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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has announced a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew from Monday in a bid to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, the latest in a series of restrictions. The curfew –- from 7 pm until 6 am –- will be imposed for 21 days, the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a royal order. The move comes after Saudi Arabia on Sunday said the number of COVID-19 cases […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — France is calling up helicopters and drones to boost the government’s attempts to keep people in their homes, police officials said Saturday. “The helicopters will give us a larger vision and a panoramic view of the situation in real-time to help guide the patrols on the ground,” a national gendarmerie source said. One helicopter was already in use on Saturday, hovering above major Paris parks to ensure that confinement rules were […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia on Sunday announced a $38 billion spending plan to limit the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic, as citizens were told to cancel domestic travel plans to slow the virus spread. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the latest Aus$66 billion announced Sunday brought government and central bank measures to support the economy to Aus$189 billion — or nearly 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). “These extraordinary times require extraordinary measures […]
DAMASCUS, Syria (AFP) — The Syrian government has announced the first case of the novel coronavirus in the war-torn country, days after starting measures to stem the spread of the pandemic. Health Minister Nizar Yaziji late Sunday said authorities had recorded “a first case of the coronavirus in Syria in a person coming from abroad,” without specifying the country. “The appropriate measures have been taken to deal with” the female patient aged around 20, state […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China has started the first phase of a clinical trial for a novel coronavirus vaccine, records show, as the world’s scientists race to find a way to combat the deadly pathogen. It comes after US health officials said last week they had started a trial to evaluate a possible vaccine in Seattle. The Chinese effort began on March 16 — the same day as the US announcement — and is expected […]
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iraq on Sunday imposed a total nationwide lockdown until March 28 to fight the novel coronavirus, as the number of cases grew and the death toll climbed to 20. Most of Iraq’s 18 provinces had so far imposed their own local curfews but the new measures would include the whole of the country, according to a new decision by the government’s crisis cell. Schools, universities and other gathering places would remain […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — French health workers will get free transport on the country’s high-speed and intercity trains, France’s state rail operator the SNCF announced on Monday. The rail operator was responding to an appeal by Paris hospitals for people with medical or paramedical training to come and reinforce their staff. Doctors, nurses and other medical staff will be able to travel for free to help in the fight against the virus, if they get […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Dubai’s famous malls will shut down for a fortnight under the United Arab Emirates’ plan to curb coronavirus, which will also see its airports closed to passenger and transit flights. The decision to close commercial centers takes in shopping centers as well as fresh food markets, but pharmacies and food retail outlets will be allowed to stay open. Restaurants are limited to home deliveries. The health ministry and the […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Rand Paul, a critic of emergency coronavirus spending, has become the first US senator to test positive for COVID-19, the Republican lawmaker’s office said Sunday. A statement from a staff member said he was in quarantine but remained asymptomatic. As US senators work on a multi-trillion-dollar rescue package to help the US economy hit hard by the pandemic, Paul has at least twice voted against such emergency funding. Paul, who […]
DUBAI, United States (AFP) — The United Arab Emirates announced on Monday it will temporarily suspend all passenger and transit flights amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The Emirati authorities “have decided to suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE for two weeks as part of the precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19”, reported the official state news agency, WAM. It said the […]
by Daniel SILVA MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain’s prime minister said Sunday he would ask parliament to extend a state of emergency until April 11 to try to curb the spread of coronavirus after the country recorded 394 new deaths from the disease. A nationwide 15-day state of emergency was first announced on March 14 barring people from leaving home except for essential outings such as buying food or seeking medical care. Sanchez said his […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday said he had ordered the deployment of emergency medical stations with a capacity of 4,000 hospital beds to coronavirus hotspots around the United States. Trump told a news conference that he had told the FEMA emergency management agency to set up the medical stations in New York, California and Washington state. He said eight stations in California would have 2,000 beds and that four stations […]
