19 the chancellor Angela Merkel calls for vigilance that warns it is still too early to consider easing restrictions on daily life clocks and easter like no other before as churches close their doors to the faithful mosques are also off limits for worshippers after the just meters from the world and sensitivities and celebration. Im sorry kelly welcome to the program europes finance ministers have struck a deal on a 500000000000 euro bailout aimed at limiting the economic damage from the coronavirus the measures should help nations hardest hit by covert 90 as well as supporting companies and protecting jobs the breakthrough came after ministers failed to bridge their differences in marathon talks. Earlier this week southern European Countries led by italy and spain wanted the European Union to ease access to Financial Markets by creating socalled corona bombs but the idea was resisted by rich northern states including germany in that islands and finland. More were trying to buy backs weaker it was following the story for us from brussels about tell us a little bit more about what exactly is in this very highly anticipated deal. There was a sigh of relief in all 27. 00 capitals of the European Union after the finance ministers struck this deal affect 2 days of very fierce deliberations and they gave themselves a round of applause on this and amalia was sent a no the portuguese finance minister the head of the euro group said these are both of them vicious decisions that been not possible just a few weeks ago and the german finance minister all of charlotte said this is a good day for you going to good day for so deputy the package contains of 3 components 1st there come 200. 00 billions of loans for small and Medium Enterprises from the European Investment bank in luxembourg 100000000000 euros in a new unemployment scheme and 240000000000 euros of cheap loans from the european stability mechanism a rescue fund originally created in the greek crisis and these loans not come without any conditions in the netherlands caved in here and italy one said the italian finance minister after the deliberations all together 540000000000 euros the biggest package the union has ever made and italy and spain bay they were among these countries needing the most assistance very urgent for those 2 nations did they get what they wanted. Yes and no they get this emergency funding but the bigger issues do to be resolved the ministers agreed in principle on a new rico every fund but did not agree how big this should be to restart the european economy diving into a recession and they could also know the real how to finance this Recovery Plan theres still spain france and italy that say we have to issue come in debt to do that and on the other side germany that and others that say no way so the issue of socalled corona bones is not resolved bad regard with a view from brussels where we have just had agreement on this 500000000000 euro emergency credit lines thank you so much. Its all asian markets have largely shrugged off that new e. U. Aid package as well as an ambitious new Lending Program from the u. S. Federal reserve japans leading nikkei index shed early games to close at a loss shanghai also lost ground on friday investors were bullied though by games on wall street after the u. S. Central bank and downs it would lend directly to businesses and local governments and after agreement on that half trillion euro rescue package of concerns over the Rising Economic toll proved too much. But german chancellor Angela Merkel says that she sees signs of hope in the fight against covert 19 social distancing is helping to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the country but merkel warns now is not the time to ease the lock down. Deserted streets in the german capital a common sight in countries facing curren a virus around the world but according to experts in germany there are strict sions on movement seeing to be having a positive effect. The number of new cases there appears to be levelling out but with a long easter weekend looming german chancellor has warned against getting complacent if you do if you know its niche we mustnt allow ourselves to be lowered into a false sense of security instead we should be really happy that more stringent measures are necessary for me this means that we cannot be reckless now we mustnt allow ourselves to be lulled into this false sense of security and i know that for myself personally you get a little hope then you gain confidence then you become a little more relaxed and then youre a little careless you know we have to stay focused the situation is fragile you germany also announced plans on thursday to increase Domestic Production of protective medical gear asian manufacturers are currently responsible for 90 percent of the worlds production of protective masks more than 100 companies have responded to the governments call for help but also to give momentum going this place and as a result in our discussions about procurement and the purchase of personal protective equipment especially medical protective masks we saw the 1st steps of progress. Some companies that operate here in germany are already investing in increasing the production of the material thats needed for masks and the its true that. Signs of cautious optimism in germany but the debate over an exit strategy to lift restrictions will resume after the east. So lets take a look now at some other coronavirus related news from around the world the worlds Major Oil Producers have made progress on a deal to cut out by 10000000 barrels a day a meeting between opec countries and allies including russia agreement between all members except mexico a cut is seen as the best way to support tumbling oil prices as demand comments. The International Monetary fund says that the virus is causing the worst economic fallout. Since the Great Depression of the 1930 s. More than 170. 00 countries are expected to see a drop in personnel personal incomes this year emerging economies and low earning nations will be the worst affected. And britains Prime MinisterBoris Johnson has been moved into a regular hospital ward in london after 3 nights in intensive care johnson tested positive for the virus and his condition worsened his office says that he will be close manjrekar distributing the supplies to the. Well after weeks of rising infections the Spanish Government is also expressing cautious optimism despite more than 15000 deaths the number of daily fatalities has begun inching lower but spaniards will not be allowed to leave their homes for at least another 2 weeks and schools will remain closed the measures are hitting children from low income families in particular. Since most important tools right now are her smartphone and laptop from her own backyard she uses them to try to keep in touch with her students but its not always possible hence parents dont have an Internet Connection at home so until recently he was stuck permanently offline. A friend brought me over a few homework assignments i can do those but unfortunately i cant do the other assignments because i need to be online. Yes the only reason miguel is able to talk with his teacher right now is because a schoolmate gave him a prepaid sim card monta says that was great but its no long term solution. I have students who are really good but they cant continue their learning no. The government should be making sure that everyone has access to the internet and all students have the chance to take punts and Classes Online and i dont know if spain has some of the highest poverty levels in europe especially among minors according to the United Nations 30 percent of all spanish children and adolescents are at risk of poverty Internet Access is not much better around one in 5 families in spain still dont have a computer at home. Isolation social exclusion problems at School Children from low income families especially affected by the crisis and theres another direct Us Government reports have phones thats been a number of people infected in poorer neighborhoods is up to 7 times than in rich districts theres a lot of discussion in spain about possible reasons but what is already clear is that a person social status plays a role in the home much the virus effect someone. Marja stays positive but the longer schools stay closed the harder it will be for disadvantaged students to catch up on their learning cant wait to leave her home office and get back into a real classroom again but many in spain believe thats unlikely to happen before the Summer Holidays are young Philip Schultz filed that report for us and he joins us now from Seville Spain so as we for there are a lot of discussion about at the moment about inequality and especially why poor people apparently are disproportionately affected by this virus tell us more. I think many reasons that play a role and 1st of all its about living space in general spain has very little living space compared to other countries in europe living space per person and this means that of course little living space and a lot of people in one apartment helps the spread of the virus and this is especially true in poorer neighborhoods also its a question about education were talking a volatile lot of minority groups in those neighborhoods that usually have low levels of formal education and also a lot of distrust and messages of the government and last but not least its also about the kinds of jobs that many people in those neighborhoods has if youre a cleaner place you can to home office and youre obviously much more exposed to the virus meantime you know we also have another set of challenges because the easter break is traditionally a time especially there in spain when citizens they get they they crisscross the country theyre there visiting family how high is the concern that people will ignore travel restrictions right now so far spending as have been incredibly disciplined when it comes to following the rules of the lockdown so i dont think that this will change now during the holiday break there is a lot of shaking us out there about people trying to to to reach their holiday homes and there was also pictures of congested highways around that village now that it is one of the most affected areas some hosts falls on for a tide runs because in the 1st phase of the crisis a lot of people from the other it have actually tried to leave the city but Police Officers have said that they have a lot of controls on the streets and they havent seen anything unusual so far john Philip Schultz joining us from seville thank you. Well for the worlds biggest religions the coming days are usually filled with celebrations Christians Mark easter jews mark passover and for muslims the fasting period of ramadan begins later this month but the need for social distancing means religious leaders have scaled back or canceled many traditional public festivals and celebrations. Easter at the vatican this is what catholics around the world expect every year tens of thousands packing st Peters Square as pope francis addresses the faithful. What will it look like this year the pope will say mass in an empty basilica and his address from his balcony has been canceled worshipers must stay home. Highways across europe like here in germany are usually clogged on easter weekend as people voyage Cross Country to visit family. But this year lockdown measures also mean people cant leave their home towns or cities in many places. In israel the 8 day jewish festival of passover is marked by public prayers and big meals with extended family. But this year travel is banned and observances must take place at home and are restricted to close family soldiers are delivering sealed meals to people in isolation. For muslims ramadan set to start in 2 weeks is a month of fasting that ends with the celebrate tory feast but religious leaders have said that people with fragile health should not fast this year. And several countries have even closed to mosques altogether. To many of the faithful these restrictions are hard. But authorities fear that allowing traditional large scale celebrations to go ahead could under 2 weeks of lockdown. Youre watching news im sarah kelly and. And that is so much for joining up. Combating the corona pandemic. Where does research stand. What are scientists learning. Background information and. Our corona update. From the 19 special next on d w. Beethoven is for me. Is for. Beethoven is for. Beethoven is for. Beethoven is for. Beethoven 2020. 5th anniversary on you know. How useful are face masks during the corona crisis experts country agree on this should we wear them and if so who should wear them do they protect me or the other person and which types of mosques make sense asshole in many Asian Countries face masks are regarded as one of the main weapons in the fight against the coronavirus and in china its even forbidden to be on the streets without a mosque. But here in europe we have mixed feelings about Wearing Masks and. Many believe mask should be reserved for Health Care Workers who depend on protection but that few seems to have. Anciently now more and more local authorities dont recommend to wear masks in public so lets talk about face masks and what they can do for us during our. Welcome to aleko with 900. 00 special here and. I want to get johnson berlin good to have you with us is wearing a face mask useful during the Coronavirus Crisis or is it all just nonsense opinions divided but there seems to be a growing consensus that we can stay in permanent crisis modes but how do we end the lock down without risking a rise in new cases and consequently higher death toll could compulsory facemask policies be the outset well in a moment well talk to an expert from the w h o but 1st this report. Not all respirator masks are created equal we can generally distinguish between the 3 main types. Socalled filtering face piece or f f p mask fit snugly around the nose mouth and chin in the filter out the tiniest airborne particles the most effective type lets no viruses in or out. And excell ation valve makes breathing easier but increases the risk of viruses escaping through an unfelt f. F. T. Mask protects both the wearer and the person they encounter with a valve that only reliably protects the wearer f. P. Masks are in short supply worldwide so they should be mainly reserved for medical personnel. A mask thats often seen now it is this simple protective face piece for the mouth and nose known as the surgical mask it consists of several layers of paper or non woven fabric with a thin wire to make it fit over the nose when the wearer coughs or sneezes the surgical mask blocks the large droplets but on inhalation air also flows in over the sides that means mainly to protect others from infection rather than the wearer. Once the mask is wet from breathing after 8 hours wearing time at the most it has to be discarded. In the coated 900. 00 prices professionally manufactured masks are in short supply thats led to a flourishing Cottage Industry in d. I. Y. Masks whether using handkerchiefs t. Shirts or vacuum cleaner bags people all around the world are revving up their sewing machines the textile mask functions rather like a protective mask made of paper but generally has a poor seal and blocks only a 3rd of the droplets of the surgical mask those according to a survey. However a cloth mask can be washed and reused the most important thing is no matter which mask you wear it can only be effective if used with hygiene measures like thorough hand washing and keeping a safe distance from others. And still some people say the mask is better than none others however warn that mask give people a false sense of security for more im joined by professor at the university of hong kong his research there focuses on respiratory virus transmission and the impact of control measures on professor cal and hes also a codirector of the w. H. O. Collaborating center for Infectious Disease epidemiology and control at the h. K. You school of Public Health good to have you with us so please there are still a lot of mosque critics out there and they say that theres simply not enough evidence that Wearing Masks could actually stop or at least reduce the spread of the virus you however were involved in a study that was published just last week tell us a bit about that. Sure so the study that we did last week was a very careful experimental study in a laboratory of how much virus comes out of the mouths of people with influenza or common cold infections including common cold run a virus and we found a lot of virus in the x. Our breath not only in the large structures but also in the small particle aerosols and the 2nd part of the study we looked at how well facemask blocked that virus from getting into the environment we captured all of the extra breath that these patients were breathing now and we found substantial reductions in the virus that was able to get into the environment when those patients wore surgical face masks including influenza and including human coronavirus well that sounds to me like the study says that we should wear face masks and pats it should even be mandatory what you say i think we need to be careful not to think that may face mask or magic weapon against corbett we know the best things that we can do in the community is stay at home stay away from other people because thats what will definitely stop transmission but then if we do need to go out i think it might be better if people were wearing a mask than if they were but you mentioned the beginning the supply limitations is one of the big challenges to that kind of policy or i dont just one more question about this discussion around whether or not we should wear face mask because its also linked to see is that a sas code too could be airborne what do we know about that. Well we dont know i think the jurys still out in the clip that you just played now you mention the face masks block the large profits from coming out of someone whos infected but for the other person whos wearing them some of the air comes in the sides actually in both cases the air will come in the sides and leak but they can still protect against droplets what we found in our study was that actually surgical mask a block many of the air was so particles as well so even if sasco v 2 is airborne a surgical mask could still provide some benefit obviously not as much as it would against the larger spirity droplets but it could still provide some benefit whereas in as you mentioned earlier surgical mask or any kind of mask really theyre in short supply right now a lot of people are turning to d. I. Y. Mask what kind of mask makes sense in your view for the general public but i think any mosque is better than no mosque but we know that materials that are a bit thicker probably have better through a trace in performance so a cotton mask a cloth mosque is probably better than a scarf but we actually dont know that much there havent been that many studies on the different choices and i think does now one of the play overseas now you already mentioned that a mosque kondrat plays measures like social distancing or washing your hands but theres a lot of discussion now in europe and bowed to an exit strategy from the lock down can face mask help us return to an almost normal life so are they a prerequisite for ending the lockdown. I dont think massive going to be a magic weapon that lets life go back to normal if people would just wear masks and washing their hands i think they will do something but probably not enough to allow life to otherwise return to normal i think were still going to need a lot of social distancing and the other measures to test and trace but maybe if we do the masses well every little bit will help is there a gallon side to wearing a face mask why is there such a reluctance amongst even experts of recommending it to you say any mask is better than none so is there a downside we should know about yes some experts have been saying that perhaps people could choose between staying at home or going out and its better to stay home everybody agrees that but then if there was a mask available maybe that person would go out with a mask instead of staying at home with no marks and actually its better to stay at home but if you do really need to go out it should be better to wear a mask to not wear a mask i think the experts are really saying there could be some consequence to behavior so that people wear the mask they think it makes them protected and actually its more like a small benefit and if everybody does it then we get a small benefit as a community all right professor think having there from the university of hong kong thank you so much for your time and yes to stay healthy. Facemasks lockdown and of course the constant fear of catching the virus many of us look for a way out of this nightmare by following conspiracy theories that explain what really happens or by discovering old health myths that promise to keep us safe beware the barest of full scale its at a list to be used Derek Williams time for your questions d. Can you kill the virus by spraying alcohol chloride. Ok this is a really bad idea the only place on your body where you should use alcohol based sanitizers is on your hands because they are what transmits the virus to your face thats how it enters your body through the membranes in your nose or mouth or also your eyes and when using hand sanitizers you should pay close attention to recommendations about how frequently they can be used without causing damage to your skin dont ever spray a sanitizer or chemical on your body or your face youll do no good and youll possibly do a lot of harm. Is that connection between craving 1005 but. Youre referring to the Conspiracy Theory currently making the rounds on a lot of social media platforms that the spread of the virus is somehow linked to the spread of 5 g. Technology now this was a brand new myth for me at 1st i couldnt believe it was serious because the idea is so patently absurd but apparently people are taking it seriously enough to go out and set fire to mobile communications masts lets get something straight this disease is caused by a virus not radio games let me repeat that its caused by a virus not by radio waves there. National and International Help body on the planet agrees on that so if youre somehow involved in spreading this idea please stop and especially stop if youre one of the ones trying to burn down Telecommunications InfrastructureEmergency Service personnel have much more important things to deal with at the moment. Derek williams they are setting the record straight and hell be back tomorrow good friday to answer your questions and that was our 1000 special for today thanks for joining us for more on the pandemic do check out a social Media Channels and our website at c. W. Dot com which has dedicated kovac 9000 pages in 30 languages i want to get jones in berlin and wed like to leave you with some images of creative o. B. F. Not necessarily serious ideas full face masks you can see them coming up now here we have oversized plastic bottles and of course large lettuce leaves and there are men with long and well groomed to be its well that might be something for you to go for a creativity in times of a pandemic. In. Europe. What unites. What divides. What binds the continent to counter. The answers and stories of plunging the. Spotlight on people. Next on t w. Can inspire change the people making it possible to go africa sometimes to. Join them as they set out. To save the environment learn from one another or Work Together for a better future. Many times to you all but sitting in africa. In 60 minutes w. How does a virus spread. Why do we panic and when well. Just 3 of the topics covered and the weekly radio show is called spectrum if you would like. Information on the growing alarm risk or any other science topic you should really check out our podcast you can get it wherever you get your podcast you can also find us at. Science. Literature invites us to see people in particular. Like to see some fine. Work. On you tube. Well in a very warm welcome indeed to focus on europe with me peter craven and we begin this week in Eastern Europe in poland to be precise where a man called powerful adam over each scene on the right of your screen