Category: COVID-19 restrictions

Swedish Prime Minister Lofven Resigns, Speaker to Look for New Leader

STOCKHOLM—Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven resigned on Monday, handing the speaker of its split parliament the task of finding a new government. Lofven had faced a deadline of midnight on Monday to either step down or call a snap election after losing a June 21 confidence vote when the Left Party withdrew its support. “I…


Indonesia to Tighten COVID-19 Restrictions for 2 Weeks After Virus Surge

JAKARTA—Indonesia will tighten social restrictions for two weeks starting Tuesday, a government minister said, after a surge in coronavirus cases in the world’s fourth most populous country. The curbs will apply to “red zones” where cases have been rising sharply this month, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto told a streamed news conference on Monday. The…


France Eases Mask Rules; Will End Nightly Virus Curfew

PARIS—France on Wednesday eased several COVID-19 restrictions, with authorities saying it’s no longer always mandatory to wear masks outdoors and halting an 8-month nightly coronavirus curfew this weekend. The announcement by French Prime Minister Jean Castex comes as France is registering about 3,900 new virus cases a day, down from 35,000 a day in the…


NY Lifts More COVID-19 Rules as It Hits Vaccination Mark

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that 70 percent of adults in New York have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, a threshold he said the state would celebrate by easing many of its remaining social distancing rules and shooting off fireworks. “What does 70 percent mean? It means that we can now…


New York Lifts More COVID-19 Rules as It Hits Vaccination Mark

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that 70 percent of adults in New York have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, a threshold he said the state would celebrate by easing many of its remaining social distancing rules and shooting off fireworks. “What does 70 percent mean? It means that we can now…


Restrictions Return in Victoria Australia as Outbreak Of COVID-19 Grows

Masks must be worn indoors and restrictions are back after Victoria recorded another five cases of COVID-19 in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Acting Premier James Merlino announced that from 6 p.m. on Tuesday, home gatherings will be limited to five visitors per day, while public gatherings will be restricted to 30 people. Masks will again become…


Victoria Faces Restrictions as COVID-19 Outbreak Grows

Masks must be worn indoors and restrictions are back after Victoria recorded another five cases of COVID-19 in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Acting Premier James Merlino announced that from 6 p.m. on Tuesday, home gatherings will be limited to five visitors per day, while public gatherings will be restricted to 30 people. Masks will again become…


Police Move Barcelona Crowds Along Amid Post-Curbs Parties

BARCELONA—Police intervened to move along thousands of people drinking and dancing in Barcelona’s city center and on the nearby beach, seeking to prevent dangerous overcrowding on the first full weekend after Spain lifted COVID-19 restrictions. “We have cleared people from central streets and also about 2,000 from the beach, some who of whom were not…


Calgary Pastor Released on Bail, but Arrest Raises Concerns About ‘Draconian’ Pandemic Restrictions, Says Expert

The arrest of an Alberta pastor and his brother under a new public health order as they were heading home from church has serious implications for people’s rights and freedoms, a political scientist and author-researcher says. Pastor Artur Pawlowski and his brother, Dawid Pawlowski, were arrested on a Calgary highway on May 8 for holding a…


Man Faces Charges for 153-Person Hike In Grand Canyon That Allegedly Violated COVID-19 Restrictions

A Washington state man faces federal charges after allegedly organizing a large group hike at the Grand Canyon in violation of COVID-19 restrictions and other rules, according to court documents. Joseph Don Mount took around 153 people to the canyon in October for a rim-to-rim hike, according to a complaint filed this week in U.S. Magistrate…