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(Covid-19) news from around the world.
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WHO warns ‘long way to go’ in virus crisis, deaths top
180 000
Geneva
– The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday warned that the coronavirus
crisis will not end any time soon, with many countries only in the early stages
of the fight, as the global death toll surpassed 180 000.
The pandemic has sparked not only
a health emergency, but a global economic rout, with businesses struggling to
survive, millions left jobless, and millions more facing starvation.
Nations
around the world have been scrambling to fight the pandemic – which has killed
more than 180 000 people and infected nearly 2.6 million worldwide – while
desperately seeking ways to limit the devastating economic fallout.
As some countries have moved to
lift lockdown restrictions that have upended daily life around the globe, WHO
chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a sober warning.
“Make no mistake: we have a
long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time,” Tedros told a
virtual press conference. “Most countries are still in the early stages of
their epidemics. And some that were affected early in the pandemic are now
starting to see a resurgence in cases.”
– AFP
US sees 1 738 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours – Johns
Hopkins
Washington
– The United States on Wednesday recorded 1 738 deaths from the coronavirus in
the past 24 hours, a lower toll than the day before, according to a running
tally by Johns Hopkins University.
The new deaths bring the total
number of Covid-19 fatalities in the US to 46 583 since the outbreak began
there, by far the highest figures recorded by any country caught in the global
pandemic.
– AFP
14 more crew have virus on cruise ship docked in Japan
Tokyo
– At least 48 crew members aboard a cruise ship docked in the Japanese city of
Nagasaki have tested positive for coronavirus, local authorities said on Thursday
after confirming 14 additional cases.
The Costa Atlantica first arrived
in Nagasaki in January to undergo repairs, with around 600 crew on board. Officials
said they hoped to test all crew members by the end of the week with “some
200 to 300” tests likely to be conducted on Thursday.
Over the weekend, the ship’s
operator contacted local authorities seeking help to test suspected cases on
board. An initial four tests carried out on the ship revealed a first infection
on Monday, with additional testing among 57 crew finding a total of 34 cases by
Wednesday.
On Thursday, 66 new test results
revealed the 14 additional infections, Nagasaki official Katsumi Nakata told
reporters. Those 14 people are self-isolating in
their cabins and at least one crew member has been sent to hospital and
requires a ventilator, Nakata said.
– AFP
Migrants in Greece shot after apparently breaking quarantine
Lesbos
Island – Two asylum-seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos were shot and injured
after apparently violating coronavirus quarantine rules, officials said on Thursday.
The two men, an Iranian and an
Afghan, reported to the camp’s infirmary with buckshot wounds late on Wednesday,
sources at the Moria camp said. They were taken to the local hospital but their
condition was not deemed serious.
The men told police they had
ventured out of the camp, which is under lockdown alongside the rest of
Greece’s migrant facilities to limit the spread of the virus.
– AFP
IMF approves $363m in
virus aid to DR Congo
Washington
– The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday announced emergency aid of
$363 million to fight the new coronavirus in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
an African nation that had also been battling Ebola and militia attacks.
“DRC is experiencing a
severe shock as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,” an IMF statement said. “The short-term economic outlook has deteriorated quickly due to the fall
of minerals’ prices and the impact of needed containment and mitigation
measures.”
Mineral exports, particularly to
China, are the impoverished country’s main revenue source.
The IMF approved a disbursement
under the Rapid Credit Facility equivalent to about $363 million to help the
DRC meet urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the pandemic.
– AFP
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