Europe is slowly lifting movement control orders and reopening multiple economies but some countries are still faced with multiple stumbling blocks on the road to recovery.
British Elderly At-Home Deaths
A new report on Sunday revealed that some elderly coronavirus patients in the United Kingdom have died at home without being discovered for up to two weeks.
Senior pathologist and char of the death investigation committee at the Royal College of Pathologists Dr. Mike Osborne said the deceased "have lain undiscovered during the pandemic for seven to 14 days."
The issue on at-home deaths among aged COVID-19 patients raised concerns about the vulnerable group and how living alone with little to no family support can be a huge problem for the British health system.
Aside from the tragic deaths of aged patients at home, there have also been concerns about just how many people are avoiding hospitals even with mild symptoms due to fear of contracting the disease.
Osborne explained that he has "seen plenty of such cases" wherein the some of the decomposing bodies were determine to have been due to the novel coronavirus.
It remains to be seen how the phenomenon will affect Britain's road to recovery after seeing a total of 286,194 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 40,542 deaths from the fast-spreading disease as of Sunday.
Italy Begins Tests on Contact-Tracing App
In Italy, once the epicenter of the pandemic, the country's privacy ombudsman gave the green light to begin testing on Immuni, a contact-tracing app designed to help the government keep track of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Deputy health minister Pierpaolo Sileri said the goal is for the tests to be implemented weekly until such time "it will be extended to everyone. " The first trials will take place in Abruzzo, Puglia, Liguria, and Marche.
Authorities said the app has a good reception among the masses at this point despite earlier concerns about user privacy and doubts about the true usefulness of a contact-tracing app in battling the coronavirus.
As of Sunday, Italy logged a total of 234,998 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 33,899 deaths.
Heftier Fines for People Dropping Masks in France
The French government has raised fines for people who drop face masks around city streets following the increase of discarded face masks in cities. From €68 (approximately $75), the fine for violators will now be €135 or $152.
It is expected that the higher fine on violators should help reduce the massive number of waste accumulated from face masks being dropped in streets across France. Secretary for the Environment Brune Poirson said "clean oceans begin with clean sidewalks."
Face masks have been very popular in Europe since the coronavirus crisis started but local governments have been struggling to keep discarded masks off the streets until the fines were imposed.
As of Sunday, France registered a total of 153,977 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 29,155 deaths.
