Day: March 20, 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Brazil calls COVID-19 state of emergency as Bolsonaro approval slips
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BRASILIA/SAO PAULO: Brazil declared a state of emergency on Friday (Mar 20), freeing up funds for the federal government to fight the coronavirus pandemic, as President Jair Bolsonaro’s popularity declined over his handling of the crisis. The Senate approved a measure letting the government waive fiscal targets this year, with senators voting remotely after two
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Chaos over new Thai entry restrictions on coronavirus
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BANGKOK: Confusion over Thailand’s new coronavirus curbs left travellers scrambling on Friday (Mar 20) as Thai citizens queued at embassies abroad to get special travel papers and foreigners faced the challenge of producing a negative test for the disease. Testing kits are limited in most countries, especially to people who appear healthy – meaning the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
300 million children missing school meals due to virus closures: World Food Programme
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GENEVA: Around 300 million children who depend on school meals are missing out due to closures triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the World Food Programme said Friday (Mar 20). The WFP pointed out that more than 860 million children – roughly half the world’s student population – were having to stay away from schools and universities due
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Thai cafe serves coffee on wheels to maintain social distance amid COVID-19 outbreak
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BANGKOK: A cafe in Thailand has started using a pulley system to serve coffee on wheels as COVID-19 infections force businesses to practice social distancing. Thailand has reported more than 300 coronavirus cases since January, but more than half were found this week alone, heightening fears of contracting the disease through physical contact. Advertisement Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Californians ordered to stay home; New York pleads for urgent help to fight coronavirus
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LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK : Nearly 40 million Californians have been ordered to stay at home as part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus and New York’s mayor on Friday (Mar 20) renewed his pleas for US President Donald Trump to mobilize the military for additional medical personnel and supplies. The pandemic has already
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Plans in place to increase Singapore’s capacity for COVID-19 patients if needed: Gan Kim Yong
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SINGAPORE: Contingency plans have been put in place to boost the Singapore healthcare system’s capacity to care for COVID-19 patients if the need arises, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Friday (Mar 20) as the country recorded 40 new coronavirus cases. Singapore has in recent days seen a surge in the number of new cases,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Spain COVID-19 death toll tops 1,000, nearly 20,000 infected
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MADRID: The coronavirus death toll rose to 1,002 in Spain on Friday (Mar 20) after 235 people died in 24 hours, and the number of cases approached 20,000, the health ministry said. The spiralling number of infections has propelled Spain into the top four worst-hit countries in the world – with the figures growing as the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Malaysia reports third COVID-19 death, patient had attended religious gathering
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported its third fatality related to COVID-19 on Friday (Mar 20). Case 152, a 58-year-old Malaysian man, had previously attended a religious gathering at Sri Petaling mosque. Advertisement Advertisement READ: Malaysians with work permits to continue working in Singapore: MFA Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said the man was admitted to Hospital Tawau on Mar
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Ignoring government appeals, some Jakarta mosques hold Friday prayers
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JAKARTA: Some mosques in Jakarta still held Friday prayers on Mar 20 despite an earlier appeal by the government to suspend religious prayers and gatherings for the next two weeks. On Thursday evening, Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan said communal religious activities including Friday prayers in mosques and Sunday masses in churches should be suspended due
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
‘There is no lockdown’: Lawrence Wong debunks WhatsApp rumour about COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: Messages circulating online that Singapore will be “locked down” this weekend over the COVID-19 outbreak are untrue, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said on Friday (Mar 20). “There is a rumour going around on WhatsApp – some of you may have heard the rumour – that there is going to be a lockdown in
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
China sends medical supplies to hospital in Malaysia state hit hardest by COVID-19
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KUALA LUMPUR: China on Thursday (Mar 19) sent its first batch of medical supplies to the Sungai Buloh Hospital in the Malaysian state of Selangor. Malaysia on Friday reported 130 new COVID-19 cases, taking the national total to 1,030 and making it the country with the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia. Advertisement Advertisement Selangor has
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
More cancel flight plans as countries restrict travel to stop COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: As more countries implement travel restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19, more travellers find themselves having to cancel their flight plans. On Wednesday (Mar 18) the Government advised that all travel overseas should be deferred, a move aimed at reducing “the risk of Singaporeans being infected with the virus when abroad and spreading it to other
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Rohingya, UN step up efforts to get Malaysia refugees screened for COVID-19
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KUALA LUMPUR: The UN refugee agency and Rohingya community leaders in Malaysia are stepping up efforts to get refugees who attended a Muslim gathering to come forward for COVID-19 checks, after cases linked to the event jumped across Southeast Asia. More than 670 infections in the region have been linked to the gathering last month at
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 20, 2020
Italy overtakes China’s coronavirus death toll
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ROME: Italy on Thursday (Mar 19) overtook China’s coronavirus death total and braced for an extended lockdown that could see the economy suffer its biggest shock since World War II. The Mediterranean country’s toll reached 3,405 after it recorded 427 new deaths on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement READ: Italy reports 475 new coronavirus deaths, highest one-day toll of
