The pandemic is casting a long shadow over other issues in the countdown to three days of voting that start on March 15. The government also extended its call for people to avoid all but unavoidable foreign travel until April 15. Polls have shown support for the coronavirus lockdown eroding in recent weeks as this nation of 17 million grows tired of shuttered cafes, restaurants, museums and other meeting places. A group representing nonfood retailers across the country went to court Monday seeking an order allowing them to reopen to the public. And on Tuesday the country's umbrella organization for the hospitality industry is launching separate legal proceedings over delays in the payment of government support to businesses hit by the lockdown.

Source: ABC News March 08, 2021 19:18 UTC