Tag: Virus

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, […]

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

Love and physical distance: How a daughter shows her love for 80-year old mom amid the virus pandemic

(Editor’s Note: This is a first-person account of our EBC correspondent in New Jersey, Elle Aguilar, who lives with her 80-year old mother in the US. She talks about how she tries to keep the required physical distance between her and her mom at this time of the virus pandemic. From the usual hugs and kisses, she is now learning a new way of showing love – by keeping her distance so her 80-year old […]

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 […]

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 […]

Virus claims record dead but US President Trump sees light at end of tunnel

by Susan STUMME with AFP Bureaus Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The coronavirus pandemic notched up another round of record death tolls in the United States and Europe, dousing the optimism of US President Donald Trump who insisted there was light at the end of the tunnel. The virus has now killed more than 87,000 people and infected over 1.5 million, according to an AFP tally on Thursday, sparing almost no country […]

Taiwan demands apology from WHO chief over virus ‘slander’

  TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan demanded an apology from the World Health Organization chief on Thursday after he accused the island’s government of leading personal attacks against him and his agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for unity to fight the disease on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump criticized the global health body and threatened to cut its funding. During the press conference he spoke of the […]

Stress-free quarantine tips for parents

  (Eagle News) – Feeling bored while under quarantine? Is the news about mounting coronavirus cases worldwide stressing you out that you need a break? Well, there’s a ton of things to do while at home, and parents need not fret. NET25 Kids enumerated some of the things that parents can do while following the stay-at-home order imposed by various cities and towns. From checking your house for things to improve or repair, folding your […]

‘Italy’s youngest patient’ recovers from virus: media

ROME, Italy (AFP) — A two-month-old baby who was believed to have been Italy’s youngest COVID-19 patient has been released from hospital after overcoming the disease, media reports said Thursday. The baby was no longer running a temperature or fever and was released with her mother, who has recovered from a bout of pneumonia, the reports said. The two were hospitalized in the southern city of Bari on March 18. Italy has officially attributed 17,669 […]

UN delivers 90 tons of COVID-19 aid to Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — A plane carrying 90 tons of UN health, water, and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic. The shipment includes 28,000 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products, and hygiene kits, the UN said. “This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID-19 outbreak,” said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s […]

COVID-19 cases in Manila climb to 272

(Eagle News) – The Manila Health Department (MHD) reported six new cases of coronavirus in the city, bringing the total number of cases to 272. As of latest count, the city has 36 deaths and 24 recoveries, with 487 persons under investigation for the disease. Majority of the COVID-19 cases were recorded in Sampaloc (71 cases) which covers the university belt area, followed by Tondo 2 (31 cases), Sta. Cruz (26 cases), Tondo 1 (31 […]

Global coronavirus cases top 1.5 million: AFP tally

PARIS, France (AFP) — More than 1.5 million cases of the novel coronavirus have been registered worldwide, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 0530 GMT Thursday from official sources. Of the 1,502,478 infections, 87,320 people have died across 192 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China late last year. The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only […]