COVID-19 PANDEMIC: NOW EPICENTER- EUROPE- 12.01.2019 -Day 108: ROME- Italy hits one-day record with 368 new coronavirus deaths, hospitals in crisis
An operator of the Milanese Environmental Services Company sanitises the square of the Central Station using a disinfectant to avoid further spread of the Covid-19 disease, on March 13, 2020.PHOTO: EPA-EFE/ANSA
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WHO urges Indonesia to scale up emergency response; Transportation Minister infected
JAKARTA – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged Indonesia to scale up response mechanisms, including declaring a national emergency, to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has seen five deaths and 96 confirmed cases in the country.
The latest death was among the 27 new confirmed cases announced on Saturday (March 14). The government announced 35 new cases on Friday.
In a televised broadcast late on Saturday (March 14), State Secretary Pratikno announced that Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has been infected with Covid-19. He has been isolated and is undergoing treatment at a Jakarta hospital, and his condition is improving, he added.
In a March 10 letter from WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom-Ghebreyesus to President Joko Widodo seen by The Straits Times, the global health agency said every country needed to take robust measures designed to slow transmission and contain its spread.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-who-urges-jokowi-to-declare-national-emergency
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COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
NOW EPICENTER:
EUROPE’S MILAN, Italy.
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ROME- Italy hits one-day record with 368 new coronavirus deaths, hospitals in crisis
ROME (AFP) – Italy on Sunday (March 15) reported a one-day record death toll and leaders warned of a bed and artificial respirator shortage in the European epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic.
Official data showed the number of fatalities shooting up by 368 to 1,809 – more than half of all the cases recorded outside China.
The Vatican took the drastic step of cancelling Easter week celebrations that were set to begin on April 5 as the country of 60 million braced for an extended crisis.
‘NO MORE AMBULANCES’
Milan mayor Beppe Sala said he had managed to secure shipments of surgical masks from China to help cover a growing shortage.
“Milan has always had excellent relations with the main Chinese cities and I made a few phone calls over the past few days in search of masks,” the Milan mayor said. “The first shipment arrived (Friday) and we will now distribute them to doctors, to our staff.”
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Coronavirus lockdown leaves major European cities deserted
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VATICAN CITY, Rome, Italy- Pope: Easter rites via live streaming
READ MORE: https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/319764/pope-easter-rites-via-live-streaming.html
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DUBLIN, Ireland- Passengers Report Long Delays at Dublin Airport US Pre-Clearance Facility Amid Increased Coronavirus Measures
Passengers at Ireland’s Dublin Airport waited for hours in the customs line on March 15 amid the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic.
“I have been at the Dublin airport for 4.5 hours now. They are making us sit in line after line with no knowledge of when it will end,” passenger Julia Feinbloom wrote on Twitter. “We have to go through a pre-clearance customs and are being herded like cattle. They have no food for us. It is not okay.”
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/video/passengers-report-long-delays-dublin-190204321.html
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands- Dutch queue for cannabis as coronavirus closes cafes
Cannabis smokers aiming to keep calm and carry on despite coronavirus queued up outside Dutch “coffee shops” on Sunday after the government ordered their closure to beat the outbreak. / Danny KEMP,AFP News
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/dutch-queue-cannabis-coronavirus-closes-cafes-200542888.html
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Serbia declares state of emergency over coronavirus
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Serbia declared a state of emergency Sunday to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, shutting down many public spaces, deploying soldiers to guard hospitals and closing the borders to foreigners.
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/serbia-declares-state-emergency-over-coronavirus-224534614.html
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NAILSEA SOMERSET, UK- Youngest coronavirus victim named as retired police officer Nick Matthews, 59
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The widow of the UK’s youngest coronavirus victim has spoken of her despair at losing her “life partner and soul mate”.
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Nick Matthews, who died aged 59 on Saturday morning, was a retired police officer from Nailsea, Somerset.
He is thought to be the youngest victim of coronavirus in the UK, although his cause of death will not be officially confirmed until after a post-mortem examination./ Tony Diver,The Telegraph
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/youngest-coronavirus-victim-named-retired-183754972.html
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EPICENTER:
ASIA’S WUHAN, HUBEI PROV., China.
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BEIJING- China logs more coronavirus cases imported from abroad
BEIJING (AFP) – China reported 12 more imported cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday (March 16) as the capital tightened quarantine measures for international arrivals to prevent a new wave of infections.
After declaring they had “basically” curbed the spread of the disease within China, where the virus first emerged, authorities are now worried about an influx of infections arriving from other countries.
Beijing’s city government has ordered international arrivals from Monday onwards to go into quarantine facilities for 14 days.
Travellers had previously been allowed to undergo the mandatory isolation at home, but now only those with “special circumstances” will be exempted from the new rules, and those sent to the facilities must pay for their stay.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/mainland-china-reports-16-new-cases-of-coronavirus-14-more-deaths
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ASEAN
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BRUNEI- 10 new COVID-19 cases, total now 50
Brunei Darussalam yesterday recorded 10 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 50.
Seven of the new cases are linked to the Tabligh assembly in Kuala Lumpur, while three are linked to Case 25 first reported on March 12./ James Kon
READ MORE: https://borneobulletin.com.bn/10-new-covid-19-cases-total-now-50-2/
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VIENTIANE, Laos- USA injects support into Lao Covid-19 prevention
The USA government has forecast a budget of US$1.9 million in assistance to Laos in response to the global spread of the novel coronavirus Covid-19.
The US Ambassador Dr Peter M. Haymond made the announcement as part of his opening remarks for a US-sponsored tabletop exercise to help Lao officials and public health workers prepare for the next steps in responding to the worldwide pandemic.
Director-General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control (DCDC) of the Ministry of Health, Dr Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh; representatives of the Lao government, as well as leaders of United Nations organisations in Laos, joined the tabletop exercise on Friday.
READ MORE: http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/freeContent/FreeConten_USA_53.php
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JAKARTA- Indonesia’s Covid-19 Cases Rise to 117 as Cabinet Members Take Test for Coronavirus
A sanitation worker sprays disinfectant at Lawang Sewu Museum in Semarang Central Java on Sunday. (Antara Photo/Aji Styawan)
Jakarta. Indonesia has tested 21 more people positive for Covid-19 disease on Sunday, adding the total number of people infected by the novel coronavirus to 117 in just two weeks since the country’s first confirmed the first case in its territory. 
Two nurses clean up their medical equipment after examining a Covid-19 patient at Dumai Hospital in Riau on Friday. The patient has recovered after being treated for three days. (Antara Photo / Aswaddy Hamid)
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“Today we have 21 new cases, of which 19 are in Jakarta, and two are in Central Java,” Achmad Yurianto, the government’s spokesperson for Covid-19 handling, said in a press conference.
READ MORE: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias-covid19-cases-rise-to-117-as-cabinet-members-take-test-for-coronavirus
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KUALA LUMPUR- Malaysia’s mosques advised to close as confirmed cases rise
KUALA LUMPUR – Mosques in Malaysia will be advised to close for 10 days and cease all activities, amid a sharp rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, according to the Islamic head of northern Perlis state based on a meeting of top officials on Sunday.
Malaysia recorded its highest-ever single-day jump in coronavirus cases on Sunday, with 190 confirmed new patients, resulting in a total tally of 428 coronavirus patients.
The bulk of the new cases on Sunday are linked to the mass religious gathering by the Tabligh group, attended by some 16,000 people from Feb 27 to March 1, which included Singaporeans and Brunei nationals.
As of Saturday, nearly 5,000 attendees had been identified.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-malaysias-mosques-advised-to-close-as-confirmed-cases-rise
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YANGON, Myanmar- COVID-19 could hit Myanmar’s FDI: MIC
The flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Myanmar could be hampered by the global COVID-19 pandemic, hitting manufacturing businesses which rely on labours and imports of raw materials, according to a senior official.
The COVID-19 outbreak could curb FDI inflow in Myanmar to a certain extent, warned U Thant Sin Lwin, secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC)../
READ MORE: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/covid-19-could-hit-myanmars-fdi-mic.html
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MANILA- Philippines’ coronavirus death toll rises to 12, cases spike to 140
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines recorded four additional coronavirus deaths and 29 new cases, bringing the domestic tally of infections to 140, as authorities placed the entire capital Manila under “community quarantine” for about a month beginning Sunday.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, bookstores and hardware stores will be kept open, while restaurants could also operate but only for home deliveries, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/philippines-reports-three-more-coronavirus-092247539.html
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SINGAPORE- Singaporeans advised to defer all non-essential travel for next 30 days, as part of new Covid-19 measures
SINGAPORE – Singaporeans should defer all non-essential travel, and border restrictions have been tightened to include all Asean states, as the Republic moves to reduce the growing risk of Covid-19 importation.
With immediate effect, Singaporeans are advised to defer all non-essential travel abroad to reduce their risks of contracting the virus during this pandemic, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Sunday (March 15).
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-residents-advised-to-defer-all-non-essential-travel-for-next-30-days-as-part-of
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BANGKOK- Thailand announces 32 new coronavirus cases, biggest daily rise to date
BANGKOK – Thai health authorities on Sunday (March 15) announced 32 new coronavirus cases, the biggest daily jump to date, bringing the total to 114.
“This is a turning point. Our disease control process needs to become faster to keep up. We are doing our best to contain infected people so they won’t spread the disease,” said Dr Thanarak Phaliphat, Deputy Director-General of the Disease Control Department.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/thailand-reports-32-new-coronavirus-cases-brings-total-to-114
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HÀ NỘI- British, German men test positive for COVID-19, VN’s tally reaches 57
HÀ NỘI — The health ministry late Sunday announced that the results for three foreigners visiting Việt Nam have returned positive, bringing the total number of COVID-19 patients in the country to 57.
The 55th case is a 35-year-old German national who arrived in Hà Nội Saturday morning on flight numbered VN0018.
The patient and all those coming into close contact with him have been sent to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases for observation and their clinical samples sent to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.
READ MORE: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/653634/british-german-men-test-positive-for-covid-19-vns-tally-reaches-57.html
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ASIA-THE PACIFIC-AUSTRALIA
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Anti-Asian racism spreading with coronavirus across US
Jessica Wong, of Fall River, Mass., front left, Jenny Chiang, of Medford, Mass., center, and Sheila Vo, of Boston, from the state’s Asian American Commission, stand together during a protest, Thursday, March 12, 2020, on the steps of the Statehouse in Boston. Asian American leaders in Massachusetts condemned what they say is racism, fear-mongering and misinformation aimed at Asian communities amid the widening coronavirus pandemic that originated in China. AP PHOTO
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BOSTON— Asian American leaders in Massachusetts on Thursday condemned what they say is continued racism, fear-mongering and misinformation aimed at Asian communities amid the coronavirus pandemic that originated in China.
State lawmakers, local officials and public health professionals speaking at the steps of the State House cited recent incidents in London and New York City in which Asians were targeted.
READ MORE: https://usa.inquirer.net/52891/anti-asian-racism-spreading-with-coronavirus-across-us
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SYDNEY- State of emergency: Australia steps up efforts to curtail coronavirus
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s capital and the country’s second most populous state declared states of emergency on Monday while large, non-essential gatherings were banned in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus after the national death toll rose to five.
Australia has recorded nearly 300 cases of coronavirus and authorities fear a rapid rise in the flu-like respiratory disease./ By Renju Jose and Colin Packham,Reuters
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/state-emergency-australia-steps-efforts-004624234.html
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SEOUL- South Korea reports 74 new cases
SEOUL (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) – South Korea reported 74 new coronavirus infections on Monday (March 16), slightly lower than a day ago, according to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The new cases bring the country’s total to 8,236.
The KCDC also reported that 303 more patients had fully recovered and been released from care. A total of 1,137 people have recovered and been released so far.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/coronavirus-south-korea-reports-74-new-cases
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AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA
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OTTAWA, Canada — Coronavirus spreads to all Canadian provinces
Secondary school students leave Central Collegiate Institute in London, Ontario on March 13, 2020 on their last day of classes before a 3 week break imposed by the Ontario government to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
OTTAWA, Canada — The new coronavirus has spread across Canada with a total of 313 cases confirmed Sunday in its 10 provinces, the chief public health officer told a news conference.
Atlantic coast provinces were the last to be hit. Major metropolitan centres — Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver — remain the most affected.
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USA FEDERAL:
WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON- White House acts to protect Trump during virus outbreak
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is putting in place new measures starting Monday to protect President Donald Trump and his staff during the coronavirus outbreak, including taking the temperature of anyone who enters the complex, from visitors to members of the press corps./ DARLENE SUPERVILLE,Associated Pres
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/white-house-acts-protect-trump-002911595.html
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WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON- Gov’t virus testing will prioritize medical staff, elderly
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government’s effort to rapidly expand testing for the coronavirus will initially focus on screening health care workers and the elderly, Trump administration officials said Sunday.
Broad-scale testing is a critical part of tracking and containing pandemics. / MATTHEW PERRONE,Associated Press
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WASHINGTON- Daniel Goldman, Former House Intelligence Committee Attorney, Contracts Coronavirus
Daniel Goldman, an attorney who was the majority counsel on the House Intelligence Committee, announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for coronavirus. / Jordan Moreau,Variety
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/daniel-goldman-former-house-intelligence-001452726.html
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CHICAGO-
In Chicago, people clad in green for St. Patrick’s Day packed bars and spilled onto crowded sidewalks on Saturday even after the cities canceled their parades.“I’m not about to put my life on hold because this is going around,” Kyle Thomas told the Chicago Sun-Times. Thomas, a nurse from Colorado, said he had flown to Chicago to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with friends and thought people might be ”overreacting.”
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ILLINOIS- Illinois shuts down bars, restaurants due to
The governor of Illinois on Sunday ordered all bars and restaurants in his state to close amid the threat of the new coronavirus, and officials elsewhere in the country said they were considering similar restrictions after revelers ignored warnings against attending large gatherings.
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/states-consider-virus-restrictions-revelers-190634661.html
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LOS ANGELES, California- Los Angeles County reported 11 new coronavirus cases Saturday
Hospital executives say they’re always planning for disasters and have been concentrating on coronavirus preparations for the past two months.
“If you go past our emergency department now, you’ll see tents erected in the parking lot that allow us to increase emergency department capacity,” Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The system’s network of clinics throughout Los Angeles and Southern California have additional capacity and doctor’s are encouraging telemedicine, he said.
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MASSACHUSETTS-
Dr. Peter Slavin, the president of Massachusetts General Hospital, said the next two weeks will be critical as the medical community expects a dramatic increase in the number of cases.
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NEW ORLEANS-
In New Orleans and Chicago, people clad in green for St. Patrick’s Day packed bars and spilled onto crowded sidewalks on Saturday even after the cities canceled their parades.
In New Orleans, Syd Knight, 86, celebrated despite the public health warnings and the higher risk she faced because of her age.
“The Lord will take care of us all,” Knight told The Times-Picayune-New Orleans Advocate.
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NEW JERSEY-
Officials in New Jersey are considering a statewide curfew to help prevent the spread of the virus, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday. One city in the state, Hoboken, has already implemented one — from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. — starting Monday. Additionally, bars and restaurants in Hoboken that serve food can only offer takeout or delivery, and bars without food have to shut down, Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla said.
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NEW YORK- New Yorker Officials Increase Measures to Slow Spread of Coronavirus
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state had risen to 729 on Sunday, March 14, with three deaths reported.
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/video/yorker-officials-increase-measures-slow-195422771.html
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OKLAHOMA-
Oklahoma’s governor tweeted a picture of himself and his children at a crowded metro restaurant Saturday night.
In the since-deleted tweet, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt wrote: “Eating with my kids and all my fellow Oklahomans at the @CollectiveOKC. It’s packed tonight!”
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SEATTLE, Washington-
In Washington state, which leads the nation in the number of positive COVID-19 cases with more than 600 illnesses and 40 deaths, the increase in people visiting clinics with respiratory symptoms is straining the state’s supply of personal protective gear worn by health care workers.
Officials in the Seattle area have been setting up temporary housing — and even bought a motel and leased another — to add space for patients who might be homeless or whose living conditions might not allow for self-isolation, such as students in college dorms. King County also is setting up modular housing and is using the arrivals hall at a county-owned airport as a shelter to reduce overcrowding — and meet social-distancing requirements — in existing homeless shelters.
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TOLEDO, Ohio- Hospitals fear any surge of virus cases, supply shortages
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Government and hospital leaders are increasingly sounding the alarm about the health care system in the U.S. and its readiness to absorb waves of patients in the worst-case scenario involving the new coronavirus outbreak. / JOHN SEEWER,Associated Press .
READ MORE: https://ph.yahoo.com/news/hospitals-fear-surge-virus-cases-202858676.html
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SOUTH- LATIN AMERICA
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ARGENTINA- announce new travel restrictions
Argentina and Colombia were amongst several countries to announce new travel restrictions and El Salvador declared a state of emergency in stepped-up efforts to try to protect against the virus.
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BRAZIL- Brazil is the worst affected country in Latin America with 176 reported cases.
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC- suspending flights to and from Europe, China, South Korea and Iran from Monday.
Dominican Republic, municipal elections went ahead on Sunday, although the government announced it was suspending flights to and from Europe, China, South Korea and Iran from Monday.
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CHILE- Chile has recorded 75 positive cases since March 3.
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COSTA RICA- Costa Rica blocks night life –
Costa Rican health authorities ordered all bars, casinos and night clubs to close for one month. Health Minister Daniel Salas also called on people to avoid going outside unless it was strictly necessary.
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EL SALVADOR- In a state of emergency
El Salvador’s Congress declared a state of emergency and approved a partial suspension of the country’s constitution, despite not having recorded any cases of new coronavirus.
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PERU- Peru, which had 43 confirmed cases, likewise barred cruise ships from docking at its ports for at least 30 days.
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Venezuela puts seven states, including Caracas, in virus quarantine
Venezuela reported seven new cases of the COVID-19 illness on Sunday, taking its total to 17.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday ordered a “collective quarantine” in seven states, including the capital Caracas, from Monday to stem the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic.
In Venezuela, all activities in the seven states are to be suspended from 5:00 am Monday.
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