Millions of Europeans on Saturday faced tough new coronavirus restrictions as governments try to combat spiralling infections. The move -- which will last at least a month -- has broad public support, but officials are fretting over the heavy social and economic costs. Johnson has acknowledged that local restriction policies designed to spare battered economies a new full-scale lockdown cannot be "pain free". As Britain battled for a coherent strategy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged citizens to stay at home whenever possible after 7,830 cases emerged over 24 hours. In Italy, the wealthy northern region of Lombardy has ordered all bars to shut at midnight as the area where Europe's first virus cases emerged in February battles a second wave.

Source: Mint October 17, 2020 13:41 UTC