Morocco makes dozen arrests over coronavirus fake news
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Morocco makes dozen arrests over coronavirus fake news
Moroccan police have arrested at least a dozen people for spreading rumours about the coronavirus, authorities said on Thursday, including a woman who used her YouTube channel to say the disease did not exist.
"Fake news is the first cause of panic among citizens," said Prime Minister Saad Eddine El-Otmai, comparing the spread of misinformation with contagion of the disease.
Other people were arrested for attacking the government over its strict measures against public gathering, urging people to ignore them, or saying a lockdown had been implemented when it had not.
DU students start leaving halls
Resident students of Dhaka University have started leaving their halls following an instruction from the university authorities to close all the dormitories amid coronavirus fears.
The authorities have asked all the resident students to vacate the halls by 6 pm on Friday.
President of Dhaka University Teachers' Association Professor ASM Maqsood Kamal made the announcement at a media briefing on Thursday.
The decision has been taken in an emergency meeting of the syndicate, he said.
From hero to zero: coronavirus upends livelihoods across Europe
On Sunday morning, Irish chef Cúán Greene woke up to the review of his life. Britain's Observer newspaper told readers his cooking would make them "thrillingly giddy and euphoric". Hours later he was out of a job.
Bastible, the Dublin restaurant where he was head chef, was closing as a result of the growing threat from the coronavirus. Greene, 27, and 13 colleagues were all let go.
"When you get a great review, it's a special week every time, and those weeks turn into great months. That's what's upsetting because with what's going on, you feel slightly stunted," said Greene, who worked in the world famous Danish restaurant Noma before returning home to Dublin.
Madaripur’s Shibchar under partial lockdown
The local administration of Madaripur's Shibchar has shut down all the markets, except daily essentials shops in the upazila to curb the coronavirus spread.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting with Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Asaduzzaman in the chair today.
The administration also stopped public transport across the upazila.
Airline industry turmoil deepens as coronavirus pain spreads
Airline industry turmoil deepened today as Qantas Airways Ltd told most of its 30,000 employees to take leave and India prepared a rescue package of up to $1.6 billion to aid carriers battered by coronavirus, government sources said.
The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization called on governments to ensure cargo operations were not disrupted to maintain the availability of critical medicine and equipment such as ventilators, masks, and other health and hygiene items that will help reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Passenger operations have collapsed at an unprecedented rate as the virus spreads around the world, with Delta Air Lines Inc parking more than 600 jets, cutting corporate pay by as much as 50%, and scaling back its flying by more than 70% until demand begins to recover.
7 hospitalised with fever after arriving from abroad
Seven passengers, who returned from different countries, have been taken to the capital's Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital with high fever.
"They were found having high body temperature after initial screening at the airport. Later they were rushed to the Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital," Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Director AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan said in a press briefing today.
"The expatriates arrived in Dhaka from different countries including Qatar, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Oman and Kuwait," he further added.
Bangladesh announced its first death from coronavirus infection on Wednesday. Four new patients were identified on Wednesday raising the total number of infected persons to 14.
Asian nations face second wave of imported corona cases
South Korea, China and Singapore are among the Asian countries facing a second coronavirus wave, spurred by people importing it from outside.
China, where the virus first emerged, reported no new domestic cases today for the first time since it started recording numbers in January, BBC reported.
However, it reported 34 new cases among people recently returned to China.
South Korea saw a jump in new cases today with 152, though it is not clear how many were imported.
A new cluster there is centred on a nursing home in Daegu, where 74 patients have tested positive.
On March 18, Singapore reported 47 new infections - of which 33 were imported, including 30 residents who had been infected abroad and brought the infection back.
In China, there were eight more deaths, all in the central province of Hubei and most of them in Wuhan.
All three countries had been showing success in controlling domestic cases, but there is concern that increases elsewhere could unravel their progress.
Trump says he will invoke wartime act to fight 'enemy' coronavirus
US President Donald Trump moved on Wednesday to accelerate production of desperately needed medical equipment to battle the coronavirus pandemic and said an estimate that US unemployment could conceivably reach 20 percent was a worst case scenario.
Scrambling to address the virus after initially playing it down, Trump said he is invoking the Defense Production Act, putting in place a law that will allow the US government to speed production of masks, respirators, ventilators and other needed equipment.
"We're going to defeat the invisible enemy," said Trump, who said the unfolding crisis had basically made him a "war-time president."
US-Canada border closed as Florida congressman diagnosed with coronavirus
The United States and Canada closed their shared border to "non-essential traffic" on March 18 to curb transmission of the coronavirus as US President Donald Trump moved to bolster medical equipment supplies and the outbreak struck Capitol Hill.
Two members of the US House representatives - Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Ben McAdams of Utah - said on March 18 they had each tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first lawmakers in Congress known to have become infected.
The implications for Capitol Hill were not immediately clear. The news came as the US Senate passed legislation providing over $100 billion in emergency spending for free coronavirus testing, paid sick leave and expanded safety-net benefits.
Canada unveils massive aid package amid pandemic
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on March 18 his government is deferring tax payments until August, providing a wage subsidy for small businesses and pausing student loan payments as part of massive stimulus package to limit economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic.
Trudeau said the government is focused on making sure Canadians have the money they need to support their families, buy groceries and pay the rent. Up to $82 billion Canadian (US$56.4 billion) is being spent. The money is about 3% of Canada's gross domestic product.
Trudeau said he will provide employers of small businesses with a temporary wage subsidy equal to 10% of the salary paid to employees for a period of three months. He said that will encourage employers to keep staff on the payroll.
US suspending visa services worldwide due to coronavirus
The United States is suspending all routine visa services as of Wednesday in most countries worldwide due to the coronavirus outbreak, a spokeswoman for the State Department said, an unprecedented move that will potentially impact hundreds of thousands of people.
The Department did not say which or how many countries are halting services but US missions in more than half a dozen countries including South Korea, South Africa, Germany and Spain on their web sites announced that they were either stopping or significantly reducing services.
Facebook scrambles as use soars in time of isolation
Facebook said Wednesday it would place "authoritative" coronavirus content at the top of user feeds as it scrambled to keep up with increased usage and stem the flow of misinformation on its platform and WhatsApp messaging.
The leading social network said it has nearly doubled server capacity to power WhatsApp as people in isolation place more voice and video calls using the popular messaging service.
Facebook also donated $1 million to the International Fact-Checking Network to expand the presence of local fact-checkers and curb misinformation on WhatsApp, said Facebook head of health Kang-Xing Jin.
Rattled world 'at war' with coronavirus as deaths surge in Italy, France
Hundreds of millions of people faced a world turned upside down on Wednesday by unprecedented emergency measures against the coronavirus pandemic that is killing the old and vulnerable and threatening prolonged economic misery.
"This is a once-in-a-hundred-year type event," said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, warning the crisis could last six months as his nation became the latest to restrict gatherings and overseas travel.
The fast-spreading disease that jumped from animals to humans in China has now infected over 212,000 people and caused 8,700 deaths in 164 nations, triggering emergency lockdowns and injections of cash unseen since World War Two.
Italy set to prolong anti-coronavirus lockdown
Italy will remain under lockdown beyond previous deadlines due to expire later this month and in early April, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday, in ongoing efforts to try beat Coronavirus in Europe's worst-affected country.
In comments to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Conte said measures taken to close schools, universities and to impose severe restrictions on movement would have to be prolonged, Reuters reported.
Under current measures, Italy's 60 million people are only allowed to travel for work, medical reasons or emergencies under an order that runs until April 3, while most shops, except those selling food and pharmacies, are supposed to remain closed until March 25.
Germany extends border restrictions to air, sea travel
Germany has been extending its entry restrictions at six national borders to air and shipping traffic.
EU citizens coming from Austria, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Denmark will no longer be allowed into Germany by air or sea unless there is an “urgent reason to travel,” said the interior ministry on March 18, CNN reported.
Travelers coming from EU countries may only land at a German airport if they are traveling from their original destination to their home country.
Germany had imposed the land border closures with those six countries earlier this week.
Earlier today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked all citizens to play their part in containing the pandemic.
“Things are serious. Take this seriously. Since German unification, no, since the Second World War, there has not been a situation that was so dependent on us acting together in solidarity,” she said.
India locks down Kashmir region on coronavirus fears
India blocked roads in Kashmir today after the insurgency-torn region reported its first case of coronavirus, as several other parts of the country imposed restrictions on public gatherings in attempts to prevent its spread.
In Kashmir, dozens of people told Reuters they had been prevented from leaving their neighbourhoods on March 19 because roads were blocked by police and paramilitary units, Reuters reported.
Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Morocco have temporarily waived airport slot rule
Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Morocco have suspended a rule requiring airlines to use most of their scheduled services or else forfeit landing slots at airports due to the coronavirus outbreak, International Air Transport Association Africa and Middle East Vice President Muhammad Ali Albakri said on Thursday.
Airlines around the world have cancelled hundreds of flights as travel demand has been shattered by the virus epidemic, Reuters reported.
Russia reports first coronavirus death
Russia said today a 79-year-old woman with underlying health issues who tested positive for the new coronavirus had died from pneumonia, the country's first confirmed death resulting from the virus.
Russia has reported 147 cases of the coronavirus, Reuters reported.
Malaysia reports 110 new coronavirus cases, total hits 900
Malaysia reported 110 new coronavirus cases today, with the total number of cases increasing to 900.
Most of the new cases were linked to an religious gathering at a mosque attended by 16,000 people, the health ministry said, Reuters reported.
UAE banning incoming travellers, residency visa holders
The United Arab Emirates is extending its travel ban to deny entry to residency visa holders.
The new restrictions go into effect today, CNN reported citing state news agency WAM.
Earlier this week, the UAE also suspended issuing all tourist visas and most work permits.
UAE nationals in the country are also temporarily banned from traveling abroad.
The UAE has 114 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking cases reported by the World Health Organization and additional sources.
Australia economy to get a $56 billion coronavirus protection injection
Australia's central bank and government announced support packages on Thursday that will pump around A$100 billion ($56 billion) (48.39 billion pounds) into the economy, as they seek to cushion the blow from the global coronavirus epidemic.
The Reserve Bank of Australia slashed interest rates in an out-of-cycle cut to an all time low and embarked on a quantitative easing programme for the first time, while the government unveiled A$15 billion in loan support for small and medium lenders, Reuters reported.
Australian authorities have been ramping up their financial response to the coronavirus outbreak amid fears it will tip the country into its first recession in nearly three decades and lead to a surge in unemployment.
Malaysia seeks Rohingya for coronavirus checks after mosque outbreak
Malaysian authorities are scrambling to track down about 2,000 Rohingya men who attended a Muslim religious gathering that has led to a big spike in coronavirus cases across Southeast Asia, a security source and two other people told Reuters.
Malaysia's search for the Rohingya highlights the challenge for governments trying to track the virus among communities living without official papers and wary of authorities.
South Korea pledges $39bn emergency funding for small business
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on today pledged 50 trillion won ($39 billion) (33.93 billion pounds) in emergency financing for small businesses and other stimulus measures to prop up the country's coronavirus-hit economy.
The package is the latest in a string of steps Seoul has taken in recent days to curb pressure on Asia's fourth-largest economy, including an interest rate cut, an extra 11.7 trillion won budget and more dollar supplies, Reuters reported.
The government will issue loan guarantees for struggling small businesses with less than 100 million won in annual revenue to ensure companies can easily and cheaply access credit, Moon said.
Iran to pardon 10,000 more prisoners
Iran's top leader will pardon 10,000 more prisoners in an apparent effort to combat the coronavirus, state TV reported today.
The report quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as saying that 10,000 prisoners — among them an unknown number of security related inmates — will be granted amnesty under a decree by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the occasion of the Iranian new year, called Nowruz, AP reported.
In apparent efforts to try to curb the spread of the new virus that has killed more than 1,100 in Iran, the country has already released 85,000 prisoners on temporary leave.
Bangladesh closes all tourist spots, resorts amid coronavirus fear
All tourist places across Bangladesh, including Cox's Bazar, Sundarbans, Sylhet, Rangmati, Sreemangal and Bandarban have been closed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Local administrations of the respective districts advised tourists not to visit the spots until further notice. The authorities have also asked to cancel booking of all hotels, restaurants, resorts and rest houses in the areas, The Business Standard reported.
People thronged at the tourist spots after the government ordered to close the educational institutions across the country till March 31 to curb coronavirus.
Airline industry turmoil deepens as coronavirus pain spreads
Airline industry turmoil deepened today as Qantas Airways Ltd told most of its 30,000 employees to take leave and India prepared a rescue package of up to $1.6 billion to aid carriers battered by coronavirus, government sources said.
The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization called on governments to ensure cargo operations were not disrupted to maintain the availability of critical medicine and equipment such as ventilators, masks, and other health and hygiene items that will help reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Passenger operations have collapsed at an unprecedented rate as the virus spreads around the world, Reuters reported.
COVID-19 may terminate around 25 million jobs worldwide: ILO
Around 25 million people working in different sectors may lose their jobs worldwide due to the economic and labour crisis created by the coronavirus outbreak, said International Labour Organisation (ILO).
According to the new assessment from the ILO, an internationally coordinated policy response, as happened in the global financial crisis of 2008-09, can significantly lower the impact on global unemployment.
Coronavirus death toll reaches 8,967 globally
The death toll from coronavirus reached 8,970 worldwide as of today.
It has so far infected 219,240 people around the world, according to worldometer.
Some 124,642 people are currently being treated with 6,814 in serious condition.
Nearly 85,745 people have been recovered so far.
New Zealand shuts border to all foreigners to curb spread of coronavirus
New Zealand closed its borders to all foreigners from midnight today, as it stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a press conference that citizens and permanent residents can still return, but their options are running out as many commercial airlines are cancelling flights, Reuters reported.
"We will no tolerate risk at our borders," Ardern said at a news conference, adding that borders will remain open for freight and cargo and urged people not to panic-shop.
New Zealand has so far confirmed 28 cases of the coronavirus.
Australia bans non-residents from entering country on coronavirus fears
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today all non-citizens and non-residents would be banned from entering the country from 9pm (1000 GMT) March 20.
“The overwhelming proportion of cases in Australia have been imported.,” Morrison told a televised briefing in Canberra, Reuters reported.
Australia has recorded around 600 coronavirus infections and six deaths, a relatively small number compared to other countries, but officials are growing increasingly concerned about the prospect of a rapid spike in cases.
COVID-19 infections in Japan rise to 924
Japan’s health ministry and local governments today said that one person infected by the COVID-19 virus had died in Osaka and three new cases were confirmed in Hyogo, Wakayama and Ibaraki prefectures, bringing the total number of cases to 924.
The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 39 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo, AFP reported.
Of the 924 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan, the majority are in Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which has confirmed 154 cases, followed by Aichi Prefecture with 130 confirmed cases, Osaka has 117, Tokyo 111, Hyogo 92 and Kanagawa Prefecture has confirmed 60 COVID-19 infections, according to the latest statistics from health ministry and local authorities.
The health ministry said there are currently a total of 60 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators to receive respiratory assistance or have been admitted to intensive care units for medical treatment.
The ministry also said that a total of 718 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovery.
Facebook scrambles as use soars in time of isolation
Facebook said on March 18 it would place "authoritative" coronavirus content at the top of user feeds as it scrambled to keep up with increased usage and stem the flow of misinformation on its platform and WhatsApp messaging.
The leading social network said it has nearly doubled server capacity to power WhatsApp as people in isolation place more voice and video calls using the popular messaging service, AFP reported.
Mexico registers first coronavirus death
Mexico registered its first death from coronavirus on March 18, the health ministry said in a statement, saying the deceased was a diabetic whose symptoms began last week, Reuters reported.
Canada unveils massive aid package amid pandemic
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on March 18 his government is deferring tax payments until August, providing a wage subsidy for small businesses and pausing student loan payments as part of massive stimulus package to limit economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic.
Trudeau said the government is focused on making sure Canadians have the money they need to support their families, buy groceries and pay the rent. Up to $82 billion Canadian (US$56.4 billion) is being spent. The money is about 3% of Canada's gross domestic product, AP reported.
Coronavirus deaths surge in Italy, France
Italy reported 475 new deaths, the biggest increase since the outbreak started and the highest one-day total posted by any nation while France reported a spike in deaths - rising by 89, or 51%, to a total of 264 in 24 hours as of March 18.
There was particular alarm in Italy, which has experienced an unusually high death rate - nearly 3,000 from 35,713 cases. It has called on student and retired doctors to help an overwhelmed health service, Reuters reported.
Dating in the time of coronavirus: Chat online, meet much later
With governments clamping down on social interactions to contain the coronavirus spread, dating sites are discouraging dates and asking users to get to know each other virtually instead.
"We don't know who needs to hear this, but now is NOT the time to go out with your date to a bar," leading match-maker OkCupid tweeted on March 16, AFP reported.
US suspending visa services worldwide
The United States is suspending all routine visa services as of March 18 in most countries worldwide due to the coronavirus outbreak, a spokeswoman for the State Department said, an unprecedented move that will potentially impact hundreds of thousands of people.
The Department did not say which or how many countries are halting services but US missions in more than half a dozen countries including South Korea, South Africa, Germany and Spain on their web sites announced that they were either stopping or significantly reducing services, Reuters reported.
Australian airline Qantas to cut all international flights
Australia’s biggest airline Qantas said it would halt all international flights and suspend 20,000 staff in response to the coronavirus pandemic on March 18, days after the island nation’s other main carrier Virgin shut its overseas routes.
Qantas said all of its international flights would be suspended by late March for at least two months after the government told citizens on March 18 to forego all overseas travel in a bid to halt the spread of novel coronavirus, AFP reported.
“The efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus have led to a huge drop in travel demand, the likes of which we have never seen before,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said, adding that the airline would suspend 20,000 of its 30,000 staff during the shutdown.
The move also affected Qantas’ budget offshoot, Jetstar. A number of foreign airlines also service Australian routes.
Qantas is maintaining 60 percent of its domestic flights and Virgin Australia 50 percent.
Trump signs $100 billion coronavirus relief package
US President Donald Trump on March 18 signed a $100-billion emergency aid package that ensures sick leave to Americans workers who fall ill from the new coronavirus, with more federal assistance in the pipeline.
The bipartisan House-passed measure easily cleared the Senate by a vote of 90 to eight earlier on March 18. Hours later Trump said in a statement that he signed the legislation into law, providing a rare example of Congressional Democrats, Republicans and the presidency working together quickly during his administration, AFP reported.
It provides for free coronavirus testing for those who need it, sick pay and paid family leave, and bolsters unemployment insurance for millions of Americans.
The legislation aims to strengthen protections in the face of a global health crisis that has already killed more than 110 people in the United States, where more than 7,300 cases have been confirmed.
Asian nations face second wave of imported corona cases
South Korea, China and Singapore are among the Asian countries facing a second coronavirus wave, spurred by people importing it from outside.
China, where the virus first emerged, reported no new domestic cases today for the first time since it started recording numbers in January, BBC reported.
US-Canada border closed
The United States and Canada closed their shared border to "non-essential traffic" on March 18 to curb transmission of the coronavirus as US President Donald Trump moved to bolster medical equipment supplies and the outbreak struck Capitol Hill.
However, the US-Mexico border would remain open, Reuters reported.
Jamaica records first COVID-19 death
Jamaica has recorded its first COVID-19 death, the Ministry of Health announced on March 18.
The 79-year-old man from Clarendon died at the isolation facility at the Mandeville Regional Hospital after his condition started to deteriorate, Jamaica Observer reported.
He was being prepared to be transferred to the University Hospital of the West Indies for intensive care when he died.
The man had diabetes and hypertension and had returned from New York, United States.
Two more positive cases have also been confirmed, bringing the country's total confirmed COVID-19 cases to 15.
Cuba records first coronavirus death
A 61-year-old Italian tourist was the first person to die in Cuba of the COVID-19 disease, the health ministry said.
The Italian arrived in Cuba on March 9. Unlike many Latin American countries, Cuba -- which relies on tourism revenue -- has not closed its borders, nor does it have quarantine obligations even for people arriving from the worst affected countries, AFP reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, Cuba allowed a British cruise ship carrying five infected people and more than 50 others showing flu-like symptoms to dock on the island.
Chile calls state of catastrophe
Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera declared a “state of catastrophe” on March 18 over the coronavirus outbreak.
Chile and Brazil are the only countries in Latin America to have more than 200 recorded cases of coronavirus so far. There are more than 1,200 cases in the region with only 10 recorded deaths, AFP reported.
Costa Rica sees first virus death
Costa Rica saw its first death from the novel coronavirus Wednesday, an 87-year-old man who had been hospitalized, the government said.
He was in intensive care at the hospital in Alajuela city, 15 kilometers (nine miles) northeast of the capital San Jose, where most of the country’s infections are concentrated, the health ministry said in a statement, AFP reported.
The announcement came hours after health minister Daniel Salas announced a sharp rise in the country’s total cases, up to 69 from 50.
Although the COVID-19 illness was initially slower to take hold in Latin America than other parts of the world, it is increasingly affecting Central and South America.
El Salvador registers first coronavirus infection
El Salvador has registered its first case of coronavirus infection in the country, President Nayib Bukele said on MArch 18.
In a televised address, Bukele said the person was known to have visited Italy recently, Reuters reported.
Muslim event in Indonesia stopped amid coronavirus fears
A rally of Muslim pilgrims that is drawing thousands of people to Indonesia has been stopped amid fears that it could help spread the new coronavirus, an official said.
For days, authorities had been trying to persuade Ijtima Asia, part of the global Tablighi Jama'at movement of evangelical Muslims, to halt the event at Gowa near the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi province after a similar event in Malaysia led to hundreds of infections, Reuters reported.
"Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), Ijtima finally agreed to postpone/cancel," the head of Gowa regency, Adnan Purichta Ichsan, posted on social media late on Wednesday.
He added that the pilgrims already there would be isolated while they make arrangements to leave Gowa. More than 8,500 people from across Indonesia, Asia and the Middle East had converged on the town.
The proselytising Tablighi Jama'at movement behind the gathering in Indonesia hosted an event in Malaysia from February 27 to March 1 that drew 16,000 followers and led to more than 500 coronavirus infections.
Coronavirus thumps Brazil, prompting nationwide cries of 'Bolsonaro Out!'
The coronavirus outbreak hammered Brazil on Wednesday, crushing local markets, infecting more members of the country's political elite and prompting loud protests against President Jair Bolsonaro, whose son waded into a diplomatic spat with China.
Bolsonaro's national security adviser, the mines and energy minister and the head of the Senate all tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, as the death toll rose to four dead with 428 people infected, Reuters reported.
Bolsonaro has come under mounting criticism for his lax handling of the outbreak, which he initially labeled a "fantasy." The virus' spread represents a major threat for the far-right populist, who was already struggling to resuscitate the country's weak economy.
China reports no new domestic virus cases for first time
China today reported no new domestic cases of the coronavirus for the first time since it started recording them in January, but recorded a spike in infections from abroad.
The lack of domestic infections marks a major milestone in China’s containment efforts, but the rise in imported cases threatens to unravel its progress.
