Tag: health

Singapore teachers drop Zoom after online class gatecrashed

  SINGAPORE (AFP) — Singapore’s teachers have stopped using controversial video-conferencing app Zoom for remote education during the coronavirus lockdown, officials said Friday, after intruders reportedly made lewd comments in a virtual class. The city-state’s schools were closed this week as part of tough curbs to tackle a worsening virus outbreak, but students are still being taught via so-called “home-based learning”. During a geography lesson involving teenage girls conducted on Zoom, two men intruded into […]

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Chile to issue virus-free certificates for recovered patients

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Chile will issue certificates to people that have recovered from the coronavirus, which would allow them to move freely, the health minister said. As of Thursday, Chile has seen 1,274 recover from the deadly virus. “As of next week we’ll issue a certificate. These people can be a great help to the community,” said Jaime Manalich. Chile has had almost 6,000 infections and 57 deaths from COVID-19. Manalich expects a “slight […]

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US records 1,783 virus deaths in past 24 hours: Johns Hopkins

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States recorded 1,783 deaths related to the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University as of 8:30 pm Thursday (0030 GMT Friday). The number of fatalities was lower than the previous day’s record toll of 1,973. The total number of US fatalities linked to the virus now stands at 16,478, the second-highest tally in the world after Italy. © Agence […]

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Morgan Stanley CEO has recovered after positive COVID-19 test

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Morgan Stanley Chief Executive James Gorman tested positive for COVID-19 but had mild symptoms and has recovered, a spokesperson said Thursday. Gorman disclosed the information near the end of a 12-minute video message to employees released Thursday that also discussed the impact of the coronavirus on the economy and financial markets, the spokesperson said. “His symptoms were mild,” the spokesperson said. “He self-isolated but continued working from home.” The […]

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OPEC puts heads together over oil output cuts

by Benoît PELEGRIN Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Top oil producers were trying to finalize a crucial agreement on output cuts in the small hours of Friday in an attempt to counter a collapse in prices due to the coronavirus and a Saudi-Russian price war. The video conference meeting of OPEC countries and their OPEC+ allies including Russia, as well as other key non-members, began just after 1440 GMT on Thursday and […]

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Boris Johnson out of COVID-19 intensive care

by David HARDING / Joe JACKSON Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday left intensive care after three days of treatment for COVID-19, his office said. “The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery,” a statement said. “He is in extremely good spirits,” it added. The 55-year-old […]

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US cautiously optimistic as coronavirus curve appears to flatten

by Ivan Couronne with Peter Hutchison in New York Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US health officials made cautiously optimistic noises about coronavirus despite a jump in deaths Thursday, suggesting Americans might be able to take summer holidays, as falling hospitalization rates hint at a turning point in the battle against COVID-19. With unemployment skyrocketing and the economy tanking, President Donald Trump is keen to lift social confinement measures and get the […]

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TikTok pledges $250 million for COVID-19 relief

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)– TikTok, the fast-growing mobile video app, pledged Thursday to contribute $250 million to coronavirus relief efforts around the world. TikTok, which US officials and lawmakers have assailed for potential security risks, said the funds would be for “front line medical workers, educators, and local communities deeply affected by the global crisis.” The move follows similar announcements from technology firms including Google, Facebook and Netflix as well as from leaders of Microsoft, […]

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Another 6.6 million US workers file for unemployment benefits last week

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Business shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic caused 6.6 million US workers to apply for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That shocking number of first-time claims for jobless benefits in the week ending April 4 was a slight decrease from the previous week’s count of 6.9 million, which was revised up by 219,000 from the original tally, according to the report. With the latest weekly data, […]

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One hundred Italian doctors have died of virus: medics

ROME, Italy (AFP) — One hundred Italian doctors have died of the novel coronavirus since the pandemic reached the Mediterranean country in February, Italy’s FNOMCeO health association said on Thursday. “The number of doctors who have died because of COVID-19 is 100 — perhaps even 101 at the moment, unfortunately,” a FNOMCeO spokesman told AFP. © Agence France-Presse

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Spain sees daily drop in virus deaths, over 15,000 total

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain’s daily death toll from the coronavirus fell to 683 on Thursday, after rising for two days, the authorities said. The country, one of the worst hit by the pandemic, has now recorded 15,238 deaths from COVID-19. The daily toll was down from 757 on Wednesday. However, there has been growing speculation that officials may have grossly underestimated the death toll. Authorities in the Madrid region acknowledged on Wednesday that the […]

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Wuhan virus lockdown over, but lingering fears slow recovery

by Jing Xuan TENG Agence France Presse WUHAN, China (AFP) — Hairstylist “Ah Ping” is back in business now that Wuhan’s coronavirus lockdown has been lifted, but his salon has no customers, only empty chairs and lingering fears over a contagion that continues to haunt the city. Wuhan is waking from its coronavirus nightmare, loosening tight restrictions on movement and business as the global pandemic’s launchpad tries to move on. But the full recovery remains […]

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