US Presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump spent the weekend making their final pitches to the American public before election day November 3.
While polls in several key swing states show Biden with a slight lead, it remains to be seen which candidate will emerge victorious after all votes have been counted. Adding to the uncertainty is the large number of absentee ballots and early votes that have already been cast.
According to the US Elections Project, over 90 million Americans had already voted as of Sunday, a figure which represents over 65% of the total who voted in the last presidential election. States like Texas and Hawaii have already exceeded their entire 2016 turnout, with some counties in Texas reporting double digit increases in voter turnout.
Analysts estimate some 150 million Americans may vote this year, a number which would give 2020 the highest percentage turnout since 1908. Election officials are preparing for record-breaking numbers at the polls tomorrow, with many warning that official results may not be available for the next several days or even weeks.
Source: PAP, The Guardian
England goes into second lockdown
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that England would be returning to stricter lockdown measures which are set to last until at least December 2.
Under the new rules, residents are required to remain home – with limited exceptions – and people from different households will not be allowed to meet indoors. All pubs, bars and restaurants as well as shops are to be closed, except for those selling basic necessities. Schools and universities, however, will remain open.
The new rules apply to England alone, with restrictions varying by region per a three-tiered system. Scotland has its own system, as do Wales and Northern Ireland.
Source: PAP, The Guardian
Coronavirus case numbers drop slightly
In Poland, the number of new COVID cases dropped slightly from an all-time high on Saturday to just over 17,000 (17,171) new cases and 152 deaths as of Sunday morning.
Of the new cases confirmed yesterday, most (2,380) were in the central region of Mazovia and the city of Warsaw, followed by the regions of Lublin (1768) and Kujawsko-Pomorskie (1734).
Poland’s health minister also announced yesterday that medical staff fighting the COVID-19 pandemic will receive double pay as of November 1, a provision which includes paramedics and diagnosticians in hospital laboratories.
Source: Radio Poland
City helps out floral vendors
Local governments are stepping in to help floral vendors left with unsold stock due to cemetery closures over the All Saints’ Day holiday…
Fundacja Gdańska announced it would spend some PLN 50,000 to buy excess chrysanthemums, while the city of Sopot put forward plans to buy flowers from local traders and use them to decorate areas of the city. In Gdynia, vendors will also be able to sell candles and flowers in designated spaces.
Inhabitants of Trójmiasto have already embraced the campaign, with vendor Jarosław Łukaszewski reporting customers buying “a lot” of his stock, mainly chrysanthemums. According to Łukaszewski, chrysanthemums can successfully remain on balconies or in a garden for up to two months.
Prime Minister Morawiecki previously promised that traders who suffered losses in connection with the closing of cemeteries would be entitled to compensation. Cemeteries nationwide will officially remain closed until tomorrow.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
Protestors take to the beach
Protests continued across Poland for an eleventh straight day yesterday in response to the Constitutional Tribunal’s recent ruling on abortion. In Trójmiasto, demonstrators took to the beaches rather than the streets yesterday, with some 200-300 participants gathering in Sopot after walking from Gdańsk and Gdynia.
At a press conference on Sunday, leaders of the “Strajk Kobiet” movement also announced the initial composition of their Consultative Council; it includes, among others prof. Monika Płatek and Michał Boni. According to Strajk Kobiet leader Marta Lempart, the Council seeks to capitalize on the momentum of the protests by “collect[ing] and organiz[ing] the votes of mass protests in Poland (…). So that no vote is lost.”
Source: Radio Gdańsk, PAP
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cool, with a light breeze coming in from the southwest and a slight chance of rain in the late afternoon and early evening. Temperatures will peak around a high of 14°C, or 58°F, dropping to an overnight low of 11°C or 52°F. Sunnier, drier weather is expected to return tomorrow, with temperatures remaining on the cool side throughout the week.
RGEN
