Following infection surge, Slovakia proposes lockdown
As hospitals in Slovakia experience record numbers of COVID-19 cases, politicians have proposed a nationwide lockdown. Slovakian Prime Minster Eduard Heger said that this lockdown is necessary and should be down immediately. Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova said, “It’s an unpopular measure, but absolutely unavoidable. Experts are clear. It’s necessary to restrict people’s mobility, we need a lockdown … unfortunately, it’s a measure that has to affect everyone.” As of Friday, Slovakia reported over 9,000 COVID-19 cases. New restricted are to be placed for unvaccinated people, of which is more than half of Slovakia’s population. According to The Associated Press, “On Monday, Slovakia imposed new restrictions targeting the unvaccinated, who are banned from all nonessential stores and shopping malls. They’re also not allowed to attend any public events or gatherings and are required to test twice a week to go to work.”
Six dead in Sri Lankan ferry accident
Last Tuesday, six people were killed after a ferry capsized in Sri Lanka. Among the dead were four children. A spokesperson for the navy in Sri Lanka reported that the number of people on the ferry and the reason that it capsized are unknown. Residents of eastern Sri Lanka blamed their government officials for the accident as the ferry was only operating due to bridge closures for repairs. According to The Associated Press, “The ferry was traveling from Kurinchakeni to the town of Kinniya along the country’s eastern coast and about 260 kilometers (160 miles) northeast of the capital, Colombo, the navy spokesperson said. Ferry accidents are relatively rare in Sri Lanka because many locations are now connected by bridges. However, the bridge that connects the two towns has been closed for repairs, forcing people to use rudimentary vessels to cross the river, said Naazik Majeed, a social activist in Kinniya.”
Journalist covering pipeline injunction released following arrest
Michael Toledano, a photojournalist working with The Narwhal out of British Columbia, was released three days after he was arrested while “covering police enforcement of an injunction against pipeline protests in northern British Columbia.” After Toledano’s release, British Columbia’s Public Safety Minister, Mike Farnworth, wished that the situation would not escalate further and that free press is essential to democracy. Toledano wrote in a tweet, “My arrest and incarceration were punitive and a blatant attempt to repress images of police violence against Indigenous people in Canada. I have no doubt that my arrest was targeted. One officer who I encountered many times on Wet’suwet’en territory gloated about the arrest.”
