by Damon WAKE BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The EU on Sunday imposed restrictions on exports of masks and other protective medical equipment as it seeks to protect its own supplies for the fight against the coronavirus epidemic. Announcing the measure in an online video, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also warned that EU countries imposing border checks were threatening supply chains and increasing the risks of shortages. The move came as Germany became […]
Tag: health
Qatar restricts entry, announces $23 bn stimulus over virus
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar will bar entry to arriving air passengers except for citizens from Wednesday, the government said as it announced a $23 billion economic stimulus in response to the new coronavirus. The country is the worst affected in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with 401 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday. It has not reported any fatalities but has closed universities, schools, gyms, and cinemas as well as canceling many public […]
Iran urges people to stay home as virus claims 113 more lives
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran on Sunday urged its citizens to stick to guidelines and stay at home to stop the new coronavirus spreading, as it announced another 113 deaths from the outbreak. The latest death toll announced by the health ministry took to 724 the official number of people to have been killed by the disease since last month. People “should cancel all travel and stay at home so that we may see the […]
Mauritania confirms first coronavirus case
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AFP) — Mauritania has confirmed its first case of novel coronavirus, the country’s health minister said on Friday, adding to the growing number of cases in West Africa. In a televised statement, Health Minister Mohamed Nedhirou Ould Hamed said the case involved a foreigner who tested positive on Friday. “He was immediately isolated and the state has all the means at its disposal to take care of those suffering from the virus,” the […]
Total COVID-19 cases in PHL jump to 111 as DOH announces 47 additional cases on Saturday
(Eagle News) – There are now 111 confirmed coronavirus disease cases (COVID-19) cases in the country, with eight deaths recorded so far, according to the Department of Health which announced 13 new cases in addition to the 34 cases it had reported earlier in the day. The additional cases were announced just before a lockdown took place in Metro Manila at 12 a.m. Sunday, March 15, restricting travel to and from the Philippine capital […]
Saudi Arabia to suspend international flights over virus
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia said Saturday it would suspend international flights for two weeks in response to the coronavirus outbreak. “The kingdom’s government decided to suspend international flights for two weeks (starting from Sunday March 15th) as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of #CoronaVirus,” the foreign ministry tweeted. The halt applies to all but “exceptional cases,” the official Saudi Press Agency said, quoting an official source in the interior […]
Children less sick from COVID-19, but can still spread the virus, says experts
by Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS / Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse For reasons unknown, children rarely have severe symptoms when infected by COVID-19 and may even be a bit less likely to get the disease in the first place, experts told AFP. But that doesn’t mean infants, toddlers and teens are not carriers for the new coronavirus, which jumped from animals to humans in central China at the end of last year. As of Friday, there […]
Kenya confirms first case of coronavirus in East Africa
NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — Kenya announced Friday the first confirmed case of coronavirus in East Africa, as the region so far unscathed by the global pandemic scaled up emergency measures to contain its spread. A 27-year-old Kenyan woman tested positive for the virus on March 12 in Nairobi, a week after returning from the United States via London. She was in a stable condition and recovering, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe told reporters. “We wish to […]
China, US spar over origin of coronavirus
by Jing Xuan TENG Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — A Chinese government campaign to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus pandemic is fuelling a row with the United States, with a Beijing official promoting conspiracy theories and Washington calling it the “Wuhan virus”. The spat comes as China tries to deflect blame for the contagion and reframe itself as a country that took decisive steps to buy the world time […]
Canada PM’s wife tests positive for new coronavirus
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — The wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office said late Thursday. “Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement. “Following medical advice, she will remain in isolation for the time being. She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild,” it said. “The Prime […]
Philippines diplomat is first coronavirus case at UN HQ
A Philippine diplomat in New York has tested positive for the new coronavirus in the first recorded case at United Nations headquarters in the city, diplomatic sources said on Thursday. The diplomat, who had last visited the UN on Monday, showed symptoms of flu the following day and saw a doctor. “She got the call today that she tested positive for COVID-19,” said a letter from the Philippines mission. “As of today, the Philippine mission […]
South Korea sees more virus patients recovered than new infections
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea — once the largest coronavirus outbreak outside China — saw its newly recovered patients exceed fresh infections for the first time on Friday, as it reported its lowest number of new cases for three weeks. The South confirmed 110 new cases on Thursday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said, taking the total to 7,979. But 177 fully recovered patients were released the same day, […]





