Tag: pandemic

Virus pushes US hospitals to the brink, India hits record new cases

by Ben Sheppard Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Officials at the epicenter of the worsening coronavirus crisis in the United States warned Sunday their hospitals were in danger of being overwhelmed by the upsurge, as India registered a record number of new cases. In signs of progress, Formula One returned with the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix held behind closed doors, while the Louvre museum in Paris will reopen on Monday after a […]

PHL COVID-19 cases reach 38,511 as about 1k cases added daily for 3 days straight

Asymptomatic cases rising, breach 1000 (Eagle News) – COVID-19 cases continued to rise by about a thousand each day for the third straight day as total cases rose to 38,511. Based on data from the Department of Health, 999 cases were added today, July 1, Wednesday, 595 of which were fresh cases while 404 were late cases.  Most of the cases added were still from Metro Manila. On Tuesday, June 30, the added cases were […]

Total COVID-19 worldwide surpass 10 million as global virus deaths top 500,000

  (Eagle News) – The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 10 million while deaths were now more than half a million as virus cases continued to increase in almost all countries affected by the pandemic. Based on the data of the Johns Hopkins University as of Monday, June 29, 7:33 a.m., (Philippine time) global COVID-19 cases reached 10,104,045 while COVID deaths reached 500,882. The United States still leads countries with the most […]

UN says Covid will increase the risks associated with drug trafficking

Vienna, Austria (AFP) — The new coronavirus pandemic could hit drug markets just as the 2008 economic crisis did, exacerbating the risks for users, the UN drugs and crime agency warned Thursday. In its 2020 World Drug Report, the agency predicted an overall increase in drug use due to the pandemic, with a shift towards consuming cheaper products and injecting them, which carries greater risks. Countries were also likely to reduce drug-related budgets, it warned. […]

Russia holds grand WWII parade ahead of vote on Putin reforms

by Jonathan BROWN Agence France-Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Columns of tanks and troops will parade through Red Square on Wednesday as President Vladimir Putin oversees grand World War II commemorations to stir up patriotic fervour ahead of a vote on extending his rule. Forced to postpone the country’s traditional May 9 Victory Day celebrations by the coronavirus pandemic, Putin rescheduled the parade for just a week ahead of a July 1 public vote on […]

WHO warns world in ‘new and dangerous phase’ of pandemic; COVID-19 spread still accelerating

    by Robin MILLARD with Elle IDE in Rome Agence France Presse The World Health Organization warned Friday of a “new and dangerous phase” of the coronavirus pandemic with people tiring of lockdowns despite the disease’s accelerating spread. The warning came as it emerged the virus was present in Italy in December, months before its first confirmed cases and about the same time as the disease was first reported in China. The virus, which […]

Virus already in Italy by December, sewers show

  by Ella IDE Agence France Presse ROME, Italy (AFP) — The coronavirus was present in two large Italian cities in December, more than two months before the first case was detected, a national health institute study of waste water has found. That suggests the virus appeared in Italy around the same time it was first reported in China. Researchers discovered genetic traces of Sars-CoV-2 — as the virus is officially known — in samples […]

Pres. Duterte, Indian PM Modi firm up cooperation vs COVID-19; vaccine under dev’t in India to benefit PHL

  (Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte communicated by phone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the two Asian leaders strengthened their cooperation in the fight against COVID-19. During their conversation, Prime Minister Modi “assured the supply of affordable medicines and COVID-19 pharmaceutical products to the Philippines, including Hydroxycholoroquine,” according to a Malacanang statement on the conversation of the two leaders. “Prime Minister Modi likewise said that India is ready to extend all possible […]

Brazil reports a record 1,349 virus deaths in 24 hours

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil reported a record 1,349 coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period Wednesday, the health ministry said, as the pandemic continued to take a grim toll on Latin America’s hardest-hit country. The figure brought the total death toll from the new coronavirus in Brazil to 32,548, with 584,016 confirmed infections — the second-highest caseload worldwide, after the United States. Brazil’s death toll, which has doubled in 17 days, is currently […]

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 […]

DOF reports dive in tax, customs collections for this year amid COVID crisis

P706.85-B collected from Jan-April much lower compared to P900.33-B collected for same period last year (Eagle News) — The Department of Finance reported a dive in tax and customs collections for this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported a huge drop in collections from January to April this year, as these reached only P706.85 billion. This is P28.17 billion short of […]