Epidemiologists in South Korea have said the country is experiencing a second wave of coronavirus cases, though daily figures are improving rapidly. The second outbreak is mainly centred around the capital Seoul and has been ongoing since May.
Officials previously said the country’s first wave had never ended, but now say data shows a first wave in March and April, and a clear second wave starting after a May holiday weekend.
However, the country has been one of the most successful in fighting the virus, and on Sunday reported only 17 new cases.
The news comes as the spread of the virus speeds up around the world. Sunday marked the largest single day increase so far.
Speaking at a daily press briefing, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom yesterday pointed out that while it took the world 3 months to reach the first million cases, the last million had taken just eight days. The total number of known cases will today surpass 9 million.
But in positive developments, hard-hit New York City is now able to lift lockdown measures with bars and restaurants open once again. And the world has begun ramping up production of dexamethasone, the cheap and widely available drug which UK scientists recently found to be effective in reducing deaths by as much as a third in seriously ill patients
In Poland, there are just five days left until voters head to polling stations to choose the country’s next president.
As we enter election week, a new poll by IBRiS shows incumbent Andrzej Duda leading with 41% of first round votes. Rafał Trzaskowski follows in second place with 27%. Independent candidate Szymon Hołownia is on 8.9%, Władysław Kosniak-Kamysz has 7.3%, Krzysztof Bosak 5.6% and Robert Biedroń follows with 4.2%.
If accurate, the poll shows no candidate with the 50% vote share needed to win outright, meaning a second round of the election will be possible in July.
In a likely run-off between Duda and Trzaskowski, the IBRiS poll shows a neck-and-neck race to the presidency with both candidates of 45%, setting the stage for a frantic second round campaign as the two leading candidates scramble to reach 50%.
PKP Polish Railways’ international services have been resumed after being suspended for more than 3 months under the lockdown.
EuroCity rail services, including to Germany, Slovakia, and Czechia, reopened on Monday, connecting the Polish rail network to the rest of Europe.
The news follows the resumption of flights to most EU countries last week and the reopening of EU borders earlier this month.
Flights to Portugal, Sweden, and the UK remain suspended until at least June 30th, and flights and rail services outside the EU remain closed.
The city council is to meet in person this week for the first time in months.
Council meetings since March have been held online allow for social distancing, but councilors will this week return to the New Town Hall in Gdansk.
Councilors are set to cover 33 draft resolutions, looking at everything from waste collection to plans for revitalisation across the city, to hosting the 2020 European Scout Jamboree.
The meeting will still be subject to special sanitary rules, with councilors sitting 2 metres apart and disinfectant on every table. You can watch the meeting online at Gdansk.pl.
Partly cloudy as we go into tuesday afternoon with temperatures around 19°C, 66°F. No rain expected for now and warming up into the 20s Celsius as we go further into the week.
TAH/ako
