Europe

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will not need to extend a temporary residential rent freeze beyond the coronavirus crisis, Acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar was quoted as saying on Sunday, amid calls from some parties for more permanent rent caps.

Even before the crisis, the issue of rent control was already a major focus of attempts to form a government after an inconclusive election in February. Varadkar’s Fine Gael party is in negotiations with its historic rival, Fianna Fail, to try to form a coalition.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Queen Elizabeth said on Saturday that coronavirus “would not overcome us” as she delivered her second rallying message to the nation in a week.

The 93-year-old monarch, who is the symbolic head of the Church of England, also stated that “Easter isn’t cancelled” in her first ever address to mark the Christian holy day.

“This year, Easter will be different for many of us, but by keeping apart we keep others safe. But Easter isn’t cancelled; indeed, we need Easter as much as ever,” she said.

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he owed his life to hospital staff, in his first comments since leaving intensive care for coronavirus treatment, while his government came under mounting pressure to explain why the death toll was rising so fast.

Britain has reported two days in a row of hospital deaths increasing by more than 900 people. Friday’s death toll of 980 surpassed the highest recorded in a single day in Italy, the hardest hit country in Europe so far.

COPENHAGEN, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Denmark is about to make its first move to relax restrictions imposed to fight coronavirus.

From Wednesday, children aged 11 and younger return to schools and nurseries, after a month of closures.

It’s among the first European countries aiming to put the lockdown into gradual reverse, just as it was one of the first to impose restrictions.

“It’s important we don’t keep Denmark closed for longer than we need to,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as she announced the move last week.

LONDON, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Boris Johnson has said he owes his life to the NHS staff treating him for coronavirus.

The prime minister, 55, thanked medics at St Thomas’ hospital in London, where he continues to recover after spending three nights in intensive care.

It comes as UK deaths from the virus are expected to pass 10,000 on Sunday.

On Saturday, the UK recorded 917 new coronavirus deaths, taking total hospital deaths to 9,875.

WARSAW, April 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — People in Poland will be obliged to cover their nose and mouth in public, starting on April 16, in order to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, Polish Minister of Health Lukasz Szumowski said.

“When there are more and more sick people in Poland, some of them asymptomatic, it would help protect not those who wear these masks but others. Therefore, from Thursday, such obligation will be introduced for everyone in public space,” he said at a press conference.

HARBIN, Apr 12 (NNN-XINHUA) – A team of 10 Chinese medical experts departed from Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, for Russia, Saturday morning, to help with its fight against the COVID-19.

The experts, specialising in laboratory testing, prevention and control of infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, intensive care and traditional Chinese medicine, are from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Heilongjiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and four hospitals in the province.

GENEVA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has hit over 22,000 healthcare workers across 52 countries and regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Saturday.

According to its daily situation report, 22,073 COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers have been reported to the WHO as of Wednesday, April 8.

The report said the number is probably under-represented as there is so far no systematic reporting of infections among healthcare workers to the WHO.

LONDON (AP) — The British government on Saturday launched a campaign to help domestic violence victims during the coronavirus lockdown following an increase in the number seeking assistance, while figures showed that the number of people in the U.K. dying after testing positive for COVID-19 neared 10,000.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Easter offers a message of hope in people’s “darkest hour,” Pope Francis said, as he celebrated a late-night vigil Mass Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica, with the public barred because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pontiff in his homily likened the fears of current times to those experienced by Jesus’ followers the day after his crucifixion.