Hong Kong and Singapore begin travel bubble, US states tighten restrictions

The scheme will start with one flight a day into each city, with a quota of 200 travellers per flight, officials said. This would be increased to two flights a day from Dec. 7.

Travellers from both cities must arrive on designated flights and must undertake COVID-19 tests. No quarantine will be required and there will be no restrictions on the reasons for travel. The travel bubble will be suspended if the COVID-19 situation deteriorates, they added.

California and several states across the U.S. Midwest tightened restrictions on residents on Tuesday as the nation’s top infectious disease specialist called on Americans to remain vigilant until a vaccine can be approved and distributed.

The new clampdowns were announced as the number of COVID-19 infections surged again in the United States with the onset of colder weather, straining hospitals and medical resources in some cities.

“There’s a real thing called COVID-19 fatigue, that’s understandable,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, told CNN in an interview. “But hang in there a bit longer, do the things you need to do and we’ll be OK.”

More than 15,000 mink in the United States have died of the coronavirus since August, and authorities are keeping about a dozen farms under quarantine while they investigate the cases, state agriculture officials said.

The U.S. states of Utah, Wisconsin and Michigan – where the coronavirus has killed mink – said they do not plan to cull animals and are monitoring the situation in Denmark, which last week embarked on a plan to eliminate all of its 17 million mink.

U.S. authorities are urging farmers to wear protective gear like masks and gloves when handling mink to avoid infecting the animals. The coronavirus has also infected cats, dogs, a lion and a tiger, according to the USDA. Experts say mink appear to be the most susceptible animal so far.

Mongolia recorded its first domestic coronavirus transmission on Wednesday following hundreds of imported cases, the country’s health minister said during a briefing.

Minister Munkhsaikhan Togtmol said a woman in Ulaanbaatar had been infected by her husband, a truck driver delivering goods from Russia who tested positive after 21 days in quarantine.

Another 24 people in close contact with the couple have been put in isolation.

Authorities have ordered a three-day lockdown in Ulaanbaatar, with schools also closed. The health ministry urged audience members at a concert attended by the couple to get tested.

Mongolia has earned praise for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It shut its southern border with China in late January and quickly closed schools and other public places, with officials warning that it did not have the infrastructure to cope with mass infections.

The country has so far reported a total of 376 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no deaths.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, praised Mongolia on Twitter last week for “showing us that by following proven public health advice we can stop this virus from spreading.”

Ukraine’s government is going to strengthen measures to prevent the fast spread of coronavirus infection by introducing a lockdown at weekends, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said late on Tuesday.

He said the decision could be approved in a government meeting on Wednesday.

“After consulting with business and experts, the government has chosen a model of quarantine measures that will ensure the functioning of the economy and prevent overloading of the medical system,” the government said in a statement.

The daily tally of coronavirus spiked in late September and remained consistently high throughout October and November, prompting the government to extend some lockdown measures until the end of this year.

Ukraine registered a total of 489,808 coronavirus cases as of Nov. 11 with 8,947 deaths and 221,459 recoveries.

Tokyo cases top 300 for first time since August

Tokyo reported 317 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, topping the 300 threshold for the first time since Aug. 20, data from the Metropolitan Government showed.

REUTERS