Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Indonesia to support economy with US$8 billion stimulus to counter COVID-19 impact
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JAKARTA: Indonesia announced a 120 trillion rupiah (US$8.1 billion) stimulus package on Friday (Mar 13) to support Southeast Asia’s biggest economy as the spread of the coronavirus disrupts global activity. The stimulus, representing 0.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), includes exempting some workers in manufacturing from income tax and giving manufacturing companies a discount
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Australia’s home affairs minister tests positive for COVID-19
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SYDNEY: Australia’s home affairs minister Peter Dutton said he tested positive for coronavirus on Friday (Mar 13). “This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat. I immediately contacted the Queensland Department of Health and was subsequently tested for COVID-19. I was advised by Queensland Health this afternoon that the test had returned
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Indonesia reports 2nd COVID-19 death, man was being treated in Central Java
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JAKARTA: Indonesia confirmed its second death linked to COVID-19, a 59-year-old man who died on Wednesday (Mar 11) as he was being treated at a hospital in Solo City, Central Java. Mr Achmad Yurianto, the government’s spokesman for the COVID-19 outbreak, said that test results which came out after the man died showed that the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Italy death toll jumps past 1,000 as Milan bourse nosedives
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ROME: Italy’s death toll from the coronavirus epidemic shot past 1,000 on Thursday (Mar 12) as the economic impact worsened, with much of the country at a standstill and the Milan bourse posting its largest-ever one-day fall. Looking to halt the spread of the disease, the government introduced yet more restrictions on Italians, ordering the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Ticketed events with 250 participants or more to be deferred or cancelled under COVID-19 social-distancing measures: MOH
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SINGAPORE: All ticketed cultural, sports and entertainment events with 250 participants or more are to be deferred or cancelled, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Friday (Mar 13). If tickets have been sold for these events, organisers must demonstrate that satisfactory precautionary measures are in place before they can proceed, the ministry said. Advertisement Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
China reports fewest new COVID-19 cases on record; Hubei cities loosen travel curbs
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BEIJING: China reported just eight cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday (Mar 13), five of which were in the epicentre of Wuhan in Hubei province, where city governments have started to loosen travel curbs. The numbers are the lowest daily tally for Wuhan since China started reporting figures in January. Advertisement Advertisement Three more imported cases from
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Australia urges against gatherings of more than 500 people to contain COVID-19
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World Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday urged people not gather in groups of more than 500 as health officials warned millions of residents will contract coronavirus within months. FILE PHOTO: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a joint press conference held with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Admiralty House in
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
How China turned the tide on COVID-19
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BEIJING: As the rest of the world is engulfed in the COVID-19 pandemic, China says it has turned the tide against the disease that has killed thousands of people. From initial attempts to cover up the outbreak to later locking down cities and now declaring it “basically curbed”, here is a look at how China grappled
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Canadian PM Trudeau’s wife tests positive for COVID-19
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OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said late on Thursday (Mar 12). “Sophie Gregoire Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement “Following medical advice, she will remain in isolation for the time
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Changi Airport’s passenger traffic fell 32.8% in February amid COVID-19 outbreak
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SINGAPORE: Changi Airport saw a 32.8 per cent year-on-year decline in passenger movements in February as air travel demand continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 situation, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) said in a news release on Friday (Mar 13). There were 3.45 million passenger movements last month – a sharp decline from January’s
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Chinese official claims US may have brought COVID-19 to China
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BEIJING: A Chinese official has suggested that the US army may have brought the deadly coronavirus into China, without providing any evidence for his eyebrow-raising claim. Zhao Lijian, a foreign ministry spokesman, made the assertion on Twitter late Thursday (Mar 12), echoing similar conspiracy theories proliferating on Chinese social media that blame the US for
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Chinese official claims US may have brought virus to China
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BEIJING: A Chinese official has suggested that the US army may have brought the deadly coronavirus into China, without providing any evidence for his eyebrow-raising claim. Zhao Lijian, a foreign ministry spokesman, made the assertion on Twitter late Thursday (Mar 12), echoing similar conspiracy theories proliferating on Chinese social media that blame the US for
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
South Korea sees more COVID-19 patients released than new infections
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SEOUL: South Korea – once the largest COVID-19 outbreak outside China – saw its newly recovered patients exceed fresh infections for the first time on Friday (Mar 13), as it reported its lowest number of new cases for three weeks. The South confirmed 110 new cases on Thursday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
Diplomat from Philippines first known coronavirus case at UN in New York
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UNITED NATIONS: A female diplomat from the Philippines mission to the United Nations tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, according to a note sent to UN missions, making the woman the first known case at the world body’s New York headquarters. “As of today, the Philippine Mission is in lockdown, and all personnel are instructed to self-quarantine
