Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
Coronavirus pandemic ‘accelerating’, says WHO
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GENEVA: The pandemic of disease caused by the coronavirus is accelerating, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday (Mar 23), with more than 300,000 cases now recorded and infections reported from nearly every country worldwide. While it took 67 days from the first reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases of COVID-19, it
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
Turkey using drug from China for coronavirus
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ANKARA: Turkey’s health minister said on Monday (Mar 23) that the country is using a drug sent from China on patients suffering from the novel coronavirus. “From this morning we have brought a special drug used in China which is claimed to have resulted in improvements in intensive care patients, cutting their time in care from
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
Myanmar confirms first coronavirus cases
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YANGON: Myanmar confirmed its first cases of of the deadly novel coronavirus late on Monday (Mar 23) after weeks of increasing scepticism over the under-developed Southeast Asian nation’s claims to be free of the disease. The country of 54 million people had been the world’s largest country by population not to report a single case
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
Italy sees second successive drop in coronavirus deaths
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ROME: Italy on Monday (Mar 23) reported a second successive drop in daily deaths and infections from a coronavirus that has nevertheless claimed more than 6,000 lives in a month. The Mediterranean country has now seen its daily fatalities come down from a world record 793 on Saturday to 651 on Sunday and 601 on Monday.
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
Greece calls for health volunteers to combat coronavirus
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ATHENS: Greece on Monday (Mar 23) put out a call for health volunteers to help combat the spread of the coronavirus as the health minister said hundreds of additional medical staff had been deployed. “The volunteer programme is addressed to whoever can offer services, such as doctors, medical staff, psychologists, medical students and retired health
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
Olympic postponement inevitable, says IOC official Pound
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LOS ANGELES: Senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official Dick Pound said on Monday (Mar 23) a postponement of this year’s Tokyo Olympics is now inevitable as the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic. The IOC said on Sunday the body would wait four more weeks before announcing its decision on the fate of the Jul 24-Aug 9
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
Italian police recycle oxygen canisters from coronavirus victims
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BERGAMO: Police in the Italian city of Bergamo have brought much-needed help to people suffering from the coronavirus by redistributing oxygen cylinders used by people who did not survive the virus. Bergamo, in the northern Lombardy region, is now Italy’s worst-affected province, with over 6,000 infections. With hospitals overflowing, many sufferers are kept at home, but
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 24, 2020
New York begs for federal help over COVID-19
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WASHINGTON: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for help from the federal government and from private citizens to fight the coronavirus outbreak as the US Federal Reserve launched an extraordinary array of initiatives to mitigate the pandemic’s economic impact. He sounded the alarm as US Senate Democrats and Republicans tried to hammer out an economic relief
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 23, 2020
Malaysia reports 212 new COVID-19 cases in biggest daily jump, death toll spikes to 14
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Monday (Mar 23) reported 212 new coronavirus cases, bringing the national total to 1,518. The death toll has also increased to 14. Advertisement Advertisement Of the new cases, 123 are from the cluster linked to a tabligh (religious) gathering at the Sri Petaling Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, said the Malaysian health
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 23, 2020
Merkel’s initial coronavirus test came back negative: Spokesman
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BERLIN: Angela Merkel’s initial test for COVID-19 came back negative, a government spokesman said on Monday (Mar 23), adding that the German chancellor would undergo further tests. She will continue to undergo further tests over the next few days, her spokesman said earlier on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement READ: Germany unleashes biggest post-war aid package against virus READ: Merkel calls coronavirus
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 23, 2020
Austria mobilises military reserves to fight coronavirus
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VIENNA: Austria is mobilising its military reservists for the first time since World War Two, asking them to fight the coronavirus outbreak by helping with food supplies, medical support and police operations, the defence minister said. Austria, unlike Germany or France, still has compulsory military service. Men must serve six months in the army or
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 23, 2020
Singapore contributes S$500,000 to support WHO efforts against COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: Singapore will contribute S$500,000 to the World Health Organization (WHO) in support of its efforts to limit transmission of the coronavirus. In response to appeals by the United Nations and WHO, the Singapore Government will be making the contribution to WHO’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for COVID-19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 23, 2020
Singaporeans supportive of Budget 2020 measures, many call for greater support for middle-income families: Poll
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SINGAPORE: The majority of Singaporeans supported the measures announced in Budget 2020, though many called for “greater support for middle-income families”, according to findings released by the Government’s feedback unit on Monday (Mar 23). Respondents to the survey felt that middle-income earners should be “entitled to more benefits and greater financial support”, said REACH. This is because they are often
Commentary: South Korea has been exemplary. Even then, it hasn’t slayed COVID-19
SEOUL: Over the past week, as the United States and Europe began to wake up to the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and slip into panic, something very different has been happening in South Korea. Nearly two months into the country’s outbreak, the general level of social anxiety has eased as the number of new