North America

US fast-tracking antimalarials to treat coronavirus

by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US is fast-tracking antimalarial drugs for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump said Thursday, following encouraging early results in France and China. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have not been given a formal green light in the US to fight the pandemic, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would work with domestic makers to expand production as it studied their […]

Cruise ships could become floating hospitals, Trump says

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Cruise ships could be converted into floating hospitals to treat cases of the novel coronavirus, US President Donald Trump said Thursday. Micky Arison, the chairman of Carnival Corporation, which operates Carnival Cruise Line, “made the offer, it was a generous offer,” Trump said during a press conference. “He said that he has some ships that would be ideally suited for what we are doing,” the president said, since the ships […]

Mexico reports first coronavirus death

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico has reported its first coronavirus case — a 41-year-old man who died Wednesday in Mexico City, the health ministry said. The man, who suffered from diabetes, first began showing symptoms of the virus on March 9, the ministry said on its Twitter account. Local press reports said he had not previously visited any countries that have had outbreaks of the virus. The man’s wife, however, told Televisa, the Mexican […]

Local DMV Restaurant helps feed kids out of school during lockdown

Washington, D.C. (Eagle News) — With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) being declared a pandemic, most of the world is on lockdown, in order to “flatten the curve” and slow the virus from spreading. Disrupting everyday life as we know it to be. Schools and business (non-essential) are shut down for an extended period of time. Businesses take a big hit without real cash flow and smaller businesses, take an even bigger hit. That doesn’t stop small […]

New York to get hospital ship for coronavirus fight

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York is to get a 1,000-room hospital ship that will dock in the city’s harbor to fight coronavirus, state Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. Cuomo said US President Donald Trump would dispatch the USNS Comfort to America’s financial capital immediately. “It’s an extraordinary step. It’s literally a floating hospital, which will add capacity,” Cuomo told reporters. “It has about a 1,000 rooms on it. It has operating rooms.” […]

US suspends routine visa services: State Dept

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States is suspending routine visa services in most countries because of the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department announced late Wednesday. It said embassies and consulates in “most countries worldwide… will cancel all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments as of March 18, 2020.” It did not specify which countries would be exempted from the suspension, which was in response to “worldwide challenges” related to the deadly pandemic. © […]

Two US members of Congress test positive for coronavirus

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two US lawmakers including a Florida representative on Wednesday became the first members of Congress to announce they have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart’s office said in a statement that “just a short while ago, he was notified that he has tested positive for COVID-19.” The Republican who represents part of Miami follows that city’s Mayor Francis Suarez, who announced that he had tested positive for […]

Trump signs $100 billion coronavirus relief package

by Michael Mathes WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a $100-billion emergency aid package that ensures sick leave to Americans workers who fall ill from the new coronavirus, with more federal assistance in the pipeline. The bipartisan House-passed measure easily cleared the Senate by a vote of 90 to eight earlier Wednesday. Hours later Trump said in a statement that he signed the legislation into law, providing a rare […]

Staff ‘worked while symptomatic’ at US care home with 35 virus deaths

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The devastating coronavirus outbreak at a nursing home near Seattle where 35 have died was likely fueled by infected staff members continuing to come to work, a report found Wednesday. The care home is responsible for over half the deaths in the northwestern state of Washington — itself the US epicenter of the deadly pandemic. After visiting homes in the region, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found “staff […]

First US Congress member tests positive for coronavirus

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A Florida lawmaker became the first member of the US Congress to test positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart’s office said in a statement that “just a short while ago, he was notified that he has tested positive for COVID-19.” The Republican, who represents part of Miami, follows Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus last week. Diaz-Balart said that […]

Canada announces Can$82 billion coronavirus aid package

by Michel COMTE OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Can$27 billion in direct aid Wednesday to help workers and businesses cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. He said tax payments worth an estimated Can$55 billion could also be deferred until August. The combined amount equals three percent of this G7 nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). “This is a time where you should be focused on your health, not […]

Watch: Latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak in EBC’s international coverage North America edition

(Eagle News) — Watch the live updates and interviews from North America through the reports of EBC Bureaus and its correspondents on the coronavirus pandemic. EBC correspondents give the latest situations in their areas. EBC Washington Bureau interviews people there, including a doctor from California who gives advice on how the public can cope with this pandemic. EBC Washington Bureau’s Eliza Gonzales-Manglicmot anchors the program. Eagle Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) through its coverages by its bureaus […]