WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States has posted a toll of less than 700 new coronavirus deaths for the third day in a row, the Johns Hopkins University tracker said Tuesday. A total of 657 people have died in the past 24 hours as of 8:30 pm (0030 GMT), the Baltimore-based institution said. The overall death toll is now 98,875, and the number of cases of infection stands at more than 1.68 million, […]
Tag: health
France virus toll steadies, 83 new deaths
PARIS, France (AFP) — France on Tuesday reported 83 new deaths in hospital from the coronavirus over the last 24 hours as key indicators remained steady two weeks into the relaxation of a lockdown. A total of 28,530 deaths have now been recorded in France since the epidemic began, the health ministry said in a statement. This includes a slight revising down by 10 of the numbers who have died in nursing homes. The numbers […]
Anti-viral drug effective against coronavirus, study finds
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Anti-viral drug remdesivir cuts recovery times in coronavirus patients, according to the full results of a trial published Friday night, three weeks after America’s top infectious diseases expert said the study showed the medication has “clear-cut” benefits. Complete results from the research, which was carried out by US government agency the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), were published by leading medical periodical the New England Journal of […]
Dutch mink workers may be first known humans infected by animals: WHO
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization said Tuesday that Dutch workers apparently infected with the coronavirus by minks could be the first known cases of animal-to-human transmission. The WHO told AFP that it was in close contact with Dutch researchers investigating three cases where the virus appears to have been passed to humans from minks. “This would be the first known cases of animal-to-human transmission,” the UN health agency told AFP in an […]
Saudi Arabia to end virus curfew from June 21
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia will end its nationwide coronavirus curfew from June 21, except in the holy city of Mecca, the interior ministry said Tuesday, after more than two months of stringent curbs. Prayers will also be allowed to resume in all mosques outside Mecca from May 31, the ministry said in a series of measures announced on the official Saudi Press Agency. The kingdom, which has reported the highest number of […]
Singapore warns of worst economic contraction since independence
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore’s embattled economy could shrink by as much as seven percent this year, which would be the worst reading since independence, with the government saying Tuesday the coronavirus pandemic had throttled the key export sector. The city-state is seen as a bellwether of the global economy and the historic contraction highlights the extreme pain being wrought on countries by the killer disease. The warning also came hours before Singapore’s deputy prime […]
WHO suspends trials of hydroxychloroquine as virus treatment
by Nina LARSON Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization said on Monday it had temporarily suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for coronavirus. The decision came after a study published in The Lancet medical journal last week suggested the drug could increase the risk of death among COVID-19 patients, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference. Tedros said the executive group of the […]
Thousands rally against Spain virus response, urge PM to quit
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Thousands of Spaniards answered a call on Saturday from far-right party Vox to protest against lockdown measures and the increasingly beleaguered government of leftist Pedro Sanchez. Motorists thronged the roads of central Madrid, tooting their horns as others held placards and shouted “Sanchez, resign” and “freedom”. Vox called demonstrations in dozens of cities with its leader Santiago Abascal alleging the government “has been incapable of protecting its people, its elderly […]
NYTimes marks grim US virus milestone with front page victim list
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — As the United States approached 100,000 coronavirus deaths, The New York Times on Sunday marked the grim milestone with a stark memorial on its front page — one-line obituaries for 1,000 victims. “The 1,000 people here reflect just one percent of the toll. None were mere numbers,” the newspaper said in a short introduction on the front page, which was entirely covered in text. The United States has […]
COVID-19 lawsuits spreading like a virus through US courts
by Charlotte PLANTIVE Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — While apps for video-conferencing and online courses have flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic, so have something rather more contentious: lawsuits. More than 1,300 complaints linked to the coronavirus have already been filed in US courts, according to a daily tally kept by the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth. “COVID has divided America and it has vast political implications,” Lawrence Gostin, a professor […]
French churches reopen as coronavirus restrictions loosened
by Taimaz SZIRNIKS with AFP bureaus Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — French churches were preparing to hold their first Sunday masses in more than two months after the government bowed to a ruling that they should be reopened — provided proper precautions were taken. Nearly two weeks into the relaxation of its shutdown, the government finally allowed churches, mosques and synagogues to reopen. Last Monday, the France’s Council of State, which instructs […]
US layoffs surpass 38.6 million as lawmakers debate stimulus
by Chris Stein Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Job losses in the United States are slowing but totaled an unheard-of 38.6 million since the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns began, while officials debate what additional steps will be needed to rescue the beleaguered economy. Another 2.43 million Americans were put out of work last week, fewer than the previous week but still among the highest figures on record, according to the latest Labor […]





