Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
China reports no new domestic COVID-19 cases for first time, but 34 imported
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BEIJING: China on Thursday (Mar 19) reported no new domestic cases of the coronavirus for the first time since it started recording them in January, but recorded a spike in infections imported from abroad. There were 34 cases that were brought in from abroad, the biggest daily increase in two weeks, according to the National Health
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
First US Congress member tests positive for COVID-19
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WASHINGTON: A Florida lawmaker became the first member of the US Congress to test positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday (Mar 18). Representative Mario Diaz-Balart’s office said in a statement that “just a short while ago, he was notified that he has tested positive for COVID-19”. Advertisement Advertisement The Republican, who represents part of
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
No layoffs, reduced rent: ‘Italian cure’ for COVID-19 pandemic
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ROME: Companies are barred from laying off workers and rents have been reduced under Italy’s economic survival plan for life at the European epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte hailed his 25-billion-euro (US$28-billion) programme as the “Italian model” that the rest of Europe could adopt as it imposes its own painful lockdowns. Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
France reports huge spike in COVID-19 deaths, raising total to 264
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PARIS: French health authorities reported 89 new deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday (Mar 18), taking the total to 264 or an increase of almost 51 per cent, a much more marked rise than recently seen as the country was in its second day of a lockdown aimed at containing the outbreak. During a press conference,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
UK to close schools, put troops on standby as COVID-19 deaths rise
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LONDON: Britain announced Wednesday (Mar 18) it would be closing schools in the coming days and placing 20,000 troops on standby in efforts to stem the spread of coronavirus, as the death toll topped 100. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had held off following the lead of other European countries because of the impact it would have on
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
Singapore aviation industry ‘extremely vulnerable’ to fallout from COVID-19, say experts
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SINGAPORE: With an increasing number of countries enacting travel restrictions to curb the COVID-19 outbreak, Singapore is left “extremely vulnerable” due to its status as an aviation hub, say analysts. Smaller carriers may also end up going belly-up during this period, due to a drop in demand, they noted. Advertisement Advertisement This comes as Singaporeans
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
Australian airline Qantas to cut all international flights
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SYDNEY: Australia’s biggest airline Qantas said on Thursday (Mar 18) it will halt all international flights later this month, after the island nation’s other main carrier Virgin shut its overseas services due to the coronavirus pandemic. Qantas said all of its international flights would be suspended by late March for at least two months after
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
6.3-magnitude quake strikes south of Indonesia’s Bali
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BALI, Indonesia: A strong earthquake jolted Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali early on Thursday (Mar 19), but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck at 1.45am (1745 GMT) with an epicentre 255 kilometeres south of the town of Nusa Dua, the US Geological Service reported. The epicentre was a relatively shallow 10 kilometres deep. Advertisement Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
Singapore reports 47 more COVID-19 infections: More details on the new cases
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SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 47 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (Mar 18), taking the total in the country to 313. Three more patients were also discharged, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). Advertisement Advertisement To date, a total of 117 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital. Of the 196 confirmed
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
Singaporeans advised to defer all travel abroad amid heightened risk of imported COVID-19 cases
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SINGAPORE: Singaporeans were advised on Wednesday (Mar 18) to defer all travel abroad with immediate effect amid a heightened risk of importing COVID-19 cases into Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). In a press release, MOH said this supercedes the advisory issued on Sunday to defer all non-essential travel abroad. The expansion of the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
New Zealand passes historic law to decriminalise abortion
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WELLINGTON: New Zealand has passed a landmark bill that treats abortion as a health issue rather than a crime, a major reform in laws that have been unchanged for more than four decades. The reform passed through parliament late on Wednesday (Mar 18) by a vote of 68 to 51. Advertisement Advertisement The legislation modernises
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
Commentary: Why Singapore is preparing to tap the breaks to slow COVID-19 spread
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SINGAPORE: The world is coming to grips with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that began last year in China and is now sweeping the globe. Much is now known about this virus, indicating we are facing a threat the scale of which has not been seen since the 1918 influenza pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement One other thing is
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 19, 2020
The fight to save Bangkok from sinking into watery depths
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BANGKOK: When landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom and her landscape design studio, Landprocess, created a park in central Bangkok in 2017, it was no ordinary park. It was a green basin to help the city soak up excess water — up to 4.5 million litres — by funnelling water into underground tanks, for example, and thus
Commentary: Japan really needs to get cracking on coronavirus testing
OSAKA: World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference on Monday (Mar 16): “We have a simple message to all countries: Test, test, test.” Although his words were not directed at any particular country, it seemed a message well-tailored to Japan. Advertisement Advertisement Just two days ago, after coming under tremendous pressure