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MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The number of people infected by COVID-19 in Spain soared past 13,700 on Wednesday with the number of deaths rising to almost 600, government data showed. “We have 13,716 cases in Spain, which is 2,538 more than yesterday, which implies an increase of 18 percent,” said Fernando Simon, the health ministry’s emergencies coordinator. Over the same 24 hour period, the number of deaths rose to 598, an increase of 107, a […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister said Wednesday the country will expand quarantine measures and a ban on entry from parts of countries including Italy and Spain affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The announcement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe adds parts of Italy, Spain and Switzerland and all of Iceland to existing rules banning the entry of foreign travelers coming from hard-hit parts of China, South Korea and elsewhere. The new measures also expand […]
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran said Wednesday that the novel coronavirus has killed 147 more people, a new single-day record in the virus-stricken country that raised the overall toll to 1,135. “Now everyone knows about this disease, and what is very strange is that some don’t take it seriously,” Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said in a televised news conference. “If people help, we can control it, and if not, then expect it to last […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — South Africa on Wednesday recorded its highest 24-hour increase in coronavirus infections to date, with 31 new cases taking the country’s tally up to 116, the government announced. Africa’s most industrialized economy is the most affected in sub-Saharan Africa and second-most impacted on the continent after Egypt, which has recorded 196 cases. The country’s first coronavirus infection, confirmed on March 5, was detected in a man who had arrived from […]
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German carmaker BMW said Wednesday it would close European and South African factories accounting for half its output for a month, matching other car giants stricken by coronavirus containment measures. It also warned that profits this year would be significantly lower as a result of the crisis. “From today, we will shut down our European car factories and the Rosslyn factory in South Africa,” chief executive Oliver Zipse said, […]
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — The World Health Organization called for “aggressive” action in Southeast Asia to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus, warning Tuesday that some countries were heading towards community transmission of the deadly disease. Infections have soared across the region in recent weeks, forcing several countries to introduce drastic measures ranging from closing their borders to foreign arrivals and imposing nighttime curfews to closing schools and cancelling sports events. There are concerns that weaker […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York’s mayor said Tuesday the city’s 8.6 million inhabitants should prepare for being ordered to stay at home at any moment within the next 48 hours to help contain the coronavirus pandemic. Bill de Blasio told reporters that a decision had not been made but that New Yorkers could soon be confined to their residences, barring any essential travel. “I think that all New Yorkers should be prepared […]
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkey confirmed its first novel coronavirus-related death on Tuesday as the number of cases in the country rose to 98. “Today, I lost my first patient in our fight against coronavirus,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told a televised press conference, adding that the victim was an 89-year-old man who contracted the virus from an employee with connections to China. The minister also said the number of cases had risen from 47 […]
by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for a unified national response to the coronavirus threat, after coming under fire for downplaying the pandemic and allowing states to go their own way. Trump’s call came as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House was presenting a massive economic stimulus plan to Congress and was looking at sending direct payments to all Americans, as well as aid […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces or in the air for several hours, according to a US-government funded study published Tuesday. Scientists found that the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease had similar levels of viability outside the body to its predecessor that caused SARS. This means that factors like greater transmission between people with no symptoms might be why the current pandemic is far greater than the SARS […]
BANJUL, Gambia (AFP) — The Gambia has recorded its first case of coronavirus, the country’s health minister said on Tuesday, after the government also announced measures to contain its spread. In a televised statement, Health Minister Ahmadou Lamin Samateh said officials in the tiny West African state had confirmed infection in a young woman who had recently traveled from the United Kingdom. She went into self-isolation after feeling feverish, before being confirmed as a positive […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Kevin Durant is reportedly among four Brooklyn Nets players who have tested positive for the new coronavirus and are in isolation.The injured Durant, who has yet to play for the Nets since signing for the club last year, confirmed to The Athletic website he had tested positive for the virus. “Everyone is careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We’re going to get through this,” Durant was quoted as […]
