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by Laurie Chen and Jing Xuan Teng BEIJING, China (AFP) — China tightened quarantine measures for international arrivals on Monday as the country worries about a rise in imported cases of the deadly coronavirus and anger raged online at how Europe and the United States are handling the pandemic. After declaring they had “basically curbed” the spread of the disease within China, where the virus first emerged, authorities have now ordered international arrivals to Beijing […]
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran said on Monday that the novel coronavirus had killed 129 more people, a new record high for a single day in one of the world’s worst-hit countries. “Our plea is that everyone takes this virus seriously and in no way attempt to travel to any province,” health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference. The latest deaths bring the overall toll to 853 fatalities since February 19, […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Eurogroup chief Mario Centeno warned on Monday that under the coronavirus outbreak the European economy is experiencing the equivalent of war and that a long struggle lies ahead. “We know the virus hasn’t reached its peak. We must not kid ourselves,” Mario Centeno said ahead of a eurozone finance ministers video conference. “These are the first steps in a temporary, but long fight. Forced containment is bringing our economies to war-like […]
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Countries going into crisis mode over the spread of the deadly new coronavirus must not use the emergency measures to suppress human rights, a group of independent UN experts insisted Monday. The rights experts, who are appointed by the United Nations but who do not speak on behalf of the world body, said they recognized “the severity of the current health crisis and acknowledge that the use of emergency powers is […]
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AFP) — Hungary became the latest European country to announce drastic restrictions on public life Monday, closing its borders and curtailing movement in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. “We are closing Hungary’s borders to passenger traffic,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a speech in parliament on Monday. “The international talks to coordinate this is taking place now, this means that in future only Hungarian citizens will be […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain has registered nearly 1,000 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of cases to 8,744, the health ministry said on Monday. Over the same period, the number of deaths rose by nine to 297, the ministry’s emergency coordinator Fernando Simon said. The figure for new cases was lower than weekend numbers when 2,000 infections were detected between Saturday and Sunday and the number of deaths […]
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran’s coronavirus outbreak Monday killed a member of the clerical body that appoints the supreme leader, state media said, taking the death toll among serving and ex-officials to at least 12. Ayatollah Hashem Bathayi Golpayegani, who was 78, died two days after testing positive for the COVID-19 disease and being hospitalised, state news agency IRNA reported. The official represented Tehran in the Assembly of Experts, an 88-strong body of clerics […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — European Union leaders will take part in a crisis video conference Tuesday to coordinate actions to fight the spread of the coronavirus. “Containing the spread of the virus, providing sufficient medical equipment, boosting research and limiting the economic fallout is key,” tweeted European Council chief Charles Michel. The 27 EU member state leaders will hold their extraordinary summit — called by Michel — one day after the G7 holds a similar […]
JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israel’s ex-military chief Benny Gantz was Monday nominated to form a government, issuing a call for “unity” after a year of political deadlock and amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I’ll do everything to form in a few days as possible a national, patriotic and broad government… I always wanted unity,” Gantz said, urging his rival, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to join him. © Agence France-Presse
DAKAR, Senegal (AFP) — Liberia announced its first case of the novel coronavirus on Monday, becoming the 27th African country to confirm the illness. The patient is the head of Liberia’s environmental agency and had recently returned from Switzerland, the information ministry said in a statement. “The country has registered its first case of coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19,” it said. “The government urges everyone to remain calm. Health officials continue to search for all […]
(Eagle News) – What is the difference between an enhanced community quarantine and a general quarantine? According to guidelines contained in a memorandum released by Malacanang on Saturday, March 14, the enhanced community quarantine would mean the following: 1. Strict home quarantine shall be implemented in all households; 2. Transportation shall be suspended; 3. Provision for food and essential health services shall be regulated; and 4. Heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine […]
by Richard CARTER / Miwa SUZUKI TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The Bank of Japan on Monday unveiled a series of emergency monetary policy measures to shore up the world’s third-largest economy, as the coronavirus pandemic threatens a global recession. In a meeting brought forward by two days, the BoJ said it would double its annual capacity to purchase exchange-traded funds and Japan real estate investment funds, the latest global central bank to take emergency action. […]
