Cities and countries that eased lockdown and restrictions are seeing a rise in new cases of COVID-19 and are considering reinstituting lock downs and restrictions. You have to look at the reasons. As much as we need to gather with our friends in restaurants and bars, as much as we say we will socially distance, we simply don’t. We have a few drinks, we get comfortable and we are shoulder to shoulder or nose to nose – unmasked and unprotected. So, here’s what’s happening in our not-so-new normal world in 2020.

The biggest slice of the pie
British Columbia’s tourism and hospitality sector believes it should receive more than one-third of a $1.5-billion COVID-19 recovery package pledged to the province by the federal government. A statement from the Tourism Industry Association of B.C. says a coalition of more than 19,000 tourism and hospitality businesses believes the sector should be allocated $680 million to help ease the impacts of the novel coronavirus.

The association says the funds could save as many as 100,000 jobs this year alone and provide immediate assistance to businesses hardest hit by restrictions on travel and limits on gatherings.

It says data from 2018 shows tourism and hospitality brought $20.4 billion in direct visitor spending to B.C., and generated billions more in goods produced and services provided.

Association chair Vivek Sharma says, “For decades, tourism has been a strong and consistent economic engine for the province and significant source of employment in every B.C. community.”

“What we are asking for is a return on the investments the tourism and hospitality sector has made to the provincial and national economy over those decades.”

GO with Masks
The company that operates GO Transit says face masks are mandatory across the regional transit system starting today. Metrolinx says passengers will now be required to wear masks when using either GO Transit or the UP Express shuttle that carries passengers between Toronto’s Union Station and the Pearson International Airport.

Spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins says face coverings will be required in all stations, platforms and vehicles. Aikins says the new rules won’t apply to children under the age of two or passengers with pre-existing medical conditions that make it difficult to wear masks. The new rules across GO Transit, a rail and bus network covering much of southern Ontario, take effect weeks after similar regulations came into place across the Toronto and Ottawa transit services.

Please …
Ontario Premier Doug Ford pleaded with youth across the province on Tuesday to curb their partying and follow public health rules amid a recent spike in COVID-19 cases among the younger demographic. A frustrated Ford stressed during his daily pandemic press conference that young people who violate the public health measures are endangering their families, especially their parents and grandparents.

Higher and higher
Reported coronavirus cases vastly underestimate the true number of infections, US government data published Tuesday suggest, echoing results from a smaller study last month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study says true COVID-19 rates were more than 10 times higher than reported cases in most US regions from late March to early May. It is based on COVID-19 antibody tests performed on routine blood samples in 16,000 people in 10 US regions.

The study likely detected infections in people who may have had no symptoms or only mild illness, and who never got coronavirus tests. Infection rates were from six times higher than reported cases in Connecticut to 24 times higher in Missouri. Still, most people in the 10 regions had not been infected. The study was published online in JAMA Internal Medicine.

What do we do about Florida?
Florida’s skyrocketing coronavirus death rate is now higher than any other state, edging out Texas. Florida recorded another 134 deaths Tuesday, bringing its daily average for the past week to 115, topping the 112 deaths a day Texas has reported during that time, Associated Press statistics show. A month ago, Florida was averaging 33 coronavirus deaths a day.

Overall, 5,317 people have died in Florida from COVID-19 since March 1 and nearly 370,000 have tested positive for the virus. About 19% of tests have returned positive in Florida over the last week, compared to 10% a month ago and 2.3% in late May.

The state reported an additional 517 people have been admitted to hospitals with the virus.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis participated in a round table discussion Tuesday afternoon to discuss the outbreak. Due to the rising number of cases, the upcoming plan to have the Republican National Convention in Florida to re-nominate Donald Trump continues to be on shaky ground. Even after the GOP announced plans to scale back the convention in Jacksonville and hold more events outside, the local sheriff said people’s safety cannot be guaranteed.

“Where we are today is we can’t support this plan,” Sheriff Mike Williams told local news outlets Monday. “Where do we go from here is a good question. But where we are today, we can’t support it. There’s got to be some major reworking of what’s happening.”

Critics have complained that DeSantis has not mandated a statewide mask ordinance as cases rise. The governor has repeatedly said policies in hard-hit South Florida might not make sense in the Panhandle, where the infection rate is lower, even as his fellow Republicans increasingly acknowledge the need for a unified, nonpartisan message.

No judge in Georgia
A judge has recused herself from hearing a lawsuit filed by Georgia’s governor to get Atlanta to stop enforcing a mask mandate and other measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kelly Ellerbe had scheduled a hearing for Tuesday on Gov. Brian Kemp’s emergency motion. But a spokeswoman for Attorney General Chris Carr says the hearing is now cancelled. The state plans to seek another emergency hearing once the case has been assigned to another judge.

Atlanta is among at least 15 local jurisdictions statewide ordering people to wear masks in many public places to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In a lawsuit filed Thursday against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the members of the City Council, Kemp argued that local leaders don’t have the authority to impose measures that are more or less restrictive than those in his executive orders.

Covid in casino staff
Health officials in North Carolina are investigating a cluster of coronavirus cases after five casino employees tested positive for the virus within two weeks. The Jackson County Department of Public Health say the cases were identified among Harrah’s Cherokee Casino employees who work in the table games section. They are now following isolation orders. Brooks Robinson, the casino’s regional manager, said no other employees or customers have been identified as having close contact with those who tested positive. He says employees who show symptoms of the coronavirus have been directed not to come to work.

The business announced its reopening in late May with 30% capacity, social distancing protocols, a mask requirement for employees and daily “health checks” on casino staff.

Jordan
The Jordanian government says it will begin reopening airports to international travellers in August after sealing its borders in March to help halt the spread of the coronavirus. Travellers from a list of approved, low-risk countries must pass a coronavirus test at least 72 hours before departure and will get a second test upon arrival in Jordan.

Jordan will require incoming tourists to download Aman, the government’s contact-tracing mobile application, for the duration of their stay in the country. The country is heavily reliant on tourism and shutting its borders in response to the pandemic has impacted the economy. But the measures have resulted in 1,218 confirmed cases and 11 deaths from COVID-19.

Italy
Health Ministry numbers show a third straight day of fewer new cases in Italy. Since Monday, 129 new cases were registered, raising to 244,752 the number of confirmed infections since the outbreak surfaced in Italy in late February. The known death toll stood Tuesday at 35,073 and 15 more deaths since the previous day.

A recent clusters of coronavirus infections in Italy had increased daily caseloads. Nearly all the new cases occurred in northern Italy, which was Europe’s initial epicenter in the pandemic.

In the Netherlands …
The Dutch public health institute says coronavirus infections are on the rise again. The Netherlands had 987 confirmed new infections over the last week, nearly twice as many as a week earlier.

Weekly figures published Tuesday show seven people died of COVID-19 over the last week, one fewer than a week earlier. The true numbers are believed to be higher because of a lack of testing, although there’s been a significant increase in the capacity of local health authorities to carry out testing.

The institute warns there are multiple small clusters around the country. Most Dutch coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased July 1. But the institute urged people to stick to measures such as social distancing, hand washing, working from home and getting tested if they have any symptoms of the virus. There have been more than 6,100 confirmed deaths in the nation.

Put those masks back on
Austria is reintroducing mandatory face masks in some stores and banks after an increase in new corona virus infections. Austria Chancellor Sebastian Kurz says everyone will have to wear face masks again in supermarkets, smaller grocery stores, post offices and banks.

The chancellor also announced controls along the country’s border to the Balkans will be increased because many of the new infections in Austria can be traced to that region. Health authorities will focus on religious communities that have registered several recent clusters of outbreaks.

Open up in Israel. We can close ‘em later.
An Israeli parliamentary committee has overturned a government decision and allowed restaurants to remain open despite new restrictive measures to try and quell the spread of the coronavirus.

The coronavirus oversight committee voted Tuesday to keep restaurants open as long as they maintain proper guidelines and appropriate social distancing between patrons. It marked the back-and-forth battle after the government ordered restaurants closed just a few days earlier and then postponed implementation after public pressure.

The government announced its restrictions after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “interim steps” were needed to avoid another general lockdown. Netanyahu has faced widespread criticism and protests in recent days over his government’s handling of the pandemic and the economic fallout from an earlier lockdown.

But many of the measures, such as the closing down of beaches and public pools, have been scaled back in recent days amid an outcry that they were excessive.

The frequent reversals, however, have only sown frustration, confusion and more public anger.

By late May, Israel had largely contained its outbreak following a two-month lockdown. But cases have soared in the weeks since restrictions were lifted, with Israel reporting close to 2,000 new cases a day last week. At least 422 people have died since the outbreak began, with more than 52,000 reported cases.

Growing concerns in Africa
There is growing concern that South Africa’s hospitals may not be able to cope with the numbers of COVID-19 patients expected in the next two months. Neighbouring Zimbabwe imposed a dusk to dawn curfew, banned large public gatherings and reduced business operating hours to try to slow the spread of the disease.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa continues to surge, accounting for more than 50% of cases in Africa and making it the country with the fifth-highest number of cumulative reported infections in the world.

South Africa has 373,628 confirmed cases, including 5,173 deaths, according to figures released by the health minister.

Health minister Zweli Mkhize warned earlier this month that the country did not have enough hospital beds equipped to treat the expected numbers of COVID-19 patients. He appealed to citizens to wear face masks, now mandatory in all public places, and to keep a distance from others.

Zimbabwe has reported 1,713 cases, up from about 50 two months ago, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday evening announced a night curfew, banned political, religious and social gatherings, and reduced business operating hours in order to try to slow the spread of the virus.

Mnangagwa said the “curtailing of freedoms we have always enjoyed, and had grown accustomed to””was necessary, although some claim the banning of political gatherings is aimed at suppressing an anti-government protest planned for July 31.

In High Places
Nepal’s government has decided to resume both domestic and international flights next month. The government will allow flights beginning Aug. 17, but is still undecided on the types of visitors who would be allowed in the country and visitors from which countries.

Flights had been stopped in March when the country was in full lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Only chartered and repatriation flights were allowed to fly out stranded tourists from Nepal and bring in Nepalese workers and residents. The government eased the lockdown last month, allowing businesses to open and government offices to resume work. Schools remain closed and there are still some restrictions on public transportation. Special permission is required for the public to travel between different cities in Nepal.

The country has 17,844 cases of virus infection and 40 deaths from COVID-19.

Containing Covid in China
Numbers of new cases in China’s latest coronavirus outbreak fell on Tuesday, with just eight reported in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. Another three cases were brought from outside the country, according to the National Health Commission, bringing China’s total to 83,693 with 4,634 deaths.

Xinjiang cases have been concentrated in the regional capital and largest city of Urumqi, where around 50 people and possibly more have been infected. China has largely contained local transmission of the virus and responded swiftly to the Xinjiang outbreak by reducing subway, bus and taxi service in Urumqi, closing some communities, imposing travel restrictions and ordering widespread testing.

Elsewhere in China, containment measures continue to be relaxed while masks and social distancing remain the norm. Economic activity has partially recovered and China reported an unexpectedly strong 3.2% expansion in its GDP during the latest quarter after lockdowns were lifted and factories and stores reopened.

Down under
Australia’s hot spot Victoria state has reported 374 new cases of COVID-19, the second-highest daily tally ever recorded. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews also announced on Tuesday three more deaths in the state, bringing the national toll 126. Andrews said a lockdown in Australia’s second-largest city Melbourne that began two weeks ago was having an impact.

“You’d like to see numbers coming down. At the end of the day though, we’re not seeing the doubling and doubling again” of cases, Andrews said. “So what that says to me … is that the sorts of measures we’ve put in place are having a direct impact.”

Since a record 428 cases were reported on Friday, Victoria has recorded 217, 363 and 275 cases on consecutive days. Tighter regulations will come into force on the Victoria-New South Wales border on Wednesday that will only allow border communities to cross for essential work, health and education reasons.

Masks in Mexico
Mexico continues to register high levels of new coronavirus cases, as the Health Department reports 5,172 new infections, bring the total to almost 350,000. Daily deaths fell to 301, for a total of almost 39,500.

The continued high rate of transmission has caused some Mexican tourist areas to walk back previous reopenings and crack down on mask rules. The southern area of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo reimposed limits on hotel occupancy, and the Baja California resort of La Paz closed beaches again.

Over the weekend, the local government of the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende said police had arrested two tourists for refusing to wear face masks.

The city has decreed face masks obligatory in public spaces, and violators could receive a warning, up to 36 hours in jail and/or a fine of up to $385.

The city government said two Mexican tourists were approached by police in the picturesque city square on Saturday night and reminded of the face mask rule. The man and a woman refused to put on masks. They were detained, held for 12 hours and fined the equivalent of about $67.