随着COVID-19流感大流行的继续，美国的封锁措施在全国范围内引发了争论。在美国，几乎所有50个州都被下达了呆在家里的命令。

在周四的白宫新闻发布会上，唐纳德·特朗普总统透露了一项计划分三个阶段重新开放这个国家"在条件允许的情况下"上周，他声称自己“完全有权”推翻州长的家庭指令，如果这些指令与他的重开计划相冲突的话。

美国的自由派和保守派在这场辩论中发生了冲突。民主党州长目前还不确定重新开放的具体日期，但是共和党州长考虑到不利的经济影响，已经要求尽早放松限制。

然而，对封锁措施和政府应对流感大流行的批评也在欧洲各地如火如荼，包括意大利、西班牙、英国、德国、法国、比利时和瑞典。

意大利

根据约翰·霍普金斯大学的最新数据，意大利目前是世界上死于该病毒的人数第二多的国家，仅次于美国，截至上周五，在近169，000例确诊病例中，至少有22，170人死亡。

意大利总理朱塞佩·孔戴本月早些时候证实，该监狱从3月9日起一直处于封锁状态，并将至少持续到5月3日。

本周看到了这个国家开始慢慢放松限制疫情爆发后，最近几周出现了达到稳定状态的迹象。即便如此，通往那里的旅程也并非没有争议和批评。

上个月，政府发布法令禁止居民进出伦巴第意大利北部受灾最严重的地区，以及其他11个省。随后的一项法令关闭了80个不同部门的业务，包括生产和分销药品和医疗器械的公司。

虽然这些措施对一些人来说似乎很严厉，但其他人认为它们不够严格。

“我们还算满意，因为它确立了一个原则，但是这个法令留下了太多敞开的窗户，”上个月，贝加莫市冶金工人联合会(FIOM)秘书长安德里亚·阿加齐告诉半岛电视台。

伦巴第区总裁阿提里奥·丰塔纳当时表示:“最近的数据要求我们尽快行动:只有采取进一步行动限制所有个人接触，我们才能扭转令人担忧的趋势。他的副手法布里吉奥·萨拉指出:“这不足以遏制病毒。"

从本周二开始，一些商店，包括卖书、文具和儿童服装的商店，被允许重新营业。所有恢复营业的商店都将遵守严格的卫生规定和接待顾客的数量。工厂仍然关闭

西班牙

截至上周五，西班牙是欧洲病例最多、世界第二高的国家，确诊感染人数接近185，000人，死亡人数至少为19，315人，是仅次于美国和意大利的世界第三高死亡人数。

年的爆发西班牙也开始出现转机最近几周，随着新病例和新死亡人数呈略微下降趋势。该国本周开始部分放松限制。

包括建筑和制造业在内的一些企业被允许在周一恢复运营。但西班牙卫生部长萨尔瓦多·伊拉证实，该国仍处于封锁状态，商店、酒吧和公共场所至少在4月26日之前一直关闭。

一些官员批评了这一最新举措，包括加泰罗尼亚主席基姆·托拉在周日与西班牙首相佩德罗·桑切斯和其他地区领导人举行的会议上说，这一举措是“鲁莽和轻率的”。

但其他人赞成部分重新开放，包括西班牙北部坎塔布里亚地区的总统米格尔·Á·安赫尔·雷维拉，他指出“完全停止经济”会适得其反

本周早些时候，巴塞罗那市长阿达·科劳·巴拉诺呼吁结束封锁为了“解放我们的孩子”，她在自己的官方脸书账户上发表了一篇冗长的帖子，敦促“这些孩子必须离开”。

市长说，在这次监禁中，应该“考虑到儿童”...这种情况是不可持续的。”

大英联合王国

最近几周，英国的病例和死亡人数也在飙升。截至周五，该国目前已有超过104，100例感染，包括至少13，729例死亡。

当英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊宣布他被感染并被转移到伦敦一家医院的重症监护室时，情况发生了戏剧性的转变。自那以后，他离开了医院，正在他位于伦敦北部白金汉郡的乡下家中康复。

与欧洲其他地区相比，英国因没有尽快实施减排措施而受到批评。该国自3月23日以来一直处于封锁状态。

“导致我们可能拥有欧洲最高死亡率的系统错误在哪里？“国际儿童健康教授兼UCL全球健康研究所所长安东尼·科斯特洛，周五告诉英国健康和社会保障委员会

他补充道:“我们必须面对现实:我们在很多事情上太慢了。但我们可以确保在第二波中我们不会太慢。”

他补充道:“我们已经牺牲了太多，现在不能放松。隧道尽头是光明，但现在我们正处于这场流行病的微妙而危险的阶段。”

“最近的估计，甚至来自[英国]首席科学官，是在这一波之后——我们可能会看到4万人死亡——我们可能只有10%，15%的人口被感染或覆盖，”他警告说。

“因此，群体免疫的概念意味着可能还会有五、六波，以达到60%，”他补充道。

德国

最近几周，德国的数字也在攀升。该国目前有超过138，200例确诊病例和超过4，000例死亡病例。

德国卫生部长延斯·斯班恩称其强大的医疗保健系统“迄今为止从未不堪重负”，在一次会议上周五新闻发布会。“从今天开始，疫情已经可以控制和控制了，”他说。

德国联邦疾病控制机构罗伯特·科赫研究所(RKI)主席洛萨·威勒(Lothar Wieler)表示，德国的病毒复制或传播率已降至1%以下，这意味着一名病毒携带者平均感染的人数少于另一人。

“我们现在第一次看到我们低于1。我们将看看这是否保持稳定...他在新闻发布会上指出:“任何时候都可能有新的感染。”

“我们很好地经受住了第一波浪潮，这是通过社会的共同努力实现的，但这种情况随时都可能改变，”他补充道。

RKI此前一直批评德国政府对疫情的反应，尤其是其病毒测试方法。该研究所表示，太多无症状的患者正在接受检测，有耗尽检测试剂盒的风险。

该国也受到了欧盟的批评禁止出口关键防护装备，如长袍、面罩和护目镜。

德国总理安格拉默克尔(Angela Merkel)周三证实，从5月4日起，德国将于下周开始部分重新开放商店和学校。

东部萨克森州的人们将被要求在公共交通工具上和商店里戴口罩，同时限制也有所放松。这是德国第一个引入这一要求的州。

法国

法国目前的病例数量在欧洲排名第三，在世界排名第四。截至周五，已有超过147，100例确诊感染和至少17，920例死亡。该国曾一度被疫情摧毁，从3月中旬到3月下旬，病例和死亡人数开始急剧上升。

该国在3月中旬左右进入了封锁状态，但由于没有做好应对疫情挑战的准备而受到批评。法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙本周早些时候承认了这一点。

“我们为这场危机做好准备了吗？从表面上看，这还不够。但是我们解决了，”马克龙在电视讲话中说。

“这一刻，老实说，已经暴露了裂缝、短缺。像世界上的每一个国家一样，我们缺少手套、护手霜，我们无法向我们的卫生专业人员发放我们想要的那么多口罩，”他补充道。

比利时

与包括邻国法国在内的其他欧洲国家相比，比利时的病例比例要小得多。该国目前有36，168例病例，5，100多人死亡。

但是，该国面临着批评，认为其应对疫情的缓解措施过于严格，也不够严格。

早在3月初，该国卫生部长玛吉·德·布洛克(Maggie De Block)宣布，该国正进入疫情的“第二阶段”，报告了一例确诊病例，预计还会有更多病例。

这一宣布促使沃卢威-圣兰伯特市市长奥利维尔·梅因格因采取极端措施防止当地爆发疫情。警方发布命令，禁止最近旅行的人进入所有公共建筑达14天。

其他地方领导人批评了这种反应，称这只会引起恐惧和恐慌。文森特·德·沃尔夫(Vincent De Wolf)是埃特比克(Etterbeek)的市长，他所在的社区与美因增益(Maingain)是同一个警察区的一部分，他当时表示:“这一命令将在民众中制造恐慌和焦虑。冠状病毒是联邦公共卫生的一个问题，在市一级实施措施简直是荒诞不经。”

3月18日，比利时首相索菲·威尔姆斯宣布全国范围的封锁将持续到4月5日。但是批评家认为封锁有太多的例外。

该国已将其封锁期延长至5月3日。“有些人会认为这是基本规则的放松，这并非不可能。但事实并非如此。他们保持现状直到5月3日，必须绝对尊重。我们还没有到达退出的阶段，”威尔姆斯本周警告说。

瑞典

与欧洲其他几个国家相比，瑞典的病例数量要少得多，但它也因在应对疫情的方法上过于宽松而受到批评。

该国报告了超过13，200例病例和1，400例死亡。新病例和新死亡人数从3月下旬左右开始激增，并在最近几天飙升。但是它还没有实施封锁，居民可以去餐馆吃饭，儿童可以上学。

但是健康专家担心这种宽松方法的潜在后果。卡罗林斯卡学院微生物发病学教授塞西莉亚·索德伯格-瑙克勒告诉路透社记者:“我们别无选择，我们必须马上关闭斯德哥尔摩。”。

2020年3月28日，一名男子戴着防护面具参观瑞典斯德哥尔摩昆斯特拉德花园的樱花。世界卫生组织建议，如果你咳嗽或打喷嚏，请戴上口罩。

上个月，近2300名学者联名致信政府，敦促出台更严厉的措施来保护医疗体系，她是其中之一。

“我们必须控制局势，我们不能陷入完全混乱的局面。没有人尝试过这条路线，那么为什么我们要在没有知情同意的情况下，先在瑞典进行测试呢？”她说。

下图由提供Statista，说明了COVID-19在全球的传播。

全球COVID-18病例数。

除非另有说明，COVID-19病例的数据来自约翰·霍普金斯大学。

疾病控制和预防中心关于使用面部覆盖物减缓COVID-19传播的建议

• 疾病预防控制中心建议在难以保持社交距离的公共场合佩戴布质面罩。

• 一个简单的布质面部覆盖物可以帮助那些被感染者和没有表现出症状的人减缓病毒的传播。

• 布面可以由家用物品制成。指南由疾病预防控制中心提供。（http://www . CDC . gov/corona virus/2019-ncov/prevent-get-disk/DIY-cloth-face-covers . html)

• 应该定期清洗布面。洗衣机就够了。

• 通过不接触眼睛、鼻子和嘴来练习安全地去除面部覆盖物，并在去除覆盖物后立即洗手。

世界卫生组织关于避免冠状病毒疾病传播的建议(COVID-19)

卫生建议

• 经常用肥皂和水洗手，或者用酒精洗手。

• 咳嗽或打喷嚏后洗手；照顾病人时；食物准备之前、期间和之后；吃饭前；使用厕所后；当手明显变脏时；处理动物或废物后。

• 与任何咳嗽或打喷嚏的人保持至少1米(3英尺)的距离。

• 避免触摸你的手、鼻子和嘴。不要在公共场合吐痰。

• 咳嗽或打喷嚏时，用纸巾或弯肘捂住口鼻。立即丢弃纸巾并清洁双手。

医疗建议

• 如果你有任何症状，避免与其他人密切接触。

• 如果你感觉不舒服，即使有轻微的症状，如头痛和流鼻涕，也要呆在家里，以避免疾病扩散到医疗机构和其他人。

• 如果您出现严重症状(发烧、咳嗽、呼吸困难)，请尽早就医，并提前联系当地卫生部门。

• 记录最近与他人的任何联系和旅行细节，以提供给能够追踪和预防疾病传播的当局。

• 了解卫生当局发布的COVID-19最新进展，并遵循他们的指导。

面具和手套的使用

• 如果照顾病人，健康的人只需要戴口罩。

• 如果你咳嗽或打喷嚏，请戴上口罩。

• 当与频繁的手部清洁结合使用时，口罩是有效的。

• 戴口罩时不要触摸。如果你触摸面具，请洗手。

• 学习如何正确戴上、取下和处理口罩。扔掉口罩后，请洗手。

• 不要重复使用一次性口罩。

• 经常洗手比戴橡胶手套更能有效防止感染COVID-19。

• COVID-19病毒仍然可以在橡胶手套上被发现，并通过触摸你的脸传播。

LOCKDOWN END DATE DEBATE RAGES ACROSS EUROPE AS DIFFERENT COUNTRIES CRITICIZED FOR QUARANTINE MEASURES

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, U.S. lockdown measures, which have seen nearly all 50 states placed under stay-at-home orders, have come under debate across the country.

At a White House press briefing on Thursday, President Donald Trump revealed a plan to reopen the country in three phases "as conditions allow." Last week he claimed he had "total authority" to override state governors' stay-at-home orders if they conflict with his plan to reopen.

Liberals and conservatives in the U.S. have clashed over the debate. Democrat governors are hesitant to set a definite reopening date just yet, but Republican governors have pushed for an early easing of restrictions in view of the damaging economic effects.

However, criticism of lockdown measures and government responses to the pandemic has also been raging across Europe, including in Italy, Spain, the U.K., Germany, France, Belgium and Sweden.

Italy

Italy currently has the world's second-highest number of deaths from the virus, after the U.S., with at least 22,170 reported casualties among its nearly 169,000 confirmed cases as of Friday, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.

It has been in lockdown from March 9 and will remain in lockdown until at least May 3, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte confirmed earlier this month.

This week saw the country slowly begin to ease restrictions after the outbreak showed signs of reaching a plateau in recent weeks. Even so, the journey getting there has not been without controversy and criticism.

Last month, the government issued a decree banning residents from entering or leaving Lombardy, the country's worst-hit region in northern Italy, as well as in 11 other provinces. A subsequent decree shut down operations across 80 different sectors, including companies involved in the production and distribution of drugs and medical devices.

While the measures may have seemed draconian to some, others believed they weren't strict enough.

"We are moderately satisfied because it established a principle, but the decree leaves too many open windows," Andrea Agazzi, general secretary of the Federation of Metallurgical Workers (FIOM) in the city of Bergamo, told Al Jazeera last month.

Lombardy President Attilio Fontana said at the time: "The recent data requires us to act as soon as possible: we can reverse an ever worrying tide only with a further action restricting all personal contacts. His deputy Fabrizio Sala noted: "This is not enough to contain the virus."

From Tuesday this week, a few shops, including those selling books, stationery and children's clothing, were allowed to reopen. Strict rules on hygiene and the number of customers hosted will apply for all shops resuming operations. Factories have remained closed

Spain

Spain has the highest number of cases in Europe and the second-highest in the world, as of Friday, with nearly 185,000 confirmed infections and at least 19,315 deaths, the third-highest death toll in the world after the U.S. and Italy.

The outbreak in Spain has also been turning a corner in recent weeks, with the number of new cases and new deaths on a slightly declining trend. The country began a partial easing of restrictions this week.

A few businesses, including some within the construction and manufacturing sectors, were allowed to resume operations on Monday. But the country remains in lockdown, with shops, bars and public spaces remaining closed until at least April 26, Spain's Minister of Health Salvador Illa has confirmed.

Some officials have criticized the latest move, including President of Catalonia Quim Torra who said the move as "reckless and imprudent," at a conference on Sunday with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other regional leaders.

But others were in favor of the partial reopening, including the president of the Cantabria region in northern Spain, Miguel Ángel Revilla, who noted it would be counterproductive to "completely stop the economy."

Earlier this week, Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau Ballano called for an end to the lockdown in a bid to "free our children," urging that "these children need to get out" in a lengthy post to her official Facebook account.

The mayor said children should "be taken into account in this confinement...the situation is unsustainable."

U.K.

Cases and deaths in the U.K. have also been soaring in recent weeks. The country now has more than 104,100 infections, including at least 13,729 deaths, as of Friday.

The situation took a dramatic turn when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he was infected and transferred to an intensive care unit at a hospital in London. He has since left the hospital and is recovering at his country home in the county of Buckinghamshire, north of London.

Compared with other parts of Europe, the U.K. has come under criticism for not implementing mitigation measures sooner. The country has been in lockdown since March 23.

"Where were the system errors that led us to have probably the highest death rates in Europe?," the professor of International Child Health and Director of the UCL Institute for Global Health, Anthony Costello, told the U.K. Health and Social Care Committee on Friday.

He added: "And we have to face the reality of that: We were too slow with a number of things. But we can make sure in the second wave we are not too slow."

He added: "We've sacrificed far too much to ease up now. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but now we are at both a delicate and dangerous stage in this pandemic."

"The recent estimates, even from the [U.K.] chief scientific officer, is that after this wave—we could see 40,000 deaths by the time it's over—we could only have maybe 10%, 15% of the population infected or covered," he warned.

"So the idea of herd immunity would mean another five, six waves maybe in order to get to 60%," he added.

Germany

The numbers in Germany have also been climbing in recent weeks. The country now has more than 138,200 confirmed cases and over 4,000 deaths.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn claimed its strong healthcare system "at no time been overwhelmed so far," at a press conference Friday. "The outbreak has — as of today — become controllable and manageable again," he said.

Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's federal disease control agency, said the virus reproduction or transmission rate in Germany had dropped below 1 — meaning one person with the virus infects fewer than one other on average.

"We see now that for the first time we are below 1. We will see whether that remains stable ... There can be new infections any time," he noted at the press conference.

"We have withstood a first wave very well, achieved through a joint effort by society, but that can change any time," he added.

The RKI has previously been critical of the German government's response to the outbreak, particularly its virus-testing methods. The institute said too many asymptomatic patients were being tested, running the risk of running out of test kits.

The country was also criticized by the European Union for banning the export of critical protective gear, such as gowns, face masks and visors.

Germany is due to begin a partial reopening of shops next week and schools from May 4, German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed on Wednesday.

People in the eastern state of Saxony will be required to wear masks on public transport and in shops while restrictions are eased. It is the first German state to introduce such a requirement.

France

France currently has the third-largest number of cases in Europe and the fourth-largest in the world. It has over 147,100 confirmed infections and at least 17,920 fatalities, as of Friday. The country was devastated by the outbreak for a while, with cases and deaths starting to see a sharp rise from around mid to late March.

The country entered lockdown mode around mid-March but it has been criticized for not being prepared to face the challenges of the pandemic. French President Emmanuel Macron admitted this earlier this week.

"Were we prepared for this crisis? On the face of it, not enough. But we coped," Macron said in a televised address.

"This moment, let's be honest, has revealed cracks, shortages. Like every country in the world, we have lacked gloves, hand gel, we haven't been able to give out as many masks as we wanted to our health professionals," he added.

Belgium

Relative to other European countries, including neighboring France, Belgium has seen a much smaller portion of cases. The country currently has 36,168 cases and over 5,100 deaths.

But the country has faced criticism for both being too strict and not strict enough with its mitigation measures to combat the outbreak.

Back in early March, the country's health minister, Maggie De Block, announced the country was entering "phase two" of the outbreak, reporting one confirmed and identified case and that more would be expected.

The announcement prompted the mayor of the Woluwe-Saint-Lambert municipality, Olivier Maingain, to take extreme measures to prevent an outbreak in the local area. A police order was issued banning access to all public buildings for 14 days by anyone who has recently traveled.

Other local leaders criticized the reaction, saying it would only cause fear and panic. Vincent De Wolf, mayor of Etterbeek, whose commune forms part of the same police zone as Maingain, said at the time: "This order is going to create panic and anxiety among the population. The coronavirus is a matter of federal public health, and implementing measures at a municipal level is simply grotesque."

On March 18, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes announced a nationwide lockdown would be in effect through April 5. But critics argued that there were too many exemptions to the lockdown.

The country has extended its lockdown until May 3. "It is not impossible some people will see this as an easing of the basic rules. But there is not the case. They remain as they are until May 3 and must absolutely be respected. We have not arrived at the stage of an exit," Wilmes warned this week.

Sweden

While Sweden comparatively has a much lower number of cases than several other countries in Europe, it has also come under criticism for being too relaxed in its approach to address the outbreak.

The country has reported more than 13,200 cases and 1,400 deaths. The number of new cases and new fatalities have been spiking from around late March and soaring in recent days. But it has yet to impose a lockdown and residents are allowed to visit restaurants and children are allowed to go to school.

But health experts have feared the potential consequences of this lax approach. "We don't have a choice, we have to close Stockholm right now," Cecilia Soderberg-Naucler, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at the Karolinska Institute, told Reuters.

A

 man wears a protective mask as he visits the cherry blossoms trees at Kungstradgarden in Stockholm, Sweden on March 28, 2020. Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises.

She is one of nearly 2,300 academics who signed a letter addressed to the government last month urging tougher measures to be introduced to protect the healthcare system.

"We must establish control over the situation, we cannot head into a situation where we get complete chaos. No one has tried this route, so why should we test it first in Sweden, without informed consent?" she said.

The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the spread of COVID-19 across the globe.

The number of COVID-18 cases across the globe.

Data on COVID-19 cases is from Johns Hopkins University unless otherwise stated.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advice on Using Face Coverings to Slow Spread of COVID-19

• CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering in public where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

• A simple cloth face covering can help slow the spread of the virus by those infected and by those who do not exhibit symptoms.

• Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items. Guides are offered by the CDC. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html)

• Cloth face coverings should be washed regularly. A washing machine will suffice.

• Practice safe removal of face coverings by not touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash hands immediately after removing the covering.

World Health Organization advice for avoiding spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Hygiene advice

• Clean hands frequently with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub.

• Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after using the toilet; when hands are visibly dirty; and after handling animals or waste.

• Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

• Avoid touching your hands, nose and mouth. Do not spit in public.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately and clean your hands.

Medical advice

• Avoid close contact with others if you have any symptoms.

• Stay at home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and runny nose, to avoid potential spread of the disease to medical facilities and other people.

• If you develop serious symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) seek medical care early and contact local health authorities in advance.

• Note any recent contact with others and travel details to provide to authorities who can trace and prevent spread of the disease.

• Stay up to date on COVID-19 developments issued by health authorities and follow their guidance.

Mask and glove usage

• Healthy individuals only need to wear a mask if taking care of a sick person.

• Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.

• Masks are effective when used in combination with frequent hand cleaning.

• Do not touch the mask while wearing it. Clean hands if you touch the mask.

• Learn how to properly put on, remove and dispose of masks. Clean hands after disposing of the mask.

• Do not reuse single-use masks.

• Regularly washing bare hands is more effective against catching COVID-19 than wearing rubber gloves.

• The COVID-19 virus can still be picked up on rubber gloves and transmitted by touching your face