Tag: COVID 19

Two South Africans who served as crew members in cruise ship contaminated by coronavirus in Japan

  JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Two South Africans were contaminated by the new coronavirus while serving as crew members aboard a cruise ship that was quarantined for three weeks in Japan, officials said Friday. The pair, the first South Africans confirmed to have the virus, are being cared for in Japan but they do not show symptoms of the illness linked to COVID-19, South Africa’s health ministry said. The government was informed by Tokyo […]

Nigeria braces as coronavirus hits megacity Lagos

  by Celia Lebur and Emmanuel Akinwotu, with Emmanuel Anule in Abuja Agence France Presse LAGOS, Nigeria (AFP) — Residents of Nigeria’s economic hub Lagos scrambled for hygiene products Friday, after the chaotic megacity of 20 million announced the first confirmed case of new coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa. Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said in a statement overnight that the infected person was an Italian citizen who flew in from Milan, at the heart of Europe’s […]

South Korea coronavirus cases hit 2,337, as jump in new cases overtake those from China

  (Eagle News) – Cases of the highly infectious coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in South Korea have now reached more than 2,300, with the increase of more than 570 cases reported on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 – the highest jump so far in a single day outside of China. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea has now hit a total of 2,337. There were […]

PCG: Cargo ship from China held for violation of COVID-19 security protocol

(Eagle News)–The Philippine Coast Guard has  placed a cargo ship from China under temporary detention after it supposedly violated maritime security measures in place against the novel coronavirus. In a statement, the PCG said  the detention of MV Harmony 6 was pending a probe its captain, Luu Van Loi, told Philippine authorities that  the ship left Changzhou, China on February 10 instead of  February 18 “in order to fit into the 14-day quarantine period.” Under […]

DOH: 5 Filipinos from Japan cruise ship brought to hospital after showing virus symptoms; 2 so far tested negative

  (Eagle News) – Five Filipino repatriates from the MV Diamond Princess have so far exhibited symptoms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) and have been brought to a referral hospital for isolation and appropriate medical management, according to the Department of Health (DOH). Of the three who had been earlier brought to the hospital, two have so far tested negative, while the other one still has to await his test results from the Research Institute […]

PHL gov’t mulls Japan, Iran, Italy travel ban as precaution vs COVID-19

(Eagle News)–The Inter-Agency Task Force on Infectious Diseases is eyeing a possible travel ban on Japan, Italy and Iran following the spike in the number of novel coronavirus cases there. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the revelation in an interview over CNN Philippines on Friday, Feb. 28. “Ayaw ko pangunahan but obviously the Task Force is looking at these two countries [Japan and Italy] as well, especially Italy,” Nograles said. Italy so far has over […]

Two of three Japan repatriates brought to hospital test negative for COVID-19 — DOH official

(Eagle News)–Two of the three Filipino repatriates from the Diamond Princess who were brought to the hospital for symptoms of the novel coronavirus have tested negative for COVID-19. Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire added in an interview over Unang Balita that only the laboratory test results of one repatriate are pending. She said all three are stable in a hospital. The three were among the 445 Filipinos repatriated from the Japan cruise ship, which […]

Over 90 US labs to be ready for coronavirus testing by weekend, says health chief

  WASHINGTON, February 27 (Sputnik) – All 93 public labs in the United States will be ready to run diagnostic tests for coronavirus by the weekend, Health Secretary Alex Azar said on Thursday. “The FDA [Food & Drug Administration] authorized the use of those tests by using just the first and second step to provide a definitive diagnostic,” Azar told a congressional hearing on US preparedness to deal with the virus. “So, 40 labs are […]

Italian doctors cure coronavirus patients with anti-Ebola, anti-AIDS drugs

  ROME, February 27 (Sputnik) – The first three patients who have been cured of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Italy were treated with anti-Ebola and anti-AIDS drugs, representatives of the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome told Sputnik. Those who were cured in Italy so far are two Chinese tourists and one Italian national who had visited China’s Wuhan, from which the virus originated. All three were treated in the Lazzaro […]

Japan PM calls for nationwide closure of schools over virus

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Thursday on schools to close nationwide from March 2 for several weeks to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. “The government considers the health and safety of children above anything else,” Abe said. “We request all primary, junior high and high schools… across the nation to close temporarily from March 2 next week until their spring break.” The spring break for public schools […]

Estonia reports first coronavirus case

  TALLINN, Estonia (AFP) — Estonia reported its first coronavirus case on Thursday, a day after the man returned to the Baltic nation from a business trip in his homeland Iran. Social Affairs Minister Tanel Kiik told public broadcaster ERR that the Iranian citizen is currently hospitalised. “The person, a permanent resident of Estonia who is not a citizen, arrived in Estonia on Wednesday evening,” Kiik said. Local media said the man contacted the health […]

China virus expert says earlier action would have reduced infections

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China would have seen far fewer infections from the new coronavirus if it had been quicker to adopt strict control measures, a top Chinese scientist said Thursday, in apparent criticism of the way the outbreak was handled. The government has been slammed for not acting fast enough and for reprimanding those who tried to warn early on about the epidemic, which has killed more than 2,700 people and infected over […]