VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Top flight German football kicked off again on Saturday, as the French returned to the beach, and Italy announced a resumption of European tourism, providing much-needed relief, against the relentless drumbeat of death and economic devastation, wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic. The reopening marked the beginning of a tentative return to normality in some of the country worst affected by the global outbreak, which has killed 310,000 people according to official tolls, infecting over 4.5 million. As governments sought to restart economic activity, while treading cautiously amid the lingering -- though in many cases waning -- pandemic, Germany's Bundesliga became the first major European football league to resume. On Saturday all eyes were on the Bundesliga's opening games, which were played to vacant, echoing stadiums. The Bundesliga's return to action behind closed doors, on a day in which Borussia Dortmund hammered local rivals, Schalke in Signal Iduna Park//AFP

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday, May 16 the state's new confirmed COVID-19 cases are predominantly, coming from people who left their homes to shop, exercise or socialise, rather than from essential workers. State data showed the number of new cases statewide has fluctuated between 2,100 and 2,500 per day. On Saturday, the number of new cases decreased to 2,419, from 2,762 on Friday. Cuomo said while last week he had theorised that new cases were coming from essential workers, "that was exactly wrong". The infection rate among essential workers is lower than the general population and those new cases are coming predominantly from people who are not working and they are at home. The state's budget director, Robert Mujica, said officials expect to learn a lot more about the genesis of new cases from contact tracing over the next week//CNA/Reuters

Spraying disinfectant on the streets, as practised in some countries, does not eliminate the new coronavirus and even poses a health risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Saturday. In a document on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces as part of the response to the virus, the WHO says spraying can be ineffective. The WHO said that streets and pavements are not considered as reservoirs of infection of COVID-19, adding that spraying disinfectants, even outside, can be dangerous for human health. The document also stresses that spraying individuals with disinfectants is not recommended under any circumstances. The organisation is also warning against the systematic spraying and fumigating of disinfectants on to surfaces in indoor spaces, citing a study that has shown it to be ineffective outside direct spraying areas. If disinfectants are to be applied, this should be done with a cloth or wipe that has been soaked in disinfectant, it says//AFP

The Indonesian Embassy in Bratislava handed out the second phase of relief packages to Indonesians, reeling from the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic in Slovakia. The relief packages, comprising rice, instant noodles, sugar, cooking oil, egg, canned food, and masks, were handed out to 15 Indonesians constituting 12 migrant workers, and three students partaking in the student exchange program, the embassy noted in a written statement released on Saturday. The aid was offered to ensure that the Indonesians have sufficient food stocks during the COVID-pandemic, especially during the current holy month of Ramadhan, according to the embassy as quoted by Antara. The Slovak government continues to enforce a lockdown policy, to stem the spread of the new coronavirus that has disrupted most economic activities in the country. Furthermore, the embassy has helped to repatriate 10 Indonesians. In the near future, the embassy will also help repatriate three other Indonesians studying at a local university//Ant