Eyes on the road: Mayor Anne Hidalgo says a flood of cars returning to Paris is “out of the question” when the city begins easing lockdown on 11 May. CityLab writes that Hidalgo is emphasising the importance of reducing pollution during a pandemic characterised by respiratory illness.
Apps abound: Contact-tracing apps have popped up quickly during the pandemic, promising a way to alert people when they’ve been around someone who came down with Covid-19. It’s an ambitious idea, but one that comes with privacy concerns and logistical hurdles, the New York Times reports.
Layoffs loom: City and state employees in the US are bracing for mass layoffs and furloughs unless the federal government provides aid soon. The Washington Post reports that up to 1 million public-sector workers could go without pay, leaving critical services understaffed at a time when they’re badly needed.
