by Peter Hutchison with Joseph Schmid in Paris and AFP bureaus Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Swathes of Europe as well as New York began the long process of reopening from coronavirus lockdowns on Monday, but a resurgence of infections in China and South Korea offered a sobering reminder of the dangers of a second wave of cases. The mixed fortunes illustrate the high-wire act governments face across the globe […]
Tag: Europe
Europe, New York see progress in coronavirus battle
by Catherine TRIOMPHE with Mariette LE ROUX in Paris and AFP bureaus Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Hard-hit European nations and the US epicenter New York reported headway Sunday in their battle against the deadly pandemic. Governments across the world are now debating how and when to ease lockdowns that have kept more than half of humanity — 4.5 billion people — confined to their homes and crippled the global […]
Coronavirus was spreading in NYC in February, came via Europe
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The novel coronavirus began spreading in New York City in February, before widespread testing began, and the strain so far identified in local samples came from Europe, a scientist said Wednesday. Adriana Heguy, a geneticist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine who led the research, told AFP that tracing back the virus’ chain of transmission will help policy makers make better informed social interventions in the future. “It’s very interesting […]
‘Now is not the time to relax measures’: WHO Europe
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AFP) — Despite “positive signs” from some countries, it is too early to scale back measures aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus, the World Health Organization’s European office said Wednesday. “Now is not the time to relax measures,” WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, told a news conference. “It is the time to once again double and triple our collective efforts to drive towards suppression with the whole support of […]
Medicine shortage looms over coronavirus-hit Europe
by Sara MAGNIETTE and Charlotte VAN OUWERKERK, with Julie CHARPENTRAT in Paris and Emmanuelle MICHEL in Madrid THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — While the world waits for a coronavirus vaccine, medicines used to deal with the symptoms of the disease are increasingly in critically short supply in Europe, the worst-hit continent. From sedatives needed to intubate patients struggling to breathe to anti-malarial drugs heavily backed by US President Donald Trump, the COVID-19 pandemic is eating […]
Italy’s virus deaths jump to 636 after big drop
ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italy’s coronavirus death toll shot up on Monday from its lowest level in more than two weeks and officials sounded a more cautious note than earlier about a possibly easing of restrictions. The civil protection service said the daily number of official COVID-19 deaths rose to 636 on Monday from 525 the day before. Sunday’s toll was the lowest since March 19. It also represented a drop of 23 percent from […]
Lockdowns may have saved 59,000 lives in Europe: study
PARIS, France (AFP) — Strict containment measures might have already saved up to 59,000 lives across 11 European countries battling the spread of the new coronavirus, experts in Britain say. Basing their modelling on the numbers of recorded deaths from COVID-19, researchers from Imperial College London said most countries it looked at had likely dramatically reduced the rate at which the virus spreads. Using the experiences of countries with the most advanced epidemics like […]
At least 348 Filipinos abroad with COVID-19; nine already died due to virus, says DFA
(Eagle News) – There are at least 348 Filipinos abroad who have contracted COVID-19, and nine of them have already died, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). In its latest advisory, the DFA said that as of March 30, a total of 348 overseas Filipinos from 30 countries had been reported to have contracted the coronavirus infection. They are in various areas in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and […]
EU to propose new post-virus economic stimulus package
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The European Commission will propose a new stimulus package to help the bloc recover from the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday. “To ensure recovery the Commission will propose changes in the MFF proposal that will allow to address the fallout of the coronavirus crisis,” von der Leyen said in a statement. The MFF is the multi-annual financial framework (MFF), the […]
European clinical trial starts on possible coronavirus treatments
A European clinical trial involving some 3,200 people has been launched to test four possible experimental treatments against the coronavirus. The four treatments to be studied are remdesivir, lopinavir and ritonavir in combination, the latter being administered with or without interferon beta and hydroxychloroquine, French public health research body Inserm said in a statement on Sunday. People taking part in the study will have been hospitalised with COVID-19 infection and are expected to be […]
WATCH: Europeans show solidarity with medical staff battling coronavirus outbreak
(AFP) — Europeans clap and cheer from their balconies and windows to show their support for medical staff on the frontlines as the continent battles the spiralling coronavirus crisis. More deaths have now been recorded in Europe, the new virus epicenter, than in Asia since the outbreak first emerged in China in December.
Dutch government announces new measures as COVID-19 cases increase
by Emily Manuel Contributor, Eagle News TILBURG, The Netherlands (Eagle News) – Update: as of 15 March 2020, all schools, cafes, restaurants, sports centres, and other establishments in the Netherlands will be closed until 6 April 2020. This was announced by Minister for Education Arie Slob in a press conference. On 12 March 2020, the Dutch government implemented measures to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. These include social distancing, cancellation of gatherings of more […]





