Google launches coronavirus website in the United States
Read the latest developments of the coronavirus outbreak here
Indians flee to villages as coronavirus measures take heavy toll
Thousands of poor city migrants whose livelihoods have collapsed due to India's coronavirus measures headed back to their villages on Saturday, raising fears that the exodus could carry the virus to the countryside.
About one fifth of India's 271 confirmed coronavirus cases has been reported in Maharashtra — home to Mumbai, the country's largest city and economic powerhouse. So far, India has registered four deaths due to the virus.
Angola confirms first cases as coronavirus spreads over Africa
Angola on Saturday confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus, while Mauritius recorded its first death as the virus spreads across Africa.
The continent has been slower to feel the impact than Asia or Europe, and most of its reported cases have been foreigners or people who have returned from abroad.
But confirmed infections have started to accelerate, with more than 830 across Africa, according to a Reuters tally, and concerns are growing about its ability to handle a surge in cases without the depth of medical facilities available in more developed economies.
Dutch coronavirus cases up by 637 to 3,631, deaths up 30 to 136
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Netherlands has risen by 637 to a total of 3,631, Dutch health authorities said in their daily update on Saturday, with 30 new deaths.
The total death toll in the Netherlands now stands at 136, with victims aged between 63 and 95 years old.
Vietnam to suspend all inbound flights to contain coronavirus
Vietnam will suspend all inbound international flights to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, the government said in a statement on Saturday.
“(Vietnam) will suspend all the flights carrying foreign passengers to minimize the number of people coming to the country,” Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in the statement, without giving a time frame.
Vietnam’s coronavirus cases rose to 92 as of Saturday, with no death, according to the Ministry of Health.
Indonesia confirms 81 new coronavirus cases, six more deaths
Indonesia has confirmed 81 new coronavirus cases and 6 more deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 450 and deaths to 38, a health ministry official told reporters on Saturday.
This comes a day after the governor of Jakarta declared a state of emergency in the Indonesian capital for the next two weeks over the coronavirus outbreak as the death toll in the country climbed to the highest in Southeast Asia.
Spain's coronavirus deaths surpass 1,300, close to 25,000 cases - Health Ministry
Spain’s death toll from the coronavirus epidemic soared on Saturday to 1,326 from 1,002 on Friday, according to the country’s Health Ministry latest data.
The number of registered cases in the country rose to 24,926 on Saturday from 19,980 in the previous tally announced on Friday.
Philippines confirms 45 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 307
The Philippines' health ministry reported 45 more confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing Saturday's tally to 77.
With the latest addition, confirmed cases in the Philippines' totaled 307. It announced 32 new cases earlier in the day and the 19th death related to the coronavirus.
The government has placed more than half of the country's population under strict home quarantine to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Mauritius says reports first death from coronavirus
Mauritius has confirmed its first death from the coronavirus, while the number of confirmed cases have risen, a health ministry official said on Saturday.
“Mauritius has registered its first death linked to COVID-19. Actually some 13 patients have been tested COVID-19 positive. Their state of health is stable and they are being treated in isolation,” Kavish Pultoo, adviser on information matters at the Ministry of Health, told Reuters.
Malaysia warns of more coronavirus cases as it traces guests of Islamic event
Malaysia's coronavirus cases jumped to 1,183 on Saturday with four deaths, and the government warned of more cases next week as it looks for people who attended a mass religious gathering linked to a majority of the cases.
The health ministry reported one new death and 153 fresh infections on Saturday, 90 of which are connected to the event at a mosque late last month attended by people from more than two dozen countries.
The four-day religious "tabligh" event near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, has now been linked to 714 cases in Malaysia, and at least 840 across Southeast Asia.
The total number of known US coronavirus cases has risen exponentially in recent days
New Jersey's governor was expected on Saturday to follow four other states - California, New York, Illinois and Connecticut - demanding that millions of Americans close up shop and stay home to slow the spread of coronavirus infections.
The sweeping state-by-state public health restrictions, unprecedented in breadth and scope, added to the distance being experienced among ordinary Americans even as the pandemic seemed to close in on the highest levels of power in the nation's capital.
An aide to US Vice President Mike Pence, leading the White House task force formed to combat the outbreak, tested positive for the virus, but neither President Donald Trump nor Pence have had close contact with the individual, Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, said in a statement on Friday.
German coronavirus cases rise by 2,705 to 16,662
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen by 2,705 within a day to reach 16,662, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said on Saturday.
It said a total of 47 people had died after testing positive, an increase of 16 from a tally of 31 published on Friday.
Iran's coronavirus deaths rise to 1,566, health ministry says
Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose on Saturday by more than 100 to 1,556, and the total number of people infected now exceeds 20,000, a health ministry official said.
On Friday, Iran’s death toll stood at 1,433 and the total number of confirmed infections was 19,644.
Cuba bars entry to foreign tourists to contain virus spread
Cuba will bar foreign visitors from entering the country for a month starting Tuesday in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the Caribbean island nation, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Friday.
The country will continue to allow Cubans and foreign residents entry, although they will have to go into quarantine for 14 days at a sanitary institution upon arrival, he told a televised roundtable. Foreign visitors will be able to return home and commerce will be allowed, Reuters reported.
Tourism is one of Cuba’s top income earners although arrivals had already started shrinking in recent days as countries that are the top sources of visitors to the island started advising against travel.
“Already planes are mainly coming to pick up visitors, many arrive empty, like those coming from Canada,” Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said on the roundtable. “Possibly all hotels will close”.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Cuba rose to 21 on Friday - 10 of those foreigners - with 716 people hospitalized on suspicion of having the disease, according to the health ministry.
South Asian governments impose coronavirus curfews, border controls
The region, home to 1.9 billion people, appears to have been less hard hit than elsewhere in the world but the rate of new infections in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka has accelerated, with 869 detected cases and seven deaths, Reuters reported.
India, the world’s second most populous country, also plans to halt all incoming international flights to help stem the number of cases, which passed 271 on Saturday.
The Pakistan government requested people self-quarantine for at least another 45 days as the country reported its third coronavirus death and the total number of confirmed cases rose to 481.
Bangladesh banned the arrival of all flights from midnight except from China, Hong Kong and Thailand, after 20 people tested positive, a senior civil aviation official said.
In Sri Lanka, which has reported 72 confirmed cases, police arrested 30 people from various parts of the country for violating curfew, a police spokesman said, adding the curfew has been imposed till Monday morning.
Uber suspends taxi booking option in Saudi Arabia
Uber Technologies has suspended the option to book regular taxi services through its app in Saudi Arabia until further notice, a company statement said on Friday.
Saudi Arabia is in virtual lockdown and has suspended regular, accredited taxi services as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It has reported 344 cases of the virus.
“As per the measures announced by the Ministry of Interior, we are suspending Uber Taxi in the Kingdom until further notice”, an Uber spokesman told Reuters.
Iran president expects coronavirus restrictions to ease within three weeks
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that social distancing measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the country, including travel restrictions, will apply for only two to three weeks as he expects the crisis to ease by then.
Iran "has to do everything necessary to return economic production to normal," he said in comments broadcast on state TV. He also accused "counter-revolutionaries" of plotting to shut down economic production, Reuters reported.
Iran is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic outside of China, with more than 1,400 deaths so far, and nearly 20,0000 confirmed infections.
Central Asia tightens restrictions as coronavirus spreads
Authorities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have announced fresh restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus as the number of cases in Central Asia snowballed, Reuters reported.
In Kazakhstan, where 53 cases have been confirmed, authorities said on Saturday they were closing all parks in Almaty, the country’s biggest city, which was this week put on lockdown along with capital city Nur-Sultan.
Over the last two days, police and National Guard servicemen have also locked down several residential buildings in Almaty where infected people lived.
In Uzbekistan, with 33 confirmed cases, the government said late on Friday it was shutting down all entertainment venues and tea houses and banning large-scale wedding parties and other family ceremonies.
In Turkmenistan, which has so far reported no coronavirus cases, locals traveling to and from the capital, Ashgabat, said that officials at checkpoints installed around the city informed them that non-essential travel was banned.
The government of Kyrgyzstan, where the number of coronavirus cases doubled overnight to 12, said on Saturday it was considering declaring a state of emergency from Sunday and has already locked down the provincial districts where the infection had been diagnosed.
Thailand to close malls as coronavirus cases jump
Thailand announced it will close malls in the capital Bangkok as the country reported its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections on Saturday, Reuters reported.
Malls, except for supermarkets, will be closed for 22 days beginning March 22 to April 12 in a bid to curb the outbreak of the coronavirus, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said in a statement.
“For malls, only the areas that sell food and goods that are used in daily life, will be open,” Aswin said in a Facebook live broadcast.
Long queues and crowds of shoppers were seen at a grocery store in downtown Bangkok with their carts full of dried goods, food and medicine.
Wasfia Nazreen tests positive for Covid-19
Famous mountaineer and adventurer Wasfia Nazreen is infected with the global epidemic coronavirus.
This morning she announced this through a friend on her facebook page.
The social activist also urged everyone to eliminate prejudice and superstition and have asked to trust in medical science.
Bangladesh confirms second death from coronavirus
Bangladesh today announced the second death from the novel coronavirus.
Health Minister Zahid Malik confirmed it in a briefing.
IMF sees severe impact from pandemic on global economy
The impact of the global coronavirus pandemic will be "quite severe," but a long expansionary period and high employment rates mean the global economy should weather the current shock, a top International Monetary Fund official said on Friday, Reuters reported.
Martin Muehleisen, who heads the IMF's strategy policy and review department, said in an IMF podcast that the main goal for governments should be to limit the spread of the virus in a way that provides confidence that the economic shock will be temporary.
He said banks and governments had already taken unprecedented measures to provide liquidity to markets and keep them functioning, "and maybe more will be needed," but such steps should be coordinated internationally to amplify their effect.
Bangladeshi dies from coronavirus in Italy
A Bangladeshi expatriate died from coronavirus at a hospital in Milan, Italy yesterday night.
The deceased was identified as Golam Mawla, 56, son of Hafez Ali Akbar of Companiganj upazila in Noakhali.
Golam Mawla had been suffering from fever, cough and respiratory problem and breathed his last around 8pm Friday night at a hospital in Milan, Eampur Union Parishad Chairman Iqbal Chowdhury said quoting his family members.
He is the first Bangladeshi patient died from coronavirus in Italy.
East Timor confirms first case of coronavirus
East Timor reported its first case of coronavirus, its Ministry of Health said on Saturday, adding that the case was from someone who had just returned from abroad, Reuters reported.
The ministry said the patient posed little risk to the public, as he immediately consulted with doctors after showing symptoms of the coronavirus.
"He isolated himself immediately after contacting doctors," the ministry said in an official Facebook post, without giving details of where the patient travelled from.
The tiny Southeast Asian nation with a population less than 1.3 million was formally part of Indonesia until 2002, and is located east of the Indonesian archipelago.
Jordan blows sirens for start of nationwide curfew to combat coronavirus
Jordan blew sirens at the start of a nationwide curfew on Saturday, limiting the mobility of its 10 million citizens indefinitely to combat the spread of coronavirus, witnesses and officials said.
Anyone violating the curfew, which severely restricts movement beyond emergencies and essential services, can be jailed up to a year, the army said.
The curfew, in which thousands of soldiers have been deployed inside cities and on main highways across the country, is in place until further notice, Reuters reported.
Jordan has closed land and sea border crossings with Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Israel, and suspended all incoming and outgoing flights since Tuesday.
Starbucks closes most US, Canada cafes, moves to drive-through
Starbucks Corp said on Friday it will close most of its company operated cafes across north America for two weeks, limiting its services to drive-throughs, to help stem the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus, Reuters reported.
Exceptions to the closure would be made for cafes serving in or around hospitals and health care centers, she said.
Starbucks, which owns almost all US stores, said its licensed partners would make independent decisions about whether to close their stores, but said it would pay all store partners for the next 30 days, regardless of that decision.
Google launches coronavirus website in the United States
Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Saturday it launched a United States-focused website with information about coronavirus guidance and testing, as the country works on slowing the spread of the highly contagious virus, Reuters reported.
The site (google.com/covid19), which consists of resources and links focused on the potentially deadly respiratory illness COVID-19, will be available in more languages and countries in coming days, Google said in a blog post.
Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in a blog post last Sunday that the search giant was partnering with the U.S. government to create a website by March 16.
However, the launch was delayed as local and national guidance changed significantly from Sunday to Monday and the company had said it would roll out the website later in the week.
Europe reports over 17,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours
Europe reported 17,506 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours as of midnight Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the region to 104,591, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday in a daily situation report.
A total of 4,899 patients in Europe had died of COVID-19 as of 23:59 CET Thursday (2259 GMT), an increase of 816 deaths compared with the previous day, according to the WHO report.
The most affected European countries — Italy, Spain, Germany and France, all with more than 10,000 cases — have registered more than 80,000 infections in total, including 4,566 deaths, Xinhua reported.
Bangladesh cuts air links with 10 countries
Bangladesh has cut air connectivity with 10 countries to curb the spread of novel coronavirus in the country.
The countries are- Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore and India.
Confirming the matter, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director Mokabbir Hossain said, "Flights from these countries will remain restricted from 12am tonight to March 31.
Member of US Vice President Pence's office tests COVID-19 positive
A member of US Vice President Mike Pence's office has tested positive for the coronavirus but neither President Donald Trump nor Pence have had close contact with the individual, Pence's press secretary Katie Miller said in a statement on March 20, Reuters reported.
Miller said Pence's office was notified on March 20 evening about the positive test. The statement did not name the individual. "Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines," she said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pence is leading the White House task force formed to combat the outbreak.
UK to pay up to 80% of workers' salaries
The United Kingdom will pay the salaries of employees unable to work due to the coronavirus pandemic, in a radical move aimed at protecting people's jobs.
The government will pay 80% of salary for staff who are kept on by their employer, covering wages of up to £2,500 a month, BBC reported.
The "unprecedented" measures will stop workers being laid off due to the crisis, chancellor Rishi Sunak said.
Firms have warned the virus could see them collapse, wiping out thousands of jobs, as life in the UK is put on hold.
Cooler South America weather could fan coronavirus spread
The coronavirus is landing in South America as summer in the southern hemisphere draws to a close and winter approaches, potentially worsening the spread of the pandemic in Brazil and other parts of the region, medical experts told Reuters.
Little is known about how changes in seasonal weather affect the new coronavirus. But six infectious disease experts in Brazil said that past outbreaks in the country, including the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic, point to colder temperatures exacerbating contagion.
Brazil is already the hardest hit country in Latin America, with over 900 confirmed cases by Friday and at least 11 deaths.
That could also apply to South American countries like Argentina and Chile, which are less populous than Brazil but have colder weather.
Japan's coronavirus infections cross 1,000
Japan has recorded 1,016 cases of domestically transmitted cases of coronavirus as of Saturday, according to public broadcaster NHK, hitting a new milestone as the nation grapples with pressure to avoid a health crisis ahead of Tokyo Olympics, Reuters reported.
The tally rises to 1,728 if 712 cases of infections from a cruise ship moored near Tokyo last month are included, according to NHK.
Although the number of cases is still on the rise, Japan has started scaling back some measures to fight the spread of the virus.
On Friday, Japan said it would not extend its request to close schools, setting the stage for classes to resume at the start of the academic year in April.
Singapore reports first deaths in coronavirus battle
Singapore reported two coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday of people with underlying health conditions, marking the first fatalities in the city-state's widely praised battle against the infection.
The health ministry said a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man died on Saturday morning, Reuters reported.
Singapore has confirmed 385 cases of the infection and had so far managed to avoid any fatalities since the outbreak began in the city-state in late January.
Colombia to hold 19-day quarantine to fight coronavirus
Colombia will enter a nationwide quarantine from Tuesday night, President Ivan Duque said late on Friday, the most drastic measure implemented so far by the South American country as it seeks to prevent the spread of the fast-moving coronavirus.
The quarantine in the country, which has 158 confirmed cases of the virus, will last for 19 days. It has not reported any deaths, Reuters reported.
Duque said the action, which will include strict restrictions on citizens' movements outside the home, was necessary to fight the disease.
Majority with COVID-19 only suffer mild symptoms, then recover
China's data revealed on COVID-19 last month show that most people who contract the novel coronavirus experience mild symptoms and then recover.
Scientists from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a research paper analyzing the data for the first 72,314 people diagnosed with Covid-19, CNN reported.
Epidemiologists say it will take a long time to fully understand the mechanics of the coronavirus outbreak, but the information published by the Chinese scientists may give some insight into those most vulnerable to the virus.
China's imported coronavirus cases jump as students, expats flock home
China reported a record rise in imported coronavirus cases on Friday as expatriates returned home from the United States and Europe, sparking fears of a second wave of infections just as the country recovers from the initial outbreak.
All 41 of the new confirmed cases in China were imported from abroad, the country's National Health Commission said on Saturday, bringing the total number of such cases to 269, Reuters reported.
Beijing and Shanghai were the main entry points for the returnees, many of whom are students who were studying abroad, according to official reports. They have come back after many campuses in the United States and Europe shut down to stem rapidly rising infection rates there.
The pivot to stemming imported cases has led to a tightening of quarantine restrictions in the country.
UNICEF finds children at heightened risk of abuse
Millions of children around the world will likely to face increasing threats to their safety and wellbeing from caregivers because of actions taken to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, says UNICEF on Friday.
UNICEF has urged governments to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children amidst the intensifying socioeconomic fallout from the disease, UNB reported.
The UN children's agency, together with its partners at the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, has released a set of guidance to support authorities and organisations involved in the response.
In a matter of months, COVID-19 has upended the lives of children and families across the globe, according to a media release issued from New York.
School closures and movement restrictions are disrupting children's routines and support systems. Stigma related to COVID-19 has left some children more vulnerable to violence and psychosocial distress.
New York joins California in locking down
New York state moved to join California on Friday in confining nearly all residents to their homes, as governors undertook their most sweeping efforts yet to contain the coronavirus and fend off the kind of onslaught of patients that has caused southern Europe to buckle.
"We're going to close the valve, because the rate of increase in the number of cases portends a total overwhelming of our hospital system," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said as cases in the state climbed to more than 7,000 and the death toll reached at least 38, Reuters reported.
Cuomo said that starting Sunday, all workers in nonessential businesses must stay home as much as possible and all gatherings of any size will be banned in the state of more than 19 million people. He acted after California all but confined its 40 million residents in the biggest lockdown in the nation.
United Airlines slashes international schedule by 95% for April
United Airlines Holdings Inc said on March 20 it would slash its international schedule by 95% for April because of government restrictions prohibiting travel in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
United will temporarily suspend all flights to Canada effective April 1 and will draw down its remaining trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific and Mexico operations, the airline said in a statement, Reuters reported.
The airline this week had announced a 60% reduction in domestic and international schedules for April, citing the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on travel demand.
Italy sees biggest day-to-day rise in coronavirus deaths
Italy has recorded its highest day-to-day-rise in the number of deaths of people infected with the new coronavirus.
Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli said on March 20 the country recorded 627 more deaths in the 24 hours since Italy surpassed China on March 19 as the nation with the most COVID-19-related deaths. The total now stands at 4,032, AP reported.
Authorities said most of the people who died had existing health problems such as heart disease and diabetes before they were infected with the virus.
Borrelli says Italy also saw a staggering increase of 5,986 cases from a day earlier, bringing the official total in Italy to 47,021.
The soaring numbers come despite a national lockdown that drastically limits when residents are allowed to leave their homes. Police have issued citations to thousands of people for being out and about without valid reasons, such as going to work or shopping for food.