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SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned against the “hasty” relaxation of anti-coronavirus measures, state media reported Friday, indicating the country will keep its borders closed for the forseeable future. The nuclear-armed North closed its borders in late January as the virus spread in neighboring China and imposed tough restrictions that put thousands of its people into isolation. Pyongyang insists it has not had a single case of COVID-19, the […]
by Ivan Couronne WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Accused of failing to uphold their civic duty, younger Americans are behind the current COVID-19 surge, with several states moving to close bars, beaches and other places that saw huge crowds when lockdowns were eased. The median age for new cases in Florida in the past few days has fluctuated between 34 and 36. In Los Angeles, 40 percent of new cases are among those under 40. […]
PANAMA CITY, Panama (AFP) — Panamanian Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran was released from hospital Thursday after being treated for coronavirus, the six-time boxing world champion announced via social media. “Today, with the blessing of God, I returned home after battling the COVID-19 virus. It was a World Championship fight,” Duran wrote on his Instagram account. The message included a video showing him leaving the hospital in a wheelchair and wearing a face mask, as […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US notched more than 53,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours Thursday, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed, a new one-day record as infections surge around the country. The Baltimore-based university’s tracker showed 53,069 more cases as of 8:30 pm (0030 Friday GMT), bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic reached the United States to 2,735,339. The university also recorded a further 649 fatalities, bringing the […]
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Switzerland announced Thursday that COVID-19 patients beyond those on clinical trials could be given remdesivir, the first drug shown to be relatively effective in treating the new coronavirus. At least two major US studies have shown that the anti-viral drug can reduce the duration of hospital stays for those suffering from the novel coronavirus. “With immediate effect, remdesivir can be used more widely in Switzerland for the treatment of COVID-19 patients,” […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has praised what he described as his country’s “shining success” in holding off the new coronavirus, according to state-run KCNA news agency Friday. The head of the hermetic totalitarian state spoke at a Worker’s Party politburo meeting on Thursday discussing the impact of the virus, six months after North Korea closed borders and put thousands in to isolation. KCNA reported that after reviewing efforts, Kim […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — All children in England will have to go back to school in September, the government said Thursday, after weeks of wrangling as coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The government initially intended pupils to return before the summer break later this month but was forced to revise its plans after concerns from teaching unions and parents. Local authorities said it would be difficult to enforce two-metre (six feet) social distancing with children, […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — BioNTech of Germany and the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer reported positive preliminary results on Wednesday from a joint project to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Known as BNT162b1, it produces antibody responses at or above the levels seen in any convalescent serum — blood from people who have recovered — at relatively low doses, according to BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin. The preliminary data come from a so-called phase 1/2 trial that […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US notched more than 52,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours Wednesday, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed, a new one-day record as infections surge around the country. The Baltimore-based university’s tracker showed 52,898 more cases as of 8:30 pm (0030 Thursday GMT), bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic reached the US to 2,682,270. The university also recorded a further 706 fatalities, bringing the total […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing lifted several lockdowns imposed to control a fresh coronavirus outbreak and reported just three new cases in the city on Wednesday, raising hopes that the cluster had been brought under control. The Chinese capital had closed off dozens of residential compounds and carried out mass testing last month after hundreds of infections raised fears of a virus resurgence. But five residential communities that have had no new virus cases during […]
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Mask-wearing pupils catching up with friends at one Bangkok high school were quickly told to spread out as they headed back to lessons on Wednesday after months of distance learning due to coronavirus restrictions. The teenagers, resuming classes along with all other public school students in the kingdom, chatted animatedly before being called to sit in widely spaced rows for the opening session. The school principal, Arwuth Meekhanphet, warned them all […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — NBA commissioner Adam Silver says there are no risk-free options to finishing the season in a coronavirus pandemic but the league’s bubble plan is the safest, most responsible way. In a Time 100 online talk Tuesday, Silver addressed the NBA’s restart plan, with 22 teams playing games without spectators in Orlando under quarantine starting July 30, and said NBA relations with China have improved since last year. The league […]
