Tag: health

New York to test for antibodies, governor mandates face covering

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York has developed its own antibody test that could help detect those immune to coronavirus as the state looks to gradually end its shutdown, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. He made the announcement as he ordered all residents of the state — the epicenter of America’s coronavirus outbreak — to cover their faces when in stores or using public transit. Cuomo said 2,000 people would be tested a […]

Trump: US likely ‘passed the peak’ on coronavirus cases

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States is past the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and that he will announce guidelines for reopening the economy on Thursday. “It is clear that our aggressive strategy is working,” he told a news conference. “The battle continues but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases.” Trump added that “these encouraging developments have put us in a […]

Iran virus deaths below 100 for second day

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran on Wednesday said new deaths from the novel coronavirus remained in double figures for the second day in a row, as the country gradually reopens its sanctions-hit economy. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 94 deaths from the COVID-19 disease were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall toll to 4,777. Another 1,512 people tested positive for the illness. That took the total number of infections to 76,389, […]

Spain’s daily virus toll falls again with 523 dead

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain recorded 523 deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, a decline from the previous day, but the number of new daily confirmed cases was the highest in six days. The new deaths reported by the health ministry take the total number of fatalities to 18,579 — officially third in the world behind the United States and Italy. Spain recorded 567 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday. The number of new confirmed infections […]

South Koreans back Moon in pandemic poll

by Sunghee Hwang Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean voters turned out in force Wednesday to back President Moon Jae-in’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic, putting on compulsory face masks and gloves to give his Democratic party a parliamentary majority according to exit polls. South Korea was among the first countries with a major virus outbreak to hold a national election since the global pandemic began, and a raft of safety […]

Virus sends Germany into recession, to last to mid-year

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Europe’s economic powerhouse Germany plunged into recession in March, with the slump sparked by the coronavirus pandemic likely to last until the middle of the year, the economy ministry said Wednesday. “Falling global demand, interruption of supply chains, changes in consumers’ behavior and uncertainty among investors” had all made themselves felt in the export giant, the ministry said. The economic blow from the virus fell just as Germany was beginning to […]

In California, early coronavirus action ‘makes a difference’

by Laurent BANGUET Agence France-Presse Los Angeles, United States (AFP) — Swift and strict containment measures in California appear to have succeeded in reducing hospital overcrowding and mass deaths from coronavirus, according to health experts in the country’s most populous state. California, one of the first states struck by the deadly disease, has been under lockdown for nearly four weeks. During that time its confirmed case and death tolls have been rapidly overtaken by various eastern […]

Virus hit ‘like a bomb’ as toll rises in Ecuador’s business capital

  by Santiago PIEDRA SILVA à Quito Agence France Presse GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AFP) — Ecuador’s economic capital Guayaquil is reeling from the most aggressive outbreak of COVID-19 in Latin America after the pandemic hit the city “like a bomb,” its mayor said. Cynthia Viteri has emerged from her own bout with the virus to battle the worst crisis the port city of nearly 3 million people has known in modern times. “There is no space […]

South Koreans head to polls despite global pandemic

by Sunghee Hwang Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Temperature checks on voters, separate booths for those with fevers, and special polling times for the quarantined: South Koreans headed to the polls Wednesday with a big turnout expected despite the coronavirus threat. South Korea is among the first countries with a major virus outbreak to hold a national election since the global pandemic began, and a raft of safety measures were in place […]

Rio de Janeiro governor has coronavirus

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel, a leading opponent of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s calls to relax COVID-19 containment measures, said Tuesday he had tested positive for the new coronavirus. In a video posted to Twitter, Witzel said he had started feeling unwell Friday, with a fever, sore throat and loss of smell, a key symptom of the virus. “Today, the test result came back positive… Now, thank God, […]

Virus brings out the jackals in deserted Tel Aviv park

Pictures by JACK GUEZ Agence France-Presse TEL-AVIV, Israel (AFP) — With the coronavirus keeping Israelis indoors, dozens of jackals have taken over a deserted park in Tel Aviv, scavenging for food in what is usually a playground for joggers and families. The normally timid animals wander freely among palm trees and across the grass of Hayarkon Park, an oasis in the Mediterranean city that was also a magnet for cyclists and picnickers until the arrival of […]

California governor eyes lockdown end but refuses to set date

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday set out conditions for lifting California’s coronavirus lockdown, but warned it would be at least two weeks before any timeline for reopening the state could be announced. Newsom said stay-at-home orders had “bent the curve” in the nation’s most populous state, but warned against moving too quickly and insisted decisions should be based on science not politics. Hospital cases would need to decline over […]