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Fractures in many nations widen as virus lockdowns ease

A construction worker passes a sign thanking the NHS in London, as the country in is lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Thursday, May 7, 2020. The coronavirus has had a dramatic impact on the construction industry. The Bank of England has warned that the British economy could be nearly a third smaller by the end of the first half of this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but also notes the economy could revive quickly. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
A construction worker passes a sign thanking the NHS in London, as the country in is lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Thursday, May 7, 2020. The coronavirus has had a dramatic impact on the construction industry. The Bank of England has warned that the British economy could be nearly a third smaller by the end of the first half of this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but also notes the economy could revive quickly. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) A construction worker passes a sign thanking the NHS in London, as the country in is lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Thursday, May 7, 2020. The coronavirus has had a dramatic impact on the construction industry. The Bank of England has warned that the British economy could be nearly a third smaller by the end of the first half of this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but also notes the economy could revive quickly. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

By Associated Press 5 min read

LONDON (AP) – Regional and political fractures are emerging in many nations over how fast to lift the lid on the coronavirus lockdowns, as worries about economic devastation collide with fears of a second wave of deaths.

French mayors are resisting the government’s call to reopen schools, while Italian governors want Rome to ease lockdown measures faster. As the British government looks to reopen the economy, Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has warned that acting too fast could let the virus wreak havoc again.

“Any significant easing up of restrictions at this stage would be very, very risky indeed,” Sturgeon said Thursday.

The economic damage around the globe mounted. In the U.S., nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the running total over the past seven weeks to 33.5 million. And the Bank of England warned that Britain’s economy will shrink by 14 percent this year, its biggest annual rate of decline since 1706, when Europe was locked in the War of the Spanish Succession.

In Britain, where the official death toll stands at more than 30,000, second only to the United States, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to extend a more than six-week lockdown on Thursday but hopes to ease some restrictions on economic and social activity starting next week.