GLOBAL IMAGES: COVID19 PANDEMIC- 12.01.2019 -Day 88- WHO warns of pandemic
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World ‘simply not ready’ for its spread, says WHO China mission chief
GENEVA (AFP) – The world is “simply not ready” to rein in the new coronavirus outbreak, the head of a joint WHO-China mission of experts said on Tuesday (Feb 25), urging countries to learn from China’s expertise.
“You have to be ready to manage this at a larger scale… and it has to be done fast,” Bruce Aylward told reporters in Geneva, insisting countries everywhere have to “be ready as if this hits us tomorrow”.
His comments came after the World Health Organisation announced that the epidemic had peaked at its epicentre in China, where it has killed more than 2,600 people and infected over 77,000 others.
But the situation has worsened elsewhere with nearly 2,700 other cases and more than 40 deaths globally.
.READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/coronavirus-world-simply-not-ready-for-its-spread-says-who-china-mission-chief
Aylward also said his team’s findings in China appeared to belie theories circulating that the number of cases being detected is only the tip of the iceberg and that a lot of undetected transmission is going on.
“There is not a lot of evidence of that,” he said.
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THE EPICENTER: CHINA
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Coronavirus: Is it a pandemic yet?
It’s now clear that the coronavirus epidemic was never going to be contained. What’s next?
Last Tuesday, no coronavirus cases were reported in Iran. On Sunday, the government announced 43 cases and eight deaths. Some 152 cases (and at least three deaths) were confirmed in Italy on Sunday, up from three cases on Thursday. The number of infected people in South Korea jumped to 763 (and six deaths) in just days. As of Monday, Covid-19 was detected in at least 29 countries.
In nations with few or no reported cases so far, particularly in South America and Africa, the absence of evidence shouldn’t be interpreted as evidence of absence. More likely, it reflects lack of testing.
‘Time is everything’: World braces for spread of new virus
China’s massive travel restrictions, house-to-house checks, huge isolation wards and lockdowns of entire cities bought the world valuable time to prepare for the global spread of the new virus.
FILE – In this Feb. 20, 2020, file photo, people wear masks as they commute during the morning rush hour in Chuo district in Tokyo. China’s massive travel restrictions, house-to-house checks, huge isolation wards and lockdowns of entire cities bought the world valuable time to prepare for the global spread of the new virus. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
But with troubling outbreaks now emerging in Italy, South Korea and Iran, and U.S. health officials warning Tuesday it’s inevitable it will spread more widely in America, the question is: Did the world use that time wisely and is it ready for a potential pandemic?
“It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen — and how many people in this country will have severe illness,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some countries are putting price caps on face masks to combat price gouging, while others are using loudspeakers on trucks to keep residents informed. In the United States and many other nations, public health officials are turning to guidelines written for pandemic flu and discussing the possibility of school closures, telecommuting and canceling events.
READ MORE: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1233437/time-is-everything-world-braces-for-spread-of-new-virus
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ASEAN
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PUTRAJAYA – Covid-19: Twenty of Malaysia’s 22 positive cases fully recovered, discharged
PUTRAJAYA: Twenty of Malaysia’s 22 positive cases for Covid-19 have made a full recovery and been discharged, according to health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pix) today.
The two remaining patients still undergoing treatment comprise a 67-year-old woman and an 83-year-old female citizen of the United States of America – both patients who are respectively the 16th and 22nd positive cases in Malaysia, are in a stable condition, Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement.
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MANILA- Pinoys on ship home finally
400 crew members tested negative, board 2 flights to Clark
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SINGAPORE-Grace Assembly coronavirus mystery solved: Antibody tests linked mega cluster to 2 Wuhan tourists via CNY party and Life Church cluster in a world-first
SINGAPORE – A new test that can detect coronavirus infections even in recovered patients has been used to link Singapore’s biggest virus cluster at the Grace Assembly of God church and the cluster at The Life Church and Missions.
HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese carriers suffer from COVID-19 outbreak
HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese carriers saw significant drops in the number of passengers in February due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
According to statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV), Vietnamese carriers transported a total 3.7 million passengers in February, representing a drop of 13.7 per cent against the same month of 2019. The number of international passengers saw a drop of 39.5 per cent to just 870,000, while domestic passengers slightly decreased by 0.7 per cent to 2.8 million.
RELATED
HÀ NỘI — PM signed new directive to strengthen the fight against COVID-19
HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has signed a directive to strengthen measures to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, citing new concerning developments in many different parts of the world.
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Coronavirus outbreak
SEOUL- South Korea reports 231 new cases
Health official leading fight against virus in Daegu among those infected; 2 more deaths
South Korea has reported another huge spike of 231 new coronavirus cases yesterday, among them a health official leading the battle against the virus in the south-eastern city of Daegu, who has admitted he is a member of the secretive church linked to more than half of the country’s infections.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 833 as of yesterday, with 14 in critical condition. The country also reported two more deaths, raising the tally to eight, while 22 people have made a full recovery./ Chang May Choon South Korea Correspondent In Seoul
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-korea-reports-231-new-cases
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SEOUL- More clusters trigger fears of mass infections in South Korea
More community clusters of coronavirus infections have emerged in South Korea, triggering concerns of mass infections, even as the health authorities prepare to test more than 200,000 members of a church linked to over half of the cases so far.
The total tally for South Korea reached 977 cases as of yesterday./
TOKYO, Japan- Tokyo Olympics more likely to be canceled than moved or postponed—official
Two people wear masks as they visit the newly opened Japan Olympic Museum located near the New National Stadium, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
TOKYO — A senior member of the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that if it proves too dangerous to hold the Olympics in Tokyo this summer because of the coronavirus outbreak, organizers are more likely to cancel it altogether than to postpone or move it.
Dick Pound, a former Canadian swimming champion who has been on the IOC since 1978, making him its longest-serving member, estimated there is a three-month window — perhaps a two-month one — to decide the fate of the Tokyo Olympics, meaning a decision could be put off until late May.
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WASHINGTON- Fed’s Mester says rate cut unnecessary to offset virus risks
Specialist Erica Fredrickson works with a colleague on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks are opening sharply lower on Wall Street, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 700 points, as virus cases spread beyond China, threatening to disrupt the global economy. PHOTO: AP
WASHINGTON (AP) – A Federal Reserve official said on Monday that she does not see a need to cut interest rates yet, even as worries about the viral outbreak that began in China caused global stock markets to plunge and some economists are penciling in a rate reduction by April.
NEW YORK, USA- Steve Bannon on China’s handling of coronavirus
NEW YORK (GZERO MEDIA) – The coronavirus that originated in China has spread fear and anxiety around the world.
American foreign policy expert Ian Bremmer speaks to former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who has harshly criticised the Chinese government’s handling of the outbreak of coronavirus.
Mr Bannon offers advice to the Trump administration on how the US can further respond, including providing CDC resources to China and strategically partnering with European allies.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/gzero-video-steve-bannon-on-chinas-handling-of-coronavirus.
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