.
The main information to remember
> The number of resuscitation patients in France has dropped below 2,000
> France and Germany propose a recovery plan of 500 billion euros
> Trump threatens to end US contribution to WHO indefinitely
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Follow live the events of this Tuesday, May 19:
> The Scientific Council does not oppose the municipal elections in June
The scientific council, on which the executive has relied since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, does not formally oppose in an opinion given on Tuesday to the holding of the second round of municipal elections in June, while mentioning risks “important” sanitary facilities inherent in the electoral campaign. A new assessment of the situation would in particular be necessary fifteen days before the election.
> Austria would be hostile to the Merkel-Macron plan
European Union emergency aid to the member states most affected by the coronavirus crisis must take the form of repayable loans and not subsidies, the Austrian Chancellery said, quoted by the daily Die Presse on Tuesday.
> The pandemic is gaining ground in Russia
Russia on Tuesday reported 9,263 new cases of contamination by the coronavirus in the space of 24 hours, bringing the balance sheet in the country, since the beginning of the epidemic, to 299,941. According to the COVID-19 unit, 2,837 people have died from the disease, including 115 in the past 24 hours.
> Towards a voluntary “fortnight” for French people returning from abroad
French people returning from a country outside the European Union will be invited to undergo a period of voluntary isolation of 14 days from Wednesday, announced the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the air of LCI.
Jean-Yves Le Drian also indicated that 186,000 French people had been repatriated since the start of the health crisis.
> The barrier of 8,000 dead crossed in Germany
The new coronavirus epidemic has killed 72 more people in the past day in Germany, where 513 new cases have been diagnosed, bringing the total to 8,007 deaths for 175,210 infections nationwide, reports Tuesday l Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases.
> Cold weather on the European car market
The European car market continued its descent into hell in April, collapsing 76.3% year on year, affected by the closure of dealers because of the coronavirus in many countries, according to figures published Tuesday by industry professionals . New car registrations had already dropped 55.1% in March.
Particularly affected, French manufacturers fell more than the average in April: deliveries by the Renault group (with Dacia, Lada and Alpine) fell by 79% over the month and those by PSA (Peugeot, Citroën, Opel / Vauxhall, DS ) by 81.2%, the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) announced in a press release.
> Asian stock markets boosted by the hope of a vaccine
The Chinese and Japanese stock markets opened higher on Tuesday, invigorated by the proposal for a recovery plan for the European Union and the encouraging results for an experimental vaccine against Covid-19.
In the first exchanges in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index soared 2.33%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Stock Exchange composite index gained 0.83%, while the Shenzhen market gained 0.85%. Finally, the index of 225 Japanese star stocks, the Nikkei, rose 2.1%, while the broader Topix index appreciated 1.85%.
> The time bomb of state guaranteed loans
State guaranteed emergency loans allow businesses to weather the crisis. But they risk creating situations of over-indebtedness. Specialists are preparing for a wave of restructuring.
> The French snacked more during confinement
Having more time, the French got their hands dirty during the confinement period. But they also nibbled more and saw weight gain as time passed, says a study by Public Health France.
> Donald Trump threatens to end US contribution to WHO indefinitely
“If the WHO does not commit to significant improvements within 30 days, I will transform the temporary suspension of funding to WHO into a permanent measure and reconsider our membership in the organization” Trump tweeted, posting photos of a letter to WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In the letter, the American president lists examples of what he considers to be WHO errors in his management of the pandemic, notably by ignoring the first reports on the emergence of the virus and by being too close and lenient with China.
> China Reports Six New Cases of Coronavirus Infection
Six new cases of coronavirus contamination were confirmed in mainland China on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 82,960 since the epidemic broke out there late last year, Chinese health officials said on Tuesday. .
Three of these new cases have been imported, said the National Health Commission in its daily update. One case was identified in the city of Wuhan, the cradle of the epidemic. It is a person who was previously considered asymptomatic.
> The number of daily deaths drops below 800 in the United States
The United States recorded 759 new deaths from the coronavirus last night in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 90,309, according to counts from Johns Hopkins University.
This daily balance sheet is one of the lowest in recent weeks. The country, the most bereaved in the world in absolute terms, has more than 1.5 million cases of infected people, according to these new statistics.
> Brazil becomes the third country in terms of contamination
Brazil, with an official total of 254,220 people infected, became the third country in the world on Monday in terms of coronavirus contaminations, surpassing the United Kingdom, which has nearly 250,000.
Brazil has registered 13,140 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to official figures. Scientists, however, estimate that, without tests, the actual figures could be up to 15 times higher.
With 674 new deaths since Sunday, Brazil now officially deplores 16,792 deaths due to Covid-19, the sixth national death toll in the world. There too, the figures are very probably below reality.
> Donald Trump says taking chloroquine, even without symptoms
The American president has announced that he takes a chloroquine pill every day, even if the presence of the coronavirus has not been detected in his body, and while he undergoes regular tests.
He pointed out that there was a good chance this drug would work and said his doctor had told him he could take it. “What do we have to lose,” he asked publicly, stating that he had been taking hydroxychloroquine for about a week and a half. “I take it because I hear very good things,” he said.
> The Council of State orders the lifting of the ban on places of worship
Seized in summary proceedings by several associations and individuals, the highest administrative court ordered the government to end this ban within eight days. The Council of State pointed out the “disproportionate nature” of the measure.
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