Covid-19: India bans entry of travellers from 32 European countries, Turkey
The number of officially recorded novel coronavirus cases globally stood at 1,69,086 with 6,512 deaths, across 146 countries and territories, prompting countries to take unprecedented response
Covid-19: India bans entry of travellers from 32 European countries, Turkey
In an effort to restrict instances of infected travellers spreading coronavirus in India, the government on Monday prohibited airlines from carrying passengers from the European Union, European Free Trade Association member states - Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway and Swiss Confederation - United Kingdom and Turkey.
"Travel advisories have been tightened as a preventive measure," said health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal.
The blanket ban on passengers from these countries will come into effect from 5.30 pm on Wednesday, 18 March.
Turkey suspends mass prayers in mosques over coronavirus fears
Turkey suspended mass prayers in mosques until the risk of coronavirus outbreak passes, the head of Turkey's religious directorate, Ali Erbas said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Erbas said the mosques will be kept open for individual prayers.
Switzerland cancels parliament session, virus cases rise
Switzerland cancelled a session of its national parliament, the government held crisis talks and the Swiss stock market plunged on Monday as new coronavirus cases accelerated.
A reported rise of some 840 new infections on Sunday brought total cases in Switzerland and neighbouring Liechtenstein to 2,200, a jump of more than 50 percent in a single day and signalling that the disease's spread is intensifying. Of the total cases, 1,563 are confirmed.
Mosques in Malaysia advised to close as confirmed coronavirus cases rise
Amid a sharp rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Malaysia, the authorities have been advised to close all mosque for 10 days and cease all activities.
Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) will recommend the closure of all mosques for 10 days based on advice from the Health Ministry, reports The Strait Times.
London Tube passengers drop 19% due to coronavirus
Passenger numbers on London's Underground network have fallen by 19 percent as people change behaviour to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, with the decline accelerating as more companies asked staff to work from home, Transport for London said on Monday.
Airlines seek emergency aid as coronavirus brings industry to near-halt
Airlines made unprecedented cuts to flights, costs and staffing on Monday, and stepped up calls for emergency government aid, as coronavirus lockdowns and new travel restrictions hit more major routes.
Already battered shares in British Airways parent IAG (ICAG.L), easyJet (EZJ.L) and Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) plunged again as they scrapped most of their flights for the coming weeks, joining other major carriers that are all but halting operations in the face of the pandemic.
China tightens quarantine, airport checks as imported coronavirus cases tick up
China has tightened checks on international travelers at Beijing airport and said it will centrally quarantine all arrivals at its capital, after new imported coronavirus cases surpassed locally transmitted infections for a second day.
China, where the epidemic began in December last year, appears to now face a greater threat of new infections from outside its borders as it continues to slow the spread of the virus domestically, Reuters reported.
The Beijing government has said anyone arriving from abroad will be transferred to city quarantine facilities for 14 days, starting today.
New York, Los Angeles shut bars, restaurants
Bars, restaurants, theatres and movie houses in New York and Los Angeles were ordered to shut down and several nations in South and Central America closed their borders in the latest moves around the world to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Japan identifies 15 coronavirus clusters
Japan's health ministry said it has identified 15 clusters of coronavirus infections around the country.
The biggest cluster was in the Osaka area, with more than 50 infections centred around a music venue, according to a document on the ministry's website. It was initially reported by Kyodo news, Reuters reported.
The prefectures of Hokkaido, Aichi and Wakayama and the city of Tokyo each had clusters of more than 10 people.
Italy hits one-day record with 368 new coronavirus deaths
Italy on March 15 reported a one-day record with 368 new deaths from the novel coronavirus.
The number of fatalities in Italy shot up by 368 to 1,809 — more than half of all the cases recorded outside China, AFP reported.
Guatemala confirms first coronavirus death
Guatemala has registered its first fatality from coronavirus, the government said on March 15, while Panama announced an aggressive set of measures to contain the spread of the virus, including banning entry by non-resident foreigners.
Guatemalan Health Minister Hugo Monroy said the dead man was a 85-year-old who had recently returned from Madrid without showing signs of illness.
Only on March 14 did the man present symptoms of infection and doctors confirmed he had the virus early on March 15, Monroy added. He later died in a private hospital and was one of the first coronavirus fatalities since it reached Central America.
Iran's coronavirus death toll leaps by 113 in a day
The coronavirus has claimed over 100 more victims in Iran in the last 24 hours, as rumours circulated that the government would put the whole country on lockdown ahead of Persian New Year.
Iran's coronavirus death toll climbed by 113 within a day to reach a total of 724, while the number of total infections hit nearly 14,000, a Health Ministry spokesman said on March 15, Reuters reported.
Most of the new cases were again reported in the capital, Tehran.
President Hassan Rowhani rejected speculation that a curfew would be put in place due to the virus. “There will not be a quarantine in Iran, neither today nor during the new year’s celebrations,” he said in televised remarks.
Many Iranians are worried that restrictions will overshadow Persian New Year, which runs from March 20 until April 2. Rumors of a coming lockdown prompted people in Tehran to storm the supermarkets to stock up on items such as mineral water, plastic gloves and laundry detergent.
New Zealand PM bans mass gatherings
New Zealand banned gatherings of 500 people or more today to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned of tough action against anyone who violates new self-isolation rules for people arriving in the country.
New Zealand has had eight cases of the coronavirus and no deaths, Reuters reported
Ardern also warned that the economic impact of the coronavirus could be "greater than the global financial crisis" but promised that a proposed fiscal package would help ease some of the burden on businesses and individuals.
Ardern said the ban on mass gatherings applied to festivals, fairs and sporting events but schools and universities would be exempt for now.
Ardern announced on March 14 that everyone entering the country must isolate themselves for 14 days.
"There will be zero tolerance for people who do not follow rules of self-isolation," the prime minister told a news conference.
People who do not comply with the rules could be detained and deported, she said. More than 10,500 people had self-isolated, she said.
New Zealand's central bank slashed interest rates by 75 basis points to a record low on Monday following an emergency meeting, as it prepared for a hit to the economy from the coronavirus.
The first phase of the business continuity package is to be announced on March 17.
"At this point, we cannot be sure of the impact but we can be sure it will be significant," Ardern said, referring to the effect of the outbreak on New Zealand's economy
Disney shuts down all stores, hotels in North America
All Disney stores in North America will be closed from March 17, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products announced in a statement on Twitter early today.
In addition, all Disney-owned and operated locations at Downtown Disney in Anaheim and Disney Springs in Orlando will be closed on March 17, CNN reported.
According to the announcement, individual tenants will make decisions on whether to continue or adjust operations.
Disney-owned and operated hotels at Walt Disney World Resort and Disney's Vero Beach Resort will close on March 20, the organization announced in the statement.
Serbia declares state of emergency over coronavirus
Serbia has introduced a state of emergency to halt the spread of coronavirus, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday after meeting top government and health officials in Belgrade.
Vucic said he was acting in line with legal provisions that allow him to declare a state of emergency in the absence of a sitting parliament, which was disbanded ahead of April 26 general elections, Reuters reported.
“From this very moment we have a state of emergency,” Vucic said in a televised address, adding that the government will formulate the “harshest measures” soon.
He said that the fight “against an invisible adversary” will be aimed at the protection of the elderly, who are particularly at risk from the outbreak.
Vucic said kindergartens, schools and universities will be closed until the end of the semester.
Health authorities in the Balkan country have so far reported 46 cases of infection and tested 283 people. There have been no fatalities, but two patients are in a serious condition.
Vucic warned that from today the military will be guarding hospitals, while police will be monitoring those quarantined or in self-isolation for 14 or 28 days. Those who violate quarantine may face jail terms of up to three years, he said.
“There will be limitations of all sorts,” he said.
Serbia has already banned indoor gatherings, and has closed borders to nationals of a number of countries including Italy, Iran, parts of China, South Korea and Switzerland.
After Vucic’s address, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced restrictions on Serbia’s borders, where the military will be deployed.
“Borders will be open for Serbians, foreign diplomats and foreign nationals with residence permits,” she told state-run RTS TV.
Many Serbians who live and work in the European Union flocked home over the weekend, although Vucic had requested they avoid traveling to Serbia.
Hundreds of cars created gridlock at the border with Hungary on Sunday where they remained stranded for hours, awaiting entry permits from Serbia’s health authorities.
South Korea tightens restrictions on European travelers as coronavirus infection rate slows
South Korea has tightened restrictions on European travelers as the number of new coronavirus infections in South Korea is continuing to slow.
All European travelers will be required to go through temperature checks, a medical survey, and download an app so their temperature can be monitored daily, CNN reported.
All travelers are also required to submit their reachable phone numbers upon arrival.
There are more than 8,100 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in South Korea, according to the World Health Organization.
On March 16, the country reported 74 new cases. Among them, 35 were from Daegu, epicenter of the outbreak in South Korea, 20 from Gyeonggi province, and six in Seoul.
Italy ready to offer further measures to combat coronavirus crisis
Italy's government is ready to intervene again if needed as measures approved so far are not enough to support businesses through the coronavirus crisis, Italy's Prime Minister said today.
"The approved measures are not sufficient. Damage (from the coronavirus) will be serious and widespread. A true 'reconstruction plan' will be needed," Giuseppe Conte told daily Corriere della Sera in an interview, Reuters reported.
The government has said planned economic support would total some 25 billion euros (22.56 billion pounds) and new measures to support businesses and families are expected to be approved at a cabinet meeting later today.
"We are responding with rules that will allow our economy to face the costs of the emergency. We are ready, if necessary, to intervene again to relaunch the country," the premier added.
US Peace Corps suspends global operations amid coronavirus outbreak
US humanitarian group the Peace Corps, said it will temporarily suspend all global operations and evacuate its volunteers, amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
"As COVID-19 continues to spread and international travel becomes more and more challenging by the day, we are acting now to ... prevent a situation where volunteers are unable to leave their host countries," Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen said in a letter to volunteers posted on its website, Reuters reported.
The group will return to normal operations when conditions permit, Olsen said, adding that host country staff will remain in their current positions.
The Peace Corps had recently evacuated volunteers from China and Mongolia due to the disease outbreak, it added.
Established in 1961, the Peace Corps has more than 7,300 volunteers spread across 61 countries working mainly to improve education and healthcare, according to data published on its website.
The coronavirus outbreak has so far infected over 169,000 people globally and killed more than 6,500. Several countries have imposed bans on mass gatherings such as sporting, cultural and religious events to combat the disease.
Germany seeks collaboration on corona vaccine after US cash offer
German officials today stressed that they favour a collaborative approach in the search for a vaccine against the novel coronavirus following reports that the US administration offered large sums to a German company working on a vaccine to make it available for exclusive use by the United States.
Citing German governent sources, Welt am Sonntag reported on March 15 that US President Donald Trump approached scientists employed by CureVac, a German pharmaceutical company based in Tuebingen, and tried to lure them to work for the US, Reuters reported.
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Air New Zealand to cut capacity by 85% as coronavirus hits demand
Air New Zealand, the country's flagship carrier, said today it will further reduce capacity across its network as the coronavirus outbreak dents travel demand.
On its long haul network, Air New Zealand will cut its capacity by 85%, while its domestic network would be reduced by 30%, the airline said in a statement, Reuters reported.
Impact of weather on coronavirus infection rates not confirmed: China medical expert
The impact of weather on coronavirus infection rates has not been confirmed, said Cao Wei, Deputy Director and Associate Chief Physician of Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital at a press conference on Monday.
Mainland China reported an overall drop in new coronavirus infections on Sunday, but major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai continued to wrestle with cases involving infected travellers arriving from abroad, Reuters reported.
Bahrain reports first Gulf death from coronavirus
Bahrain reported its first death from coronavirus today, the health ministry said on Twitter, the first death from COVID-19 virus in the Gulf states.
The deceased was a 65-year-old Bahraini citizen who had underlying health conditions, Reuters reported.
Spain mulls border closures to fight coronavirus
Closing Spain's borders is among the options under consideration to help stem the coronavirus outbreak, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told radio station Cadena Ser today.
Marlaska said he would discuss the potential border closure alongside other measures with fellow EU ministers, Reuters reported.