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Coronavirus positive: Good news round-up - Let there be booze in South Africa

Customers buy alcohol at a liquor shop at the Bara taxi rank in Soweto, Johannesburg - AFP
Customers buy alcohol at a liquor shop at the Bara taxi rank in Soweto, Johannesburg - AFP

Most of us have hit our individual lockdown walls at this point.

Entering week 11, there comes a moment when vastly reduced choices, horizons, and lists of films we want to watch gets a bit much.

Those moments are no fun, but imagine how much harder they would be if you also wanted to take part in some recreational boozing and found yourself unable to buy the vital ingredients.

That has been the situation in South Africa for two months, until a glorious day on Monday when shops were allowed to resume selling alcohol.

Queues, as you would expect after months of enforced abstinence, were long:

People queue to buy alcohol as South Africa loosens a nationwide lockdown aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus disease - REUTERS
People queue to buy alcohol as South Africa loosens a nationwide lockdown aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus disease - REUTERS

But once inside the level of choice and forgotten old friends must have been heartwarming. Jack Daniel's, great to see you! Captain Morgan - it's been a while! Fortified wine - get into my basket immediately!

Man fills shopping basket in off licence - AFP
Man fills shopping basket in off licence - AFP

And there was even time for an irresistible topical photo op:

A woman wearing a protective face mask poses next to stacks of Corona beer boxes - REUTERS
A woman wearing a protective face mask poses next to stacks of Corona beer boxes - REUTERS

Elsewhere, racing and snooker return today, you can follow all the latest sporting news in our liveblog.

Queen on horse is a picture worth looking at if you’ve not seen it yet. And there’s lots to enjoy in Julian Ryall’s dispatch from Japan, where karaoke bars have reopened. Rejoice!

Here’s Harriet with the rest of today’s good news:

  • Lithuania’s annual baby crawler race moved online at the weekend, with a nine-month-old girl called Olivija taking first place after crawling five metres in 13 seconds. In total 14 babies competed – though one opted for a midday nap and never left the start line. “Our baby was the best, even if he didn’t win”, one parent, Tomas, said.

  • A 100-year-old woman in Indonesia, Kamtin, has recovered from coronavirus and been discharged from hospital. She is the country’s oldest survivor.

  • An eight-year-old in a chef’s hat has been taking Myanmar by storm with her lockdown cooking videos, one of which has nearly 200,000 views. Moe Myint May Thu has dished up 15 meals including spicy fried frog and pork stew, and the “Little Chef”, as she is known, is now selling food to order.

  • In Australia, 92 per cent of recorded Covid-19 patients have now recovered and only 21 people remain in hospital with the virus.

  • School bus drivers in Ohio said goodbye to their graduating seniors by arranging their fleet of 22 buses to spell out 2020, and flying a drone overhead to capture the team waving amidst the maze. The picture took approximately three and a half hours to arrange.

  • A pirate radio station in Florida – which is run strictly by retirees to help older adults cope with loneliness – has extended its operation due to high demand, with no end date to the broadcasts in sight. The show launched in April and organisers planned for it to air for a month to support those in lockdown.

  • In the UK, 38 per cent of people have dabbled with home improvements during the lockdown, a survey has found. While painting and wallpapering were cited as the most popular smaller projects, some people have renovated rooms or re-tiled their floors. Younger adults led the way, with 60 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds undertaking a DIY project.

By Harriet Barber 

TODAY’S MOODBOARD

Three pleasant things to put into your head 

1.

More talented young chefs! This kid knows what he's doing:

2.

Here's a good German cat showing off its ability to walk on narrow things in Frankfurt:

Cat walks on rails - AP
Cat walks on rails - AP

3.

  • Do you have some good news to share? What's made you happier in the past 24 hours? Have you seen a pleasing picture? Please send it all our way, either by commenting below or emailing coronapositive@telegraph.co.uk

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