W. Europe relaxing virus measures, but Russian numbers spike

[TomCADem]

Source: MSN

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spaniards filled the streets Saturday to exercise outside in gorgeous spring weather for the first time in seven weeks, while German children rushed to playgrounds as countries in Western Europe moved ahead with the gradual relaxation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

Russia and Pakistan, however, reported their biggest one-day spikes in new infections, in a sign the pandemic is far from over.

Concern was growing in Moscow about the possibility that hospitals might become overwhelmed after Russia recorded a new one-day high of 9,633 new infections, a 20% increase over Friday's count which, itself, was a new daily record.

Russia has now reported 124,054 total cases, with 15,013 recoveries and 1,222 fatalities. True numbers are believed to be higher because not everyone is tested and Russian tests are reported to be only 70% to 80% accurate.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/w-europe-relaxing-virus-measures-but-russian-numbers-spike/ar-BB13uOiv?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=msnbcrd

[Javaman]

1. I feel sorry for the Russian people for having such a fucking halfwit crook as there leader.

reminds me of someone.

[Lucky Luciano]

2. They adore Putin.

[TomVilmer]

4. Who are "they"?

April 2020: The share of Russian respondents who said they viewed Putin with positive feelings like admiration or sympathy stood at 29% in Levada’s latest poll.

[mpcamb]

5. About 'who are they?' My daughter was moving out of Boston last year...

She contacted some movers with a 22' truck and cut a deal.
The crew that arrived were 3 Russian guys, on work visas for 4 months duration.
I got to ask them how things were in Russia. Lousey. Hate Putin. Economy stinks.
The lead guy with good English said he owned 3 stores but had to go abroad to keep things afloat.
His stores sold household goods and only one was making a minor profit.
What was a good wage? Thousand a month in Moscow, but few made it.
What was he living on? 600(USD equivalent).
And the economy? No prospects; no work.

My impression from the words and attitudes of a hardworking threesome who delivered the stuff 600 miles away at noon the next day was pretty similar to what I'd seen in random visits to Europe over the years, where whatever downtrodden populace from downtrodden places are the workers in whatever country is doing well.
His hope was that Putin could be voted out. That's gone by the board; Putin's a lifer now.
I wish him well, a middle class guy who traveled a chunk of the globe to make ends meet back home.
I liked his politics and work ethic.

[Igel]

9. Most Russian emigres in the '70s and '80s hated the Communist Party and the USSR.

In the '90s, those who emigrated hated Eltsyn. And the oligarchs.

In the '00s and afterwards, they hated Putin.

They're emigres. They left for a reason--and in Russia, even if it was because of school or economics it's still all political because the Soviet Union politicized everything. There was but one core value as the values systems that existed were largely flattened.

[Polybius]

11. Boris Yeltsin was the best of the bunch

Not saying much I know.

[Igel]

8. Most are neutral.

And many of those who aren't just look at what amounts to money.

[BigmanPigman]

3. Mexico, Brazil and India are going up too.

It is spreading all over.

[SunSeeker]

6. Someone today said we're in the third inning of this pandemic.

That is probably right. When it really hits places like Mumbai and Mexico City and the favelas of Brazil, they won't know what to do with the bodies. And that's assuming there won't be a second wave in the fall.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Russia Changed Their Metric

They're reporting 25% of actual instead of 5%.
Must have figured nobody was believing their lies, so they are trying to come up with a higher quality lie.

[Xolodno]

10. I was joking around with my brother the other day...

Underling;...Sir, one entire village was infected with the virus.

Official; One entire village?

Underling; Yes.

Official; Very well, we will report one additional case.