Curfews

The contraction gripping China's manufacturing sector slowed in May, data showed Tuesday, as some factories gradually resumed work after the easing of strict Covid lockdowns.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) -- a key gauge of manufacturing activity -- edged up to 49.6, officials said, from April's 47.4, which was the worst reading since early 2020.

U.S. researchers have identified irrefutable evidence of lockdown damage and the urgent need to ban it during a pandemic.

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the restrictions imposed in the spring of 2020 due to the coronavirus had little effect on mortality in the United States and Europe but led to serious economic and social damage.

Elated Sydneysiders celebrated the end of almost four months of coronavirus lockdown on Oct. 11, putting behind them a period of "blood, sweat and no beers" in Australia's largest city.

Sydney's more than five million residents were subjected to a 106-day lockdown, designed to limit the march of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Police in Australia's largest city have requested military help to enforce a coronavirus lockdown as infections in Sydney reached a new record on July 29. 

class='cf'>

Commissioner Mick Fuller said New South Wales police had asked for 300 Australian Defence Force personnel to be deployed "to boost its operational footprint".

Melbourne's coronavirus lockdown will be lifted late on July 27, as authorities signalled a Delta variant outbreak in Australia's second-biggest city had been contained.

Neighbouring South Australia state will also ease stay-at-home rules, but the country's largest city Sydney was facing a likely extension to a lockdown now in its fifth week.

Ljubljana – The government eased several coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, including increasing the cap on gatherings to 50, and easing restrictions on hospitality, tourism, sports, culture and education. It also extended the state of Covid-19 epidemic by another 30 days starting on 17 May.

Britain on May 10 was set to announce a further easing of its coronavirus lockdown, joining several European nations in gradually reopening their economies, but India remained in the grip of a devastating outbreak.

Ljubljana – Pupils will return to schools and the youngest children to kindergartens following an 11-day circuit-breaker lockdown on Monday under a decision taken by the government on Thursday, which is in line with the promise made before the country entered its third coronavirus lockdown.

Greece will offer restaurants and bars that have been under lockdown for months around €330 million in additional funding to enable them to re-open in the coming weeks, officials said on Thursday.

It has been one year since Turkey's Health Minister announced in the early hours of March 11 the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the country that immediately launched its uphill battle against the virus, which has infected more than 2.8 million people and killed over 29,000 patients to date.

The first death from the virus was confirmed on March 17.