PHOTOS-COVID19 PANDEMIC?- 12.01.2019 -Day 101: “The outbreak is getting bigger,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said in Geneva
Health staff work in the facility on the outside of Brescia Hospital where people who have to undergo swabs for the coronavirus are checked in, in Brescia, Italy, on March 9, 2020.PHOTO: EPA-EFE
.
.
GENEVA (EUTERS) – The coronavirus is closer to causing a pandemic, but outbreaks in countries can still be controlled through a combination of containment and mitigation measures, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday (March 9).
Four countries – China, South Korea, Italy and Iran – account for 93 per cent of the nearly 110,000 cases reported by more than 100 countries worldwide, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
.
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
.
“Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real,” Tedros told a news conference. “But it would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled. The bottom line is we are not at the mercy of the virus.”
“Whether it’s pandemic or not,” he added, “the rule of the game is the same – never give up.”
China is “bringing its epidemic under control,” while the Republic of Korea has reported a decline in new cases, Tedros said, also praising containment measures taken in Singapore.
“We are encouraged that Italy is taking aggressive measures to contain its epidemic and we hope that those measures prove effective in the coming days,” he added.
Italy, the worst-hit European nation, has imposed a virtual lockdown on the northern region of Lombardy and parts of neighbouring Veneto.
.
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
.
The death toll from Italy’s outbreak rose by 97 to 463, the Civil Protection Agency said on Monday, a slower rate of increase than registered the day before.
The total number of cases in Italy, however, jumped 24 per cent to 9,172, the largest daily increase in terms of absolute numbers since the contagion first came to light there on Feb 21.
..
Dr Mike Ryan, WHO’s top emergencies expert, compared Italy’s decision to restrict movement from the hard-hit north to China’s relative success in focusing on the large epidemic in Wuhan and Hubei province to stem the spread to other provinces.
“Reducing the flow of potential infections into other areas may offer those zones the opportunity to prepare and potentially have a different outcome. That’s what we saw in China, we saw the provinces getting an earlier warning, they were able to prepare.
“It’s not going to stop disease necessarily moving out of those zones … That to me represents a reasonable tactical approach. It’s not a guarantee,” Ryan said
.
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
.
“The outbreak is getting bigger,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said in Geneva.
Separately, the WHO said in a report yesterday that much of the global community is not yet ready to implement the types of measures that have contained the fast-moving coronavirus outbreak in China.
“These are the only measures that are currently proven to interrupt or minimise transmission chains in humans,” the report stated.
“Fundamental to these measures is extremely proactive surveillance to immediately detect cases, very rapid diagnosis and immediate case isolation, rigorous tracking and quarantine of close contacts, and an exceptionally high degree of population understanding and acceptance of these measures.”
.
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
.
COVID 19 EPICENTER:
WUHAN CITY, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA
BEIJING- China reports 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases, no new local cases outside Hubei for third day
.
BEIJING (REUTERS) – Mainland China reported no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases outside of Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, for the third straight day, while major Chinese cities remained on alert for imported infections.
Mainland China had 19 new cases of coronavirus infections on Monday (March 9), the National Health Commission said on Tuesday, down from 40 cases a day earlier.
Of the new cases, 17 were in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei which is under lockdown, while one was in Beijing and one other in Guangdong due to people arriving from abroad, according to the health authority.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,754.
While the spread of the virus within China has sharply slowed in the past week, authorities are aware of the risks from foreigners and Chinese nationals travelling to China from viral hot spots abroad such as Iran and Italy.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/mainland-china-reports-19-new-confirmed-coronavirus-cases-17-new-deaths
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
ASEAN
.
GEORGE TOWN- Malaysia bans entry for all cruise ships after Costa Fortuna cruise vessel turned away
GEORGE TOWN (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE) – Malaysia has issued a blanket ban on all cruise ships coming into the country due to the increasing Covid-19 cases, putting further strain on the tourism industry.
The move came as Malaysia on Saturday barred the Costa Fortuna cruise ship carrying about 2,000 people, including dozens of Italians, from docking due to fears about the new coronavirus.
The immediate ban took effect following instructions from the Health and Transport ministries.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-malaysia-bans-entry-for-all-cruise-ships
.
MANILA- Philippines declares health emergency amid fears of community spread of coronavirus
“The outbreak… constitutes an emergency that threatens national security, which requires a whole-of-government approach,” President Rodrigo Duterte said in a proclamation released early on Monday (March 9).
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-philippines-declares-health-emergency-amid-fears-of-community-spread
.
SINGAPORE- Costa Fortuna ship passengers with travel history to northern Italy and symptoms to be taken to hospital
SINGAPORE – All passengers on board the Costa Fortuna cruise ship who have travelled to northern Italy in the last 14 days will be subjected to enhanced one-on-one checks for coronavirus infection when the cruise ship docks in Singapore on Tuesday morning (March 9).
The ship was previously rejected entry in Malaysia and Thailand.
Those on the ship who recently travelled to northern Italy and exhibit fever and/or other symptoms of respiratory illness will be taken directly to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
Those without symptoms will be taken directly to the airport for their flights, the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in a joint statement on Monday night.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/coronavirus-costa-fortuna-ship-passengers-with-travel-history-to-northern-italy
.
.
HA NOI, Vietnam- Hà Nội to broadcast lessons on TV as schools remain shut
HÀ NỘI — Children in ninth and twelfth grade in Hà Nội will be able to keep up with courseworks as schools remain closed during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Lessons for key subjects will be televised in Hà Nội so students expecting to sit secondary and high school graduation exams in the next few months don’t miss out on valuable education.
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
SEOUL- South Korea reports 35 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 7,513
SEOUL (REUTERS) – South Korea reported 35 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday (March 10), bringing total infections in Asia’s biggest outbreak outside mainland China to 7,513.
The death toll rose by three to 54, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said. The numbers are expected to be updated later on Tuesday.
The daily rate of new infections in South Korea fell to its lowest level in 11 days on Monday as most of the roughly 200,000 followers of a fringe Christian church at the centre of the nation’s epidemic have been tested.
President Moon Jae-in expressed guarded hope for the fight against the virus on Monday, saying a downward trend in new infections could lead to a phase of stability, while warning that it was too early to be optimistic
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
.
JERUSALEM- Israel orders 14-day self-quarantine for anyone entering country
JERUSALEM (REUTERS) – Israel will require anyone arriving from overseas to self-quarantine for 14 days as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday (March 9).
With 42 confirmed cases of the virus, Israel has already taken some tough counter-measures, forcing visitors from many countries in Asia and Europe into home isolation. The virus has hit travel and trade, with tourism in particular expected to suffer.
“Anyone who arrives in Israel from abroad will enter a 14-day isolation,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. He said the new measures would be in effect for two weeks initially.
“This is a difficult decision. But it is essential for safeguarding public health, and public health comes first.”
Government officials said the order would come into force immediately for Israelis returning to the country.
From Thursday, any non-Israelis seeking to enter the country will have to prove they have the means to self-quarantine, the officials said.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-orders-14-day-self-quarantine-for-anyone-entering-country
RELATED STORY
.
JERUSALEM- Israel recommends citizens not to travel abroad as coronavirus precaution
JERUSALEM (BLOOMBERG, REUTERS) – The Israeli government has asked its citizens to reconsider plans to travel abroad, as the coronavirus spreads to more countries across the globe.
“The Health Ministry is calling on the public to consider the necessity of travel abroad in general,” the ministry said on Wednesday.
It also advised against holding or attending international gatherings.
The ministry added Italy to the list of destinations from which Israelis are required to enter into quarantine upon return. It is the first non-Asian country on the list.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-recommends-citizens-not-to-travel-abroad-as-coronavirus-precaution
.
.
@ [email protected]
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT
.
EUROPE
.
ROME- Italy goes into nationwide lockdown as coronavirus numbers spiral
ROME (BLOOMBERG, AFP, REUTERS) – Italy will become the first country in the world to attempt a nationwide lockdown as people were ordered to stay home in a last-ditch measure to the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus across Europe’s fourth-biggest economy.
The death toll from the virus, which is on the cusp of turning into a pandemic, is edging towards 500.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/coronavirus-italys-death-toll-rises-to-463-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-hit-9172
.
MADRID- Spain’s coronavirus cases almost double overnight to 999
MADRID (BLOOMBERG) – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Spain almost doubled overnight, with acute concentrations in the capital Madrid and the Basque country, an industrial hub.
The number of cases jumped to 999 on Monday (March 9) from 589 on March 8, the Health Ministry said. Some 26 people have died as a result of the virus, ABC reported.
While Spain has not adopted the same measures as Italy which has closed down all schools and imposed travel restrictions in the north of the country, the city of Vitoria in northern Spain ordered a shutdown of all schools for 15 days to try to contain the outbreak.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/spains-coronavirus-cases-almost-double-overnight-to-999
.
All photographs, news, editorials, opinions, information, data, others have been taken from the Internet ..aseanews.net | [email protected] | Fo r comments, Email to : Al Bulario
