White House officials sought to project an air of business as usual on Friday despite President Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis, but aides privately expressed concern about the presidential election and showed signs of rising worry about the coronavirus.
The Chilean government has begun to gradually lift restrictions in the country in an attempt to reactivate the economy, given a drop in new cases with 1,556 (the lowest rate in three months), though areas with a high level of new cases remain under quarantine.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday she had telephoned Australian counterpart Scott Morrison to defuse tensions over a scheduling dispute between the countries' rugby teams.
The Falkland Islands Chief Medical Officer Beccy Edwards said this week that “we are still in the foothills of the global curve” of Covid-19, as Falkland Islands Government, FIG, confirmed that they will not yet be reducing the 14-day quarantine requirements.
The United Kingdom will impose a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from France on Saturday because COVID-19 infection rates there are too high, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Thursday.
The Falkland Islands Infectious Diseases Control Regulations 2020, which set out the requirement to quarantine for all those arriving in the Islands, whether by sea or air came into force on Monday, July 6.
Two of Chile´s top Cabinet ministers said on Sunday they would quarantine after coming in close contact with Chilean lawmakers who tested positive for the coronavirus during negotiations in Congress.
Chile ordered strict new quarantine measures on three districts in the capital Santiago after a sudden spike in coronavirus cases on Sunday. The health ministry reported a surge of 1,228 new infections, bringing the total to nearly 20,000 nationwide and dealing a blow to hopes it was over the worst of the crisis.
Argentina will extend a mandatory nationwide quarantine period until May 10 in a bid to combat the advance of the coronavirus, President Alberto Fernandez announced on Saturday. The Argentine government-imposed shelter-in-place measure, in effect since mid-March, had been set to expire on Sunday.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council last Friday agreed in principle that construction activity on the Islands can resume this Wednesday, 22 April. However, Chief Executive Barry Rowland said the final decision would be subject to COVID-19 test swab results from the United Kingdom expected to be received this Tuesday 21 April.