London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 19, 2026

Several European countries to relax coronavirus lockdown measures as Asia tightens up amid new wave

The governments of Norway, Denmark, Austria and the Czech Republic have announced plans to ease lockdown restrictions put in place to slow the rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak despite a second wave of infections hitting several countries in Asia. WHO warns countries against easing COVID-19 measures in order to avoid resurgence
The World Health Organization is warning countries against easing coronavirus measures too quickly as cases continue to tick up, especially in Europe and the U.S.

But in stark contrast to that advice,... the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic originated from in the first place,... the city-wide lockdown has been lifted for the first time in over two months.

The World Health Organization has a new warning about the coronavirus pandemic.

In a virtual briefing Tuesday, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said one of the most important things is to "not let go of measures too early" in order to avoid another wave of outbreaks.

This comes as the virus continues to claim more victims in Europe,... deaths in the UK rose by more than 800 in a day, the largest daily jump so far.
France's death toll topped 10-thousand,... after a spate of deaths at nursing homes.

Italy,... once deemed the epicenter of the pandemic, is showing a welcome downward trend, but still confirmed more than three-thousand new cases on Tuesday.

These numbers come as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who tested positive for COVID-19 a couple weeks ago,... was moved to intensive care on Monday after his symptoms worsened.

He was admitted to hospital after persistent symptoms just the day before - a move Downing Street said was a precautionary measure.
In the U.S.,... New York state on Tuesday recorded its biggest one-day increase in coronavirus deaths,... bringing the total to almost 5-and-a-half-thousand.

This accounts for nearly half of all deaths in the U.S.
Russia reported over a thousand new cases on Tuesday,... bringing the total number of confirmed cases to around 7-and-a-half-thousand.

But in a stark contrast to the rest of the world,... the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus had its origins,... business is back to normal from Wednesday,... as a months-long lockdown was ended for the first time since January.

That means road, train and other rail connections have now re-opened.

China reported zero deaths on Tuesday for the first time since it began releasing figures.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
Twenty Passengers Injured After Southern Train Derails Near Lewes in East Sussex
Government Rules Out High-Speed Rail Revival Between West Midlands and Northern England
West Midlands Bus Network Returns to Public Ownership in Twenty-Four Million Pound Deal
UK Competition Watchdog Targets Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Drip Pricing
Northern Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Resigns After Dispute Over Causeway Hospital Surgery Closure
UK Long-Term Government Bond Yields Rise to Five Point Eight Five Percent as Borrowing Costs Surge
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Push Housing Development Near Major Transport Hubs
UK Health and Economic Pressures Highlight Wider Strain on Households and Public Finances
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Reaffirms Full Support for Ukraine Amid Russian Warnings
Sainsbury’s Suspends Live Facial Recognition at London Store After Customer Misidentified
Artists Urge UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Reject New North Sea Oil and Gas Licensing
UK Government Awards Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Pound Civil Service Training Contract to EY and KPMG
Global Government Bond Yields Rise as Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation Concerns
British Housing Market Records Weakest August Since Two Thousand and Eighteen as Asking Prices Fall
UK Announces New Sanctions on Russian Shadow Fleet and Financial Institutions
UK Approves Virgin Rail Group Services Through Channel Tunnel, Challenging Eurostar
UK Government Backs Three Hundred Million Pound AI Investment Zone in North Lanarkshire
UK Declares National Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Imported Eggs
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
×