Covid-19 coronavirus: No Oktoberfest, no Running of the Bulls - iconic events cancelled

A man disinfects the ceiling lamp in the Cobanija mosque in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Photo / AP

Spain called off the Running of the Bulls in July, the United States scrapped the national spelling bee in June and Germany cancelled Oktoberfest five months away, making it clear today that the effort to beat back the coronavirus and return to normal could be a long and dispiriting process.

Amid growing impatience over the shutdowns that have thrown tens of millions out of work, European countries continued to reopen in stages, while in the US, one state after another — mostly ones led by Republican governors — outlined plans to gradually get back to business.

All indications are that some businesses won't necessarily spring back to life when they get the all-clear.

Mark Lebos, owner of Strong Gym in Savannah, Georgia, where Governor Brian Kemp announced plans to let gyms reopen this week, said it would be professional negligence to do so right now.

"We are not going to be a vector of death and suffering," he said.

A subway sign 'Theresienwiese' in the Oktoberfest beer festival area, in Munich, Germany. Oktoberfest is cancelled this year because the coronavirus outbreak.

With deaths and infections still rising around the world, the push to reopen has set off warnings from health authorities that the crisis that has killed well over 170,000 people globally, including more than 42,000 in the US, is far from over and that relaxing the stay-at-home orders too quickly could enable the virus to come surging back.

The economic damage mounted as stocks dropped around the world and oil prices suffered an epic collapse.

The crisis hit home at US President Donald Trump 's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, which laid off 153 workers, including bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and housekeepers.

United Nations leaders called for efforts to ensure that all people have access to testing, medical supplies, drugs and future vaccines, especially in developing countries where virus cases are rising.

Africa's healthcare systems are especially weak and could become overwhelmed. The continent has recorded more than 1100 deaths.

Three men stand alone on their own balconies, during a partial lockdown due to Covid-19, in Antwerp, Belgium.

In Europe, Denmark, Austria, Spain and Germany began allowing some people back to work, including hairdressers, dentists and construction workers, and some stores were cleared to reopen or will soon get the okay.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the Government will be watching carefully and will "pull the emergency brake" if necessary.

Spain, among the worst-hit countries, will also begin allowing children out of their homes for brief periods next Tuesday. Denmark's Tivoli Gardens, the Copenhagen amusement park that inspired Walt Disney, will reopen on May 11.

But in an indication that it will be a long time before life returns to normal, Spain cancelled its Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, the more than 400-year-old event. It was also called off during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee in the US was canceled. The competition has been held since 1925 and was last scrubbed in 1945, during World War II.

"Our hearts go out to the spellers who won't get their final shot at winning," said Paige Kimble, executive director.

People wear masks as they walk near Britain's Houses of Parliament as the country is in lockdown.

Germany called off the centuries-old Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, which draws about six million visitors each year. It was previously cancelled during the two world wars; during a period of hyperinflation in Germany in 1923; and twice because of cholera outbreaks in the 1800s.

"We agreed that the risk is simply too high," Bavarian Governor Markus Soeder said.

In Italy, Premier Giuseppe Conte confirmed that businesses can start reopening on May 4 but dashed any hopes of a full end to the country's strict lockdown any time soon, saying: "A decision of that kind would be irresponsible.''

In the US, some states, including South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Colorado, announced plans to begin reopening in stages in the coming days. Governors from other states said they first need help from Washington in ramping up testing to help keep the virus in check.

Political tensions were high. Some sheriffs in Washington state, Michigan and Wisconsin said they won't enforce stay-at-home orders. The governors of those states have faced mounting calls to ease restrictions and have been targeted by protesters egged on by Trump, frustrated over the tanking economy.

- AP