International

Curfew as US cities shut down in coronavirus fight

by Peter HUTCHISON NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A US state started restricting residents’ movements Monday in a desperate bid to contain the deadly coronavirus pandemic as American cities followed their European counterparts and shut down — closing schools, public buildings, cinemas, restaurants and bars. As the death toll in the United States from the fast-spreading outbreak neared 70 and infections soared above 3,700, New Jersey’s governor announced he was implementing a curfew, marking […]

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Italy reports 349 new virus deaths, taking total to over 2,000

ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italy on Monday reported 349 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking its total from last month to 2,158, the most after China. The number of official COVID-19 fatalities has more than doubled since Thursday when Italy’s toll topped 1,000 for the first time. Italy now has 27,980 infections, compared to 15,113 four days ago. It has reported more than 700 deaths in two days. Among specific regions, the overwhelming majority […]

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Test ‘every suspected case’ of COVID-19: WHO

by Nina LARSON GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization called Monday for countries to test every suspected case of COVID-19, as the rest of the world registered more cases and deaths in the pandemic than China. “You cannot fight a fire blindfolded,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in a virtual press conference from the UN agency’s headquarters in Geneva. “In the past week, we have seen a rapid escalation of cases […]

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Canada closes border to most foreigners

by Michel COMTE OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canada is closing its borders to most foreigners — excluding Americans — in a bid to stem the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday. “All Canadians, as much as possible, should also stay home,” he told a news conference outside his home, where he and his family are self-isolating after his wife Sophie tested positive for COVID-19. The move comes as the number of confirmed cases […]

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Trump says ‘looking into’ army building temporary hospitals

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Monday said he might ask the military to help build temporary hospitals to tackle the worsening coronavirus outbreak. Asked if the Army Corps of Engineers would build emergency hospitals, Trump said “we’re looking into it… we’re looking into it very strongly.” © Agence France-Presse

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Trump says, pandemic could end in US by July

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Monday the coronavirus pandemic that has killed thousands and brought life in countries across the world grinding to a halt could end by July in the United States. “So it seems to me that if we do a really good job… people are talking about July, August, something like that,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked how long the outbreak might last. “So […]

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US begins first human trial of coronavirus vaccine

by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The first human trial to evaluate a candidate vaccine against the new coronavirus has begun in Seattle, US health officials said Monday, raising hopes in the global fight against the disease. But it may be another year to 18 months before it becomes available, once it has passed more trial phases to prove it works and is safe. The vaccine is called mRNA-1273 and was developed by […]

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Macron orders French to stay home from midday Tuesday

PARIS, France (AFP) — President Emmanuel Macron on Monday ordered people to stay at home from midday Tuesday except for necessary reasons such as shopping, saying any violations of the stricter rules to battle the coronavirus would be punished. In a 20-minute address to the nation, he said the French had to “severely restrict movements for the next 15 days at least” and limit social contacts as much as possible. Any violation of this new […]

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Armenia declares state of emergency over coronavirus

YEREVAN, Armenia (AFP) — Armenia on Monday declared a nationwide state of emergency over the coronavirus, announcing additional social distancing measures and travel restrictions. “In order to contain the spread of the virus that threatens lives and public health, the government has decided to declare a state of emergency,” Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan told a televised cabinet meeting. Armenian nationals will be banned from leaving the country through its land borders and public gatherings of […]

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Greenland confirms first case of coronavirus

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AFP) — Greenland announced its first case of the novel coronavirus on Monday, as the autonomous Danish Arctic territory brought in restrictions to protect residents from the pandemic. “The first case of the new coronavirus has now been confirmed in Greenland,” according to a local government statement, citing the island’s health service. The infected patient lives in the capital Nuuk, and has been placed in home isolation, the government added. “Preparations have been […]

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Luxembourg wants cross-border medics to stay over

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg (AFP) — Luxembourg on Monday invited the health workers who live outside the duchy and commute in daily to stay overnight during the coronavirus crisis. Germany has already imposed more strict controls on its border and France and Belgium may yet follow suit, which could leave medical staff stranded. Cross-border commuters represent 46 percent of Luxembourg’s salaried workforce and about 62 percent of hard-pressed hospital and healthcare staff. If they are prevented from […]

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China tightens quarantine for international arrivals

by Laurie Chen and Jing Xuan Teng BEIJING, China (AFP) — China tightened quarantine measures for international arrivals on Monday as the country worries about a rise in imported cases of the deadly coronavirus and anger raged online at how Europe and the United States are handling the pandemic. After declaring they had “basically curbed” the spread of the disease within China, where the virus first emerged, authorities have now ordered international arrivals to Beijing […]

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