China
Epicenter of pandemic ends 76-day lockdown
WUHAN — The lockdown that served as a model for countries battling the coronavirus around the world has ended after 11 weeks. Chinese authorities are allowing residents of Wuhan to once again travel in and out of the sprawling city where the pandemic began.
Just after midnight Tuesday, the city’s 11 million residents were permitted to leave without special authorization as long as a mandatory smartphone application powered by a mix of data-tracking and government surveillance shows they are healthy and have not been in recent contact with anyone confirmed to have the virus.
The occasion was marked with a light show on either side of the broad Yangtze River, with skyscrapers and bridges radiating animated images of health workers aiding patients.
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Japan
Leader declares state of emergency
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a monthlong state of emergency for Tokyo and six other prefectures Tuesday to ramp up defenses against the spread of the coronavirus as the number of infections surges.
The move came in the form of a stay-home request — not an order — and violators won’t be penalized.
The COVID-19 outbreak is now rampant and rapidly spreading, threatening people’s health, their daily lives and the economy, Abe said.
Britain
PM Johnson is stable, was given oxygen
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in stable condition with the coronavirus Tuesday in a hospital intensive care unit, where he was given oxygen but was breathing on his own without a ventilator, officials said.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has temporarily taken over many of the prime minister’s duties to lead the country’s response to the pandemic while Johnson is being treated.
The 55-year-old Johnson is the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19.
Wire reports
