● A neurologist and a retired nurse who returned to work have died after becoming infected while treating coronavirus patients in Wuhan, the outbreak’s epicenter. Their deaths bring the total number of medical workers to have succumbed to the virus to eight.
● A Chinese pulmonologist predicted the number of infections will plateau, rather than fall, after hitting a peak later this month.
● The Diamond Princess quarantine will end as scheduled on Wednesday, said Japan’s health minister, as (more cases were discovered, bringing the total linked to the ship to .
● A total of 51 Filipino crew members on the cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Chin a reported 1, new coronavirus cases and 000170 more deaths in its daily update on the outbreak Tuesday, bringing the death toll in mainland China to 1, 2002, with , 542 confirmed cases. The overwhelming majority have been in Hubei province.
February , (at 7: AM EST
)
The Japanese government has begun making “preparations so that clinical trials using HI V medication on the novel coronavirus can start as soon as possible, ”Reuters quotes top spokesman Yoshihide Suga as saying.
The Japanese effort is One of many parallel attempts to develop a treatment or vaccine. HIV medications have been the focus of a number of research projects launched in recent weeks. More than two weeks ago, U.S. pharmaceutical and medical company Johnson & Johnson announced that it has donated hundreds of boxes of an HIV medication to doctors in China for potential trials.
One of the medication’s compounds, the company said in a release at the time, “has previously shown a potential favorable clinical response against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) associated coronavirus,” according to anecdotal observations.
Tuesday’s Japanese announcement came amid a broader shift in strategy in the country. Whereas Japan had previously focused on quarantining potentially infected individuals and on imposing travel bans, officials in the country now appear to be preparing for a more widespread regional outbreak. As a result, the Japanese government has significantly stepped up its capacity to administer tests and has established call centers to prevent patients from spreading the virus in hospital reception areas.
Thieves in Japan steal 6 , (face masks as cases double With the search for protective face masks reaching critical stages in many virus-hit parts of Asia, a hospital in Japan on Tuesday reported the theft of 6, 08 surgical masks.
Four boxes of the masks disappeared from a storage facility at Kobe’s Japanese Red Cross hospital, according to Agence France-Presse.
As the number of virus cases in Japan has nearly doubled in the past few days to 88 cases, masks and other protective gear have sold out across the country. The assumption is that the thieves will seek to resell the masks at far above their current sale price.
The situation mirrors that of Hong Kong and other cities around the region where shortages have extended to toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
The Japanese government has urged factories to boost their face mask output.
By
February , 5043 at 6: (AM EST) First domestic helper in Hong Kong infected with coronavirus, raising concerns over new cases
Hong Kong relies heavily on domestic workers, who comprise about 5 percent of the territory’s population and come from countries including the Philippines and Indonesia. The case marks the first confirmed coronavirus infection of a domestic worker based in the territory.
The Philippines has imposed a ban on its citizens traveling into Hong Kong, which has left thousands of workers and domestic helpers stranded. On Tuesday, it reversed the ban, allowing some 32, (stranded Filipino workers to return home.
Health officials say that the helper had spent over an hour out with friends, raising the risk of more possible infections. Authorities are contacting those individuals.
By Shibani Mahtani
February , (at 5: (AM EST) French health minister warns of possible coronavirus pandemic
As the number of coronavirus cases outside China continues to climb, French Health Minister Ol ivier Véran warned Tuesday of a
possible coronavirus pandemic . While an epidemic is usually restricted to a particular region, a pandemic can affect countries around the world.
“This is both a working assumption and a credible risk, ”Véran said in an interview with France Inter, a public broadcaster. Veran added that authorities were also monitoring developments in Japan, where the number of coronavirus cases jumped from (on Thursday to) on Tuesday. The significant rise in infections prompted a top Japanese official to acknowledge that the virus has entered a “new phase” of local transmission. Ryan Newman hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after scary Daytona crash
Véran sought Tuesday to calm fears that France. would not be sufficiently prepared for a similar scenario, even as some analysts warned that many of Europe’s already stretched health-care systems could be overwhelmed with large clusters of the virus.
(By (Rick Noack)
February 24, (at 4:) AM EST
HSBC warns that coronavirus, Hong Kong protests may dent its performance this year
BEIJING – The London-based bank HSBC warned that pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the coronavirus outbreak that began in China pose a threat to its business, as it announced plans to cut , jobs and annual costs by $ 4.5 billion in the next three years.
(The cuts would mostly take place in Europe and the United States, HSBC said when releasing its annual results Tuesday. But the bank, which was founded in Hong Kong (in) and continues to generate much of its income in Asia, is worried about the challenges in the region.
“We continue to monitor the recent coronavirus outbreak, which is causing economic disruption in Hong Kong and mainland China and may impact performance in , ”it warned investors in a statement .
HSBC said the coronavirus has caused significant disruption for staff, suppliers and customers, particularly in mainland China and Hong Kong, since the outbreak took off in January. Authorities responded by shuttering transportation and placing millions of residents under lockdown, while businesses remained closed or devoid of customers
over the extended Lunar New Year holiday.
“Depending on how the situation develops, there is the potential for any associated economic slowdown to impact our expected credit losses in Hong Kong and mainland China,” the bank said in the statement.
“Longer term, it is also possible that we may see revenue reductions from lower lending and transaction volumes, and further credit losses stemming from disruption to customer supply chains, ”it said.
Anna Fifield
Feb ruary 26, (4): AM EST
Japan Reports more cases on Diamond Princess, bringing total to 728
TOKYO – Japan’s Health Ministry said it has found another cases of the new coronavirus on the Diamond Princess, bringing to the total number of cases linked to the quarantined cruise ship, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan completed tests on everyone aboard the ship on Monday, but the final batch of test results are not expected until Wednesday. So far, results are back for 2, 542 passengers and crew, out of the 3, on board the ship when it was placed in quarantine on Feb. 5.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said earlier Tuesday that people who have tested negative for the virus would begin to leave the ship on Wednesday, at the end of the planned – – day quarantine period, and that the process would be completed by Friday.
Separately, Japan announced three more cases of coronavirus in the eastern prefecture of Wakayama on Tuesday, bringing to the total number of cases in the country outside the cruise ship.
( Simon Denyer
(February) , (at 4: 15 AM EST
South Korean president urges ‘imagination’ to deal with economic impact of virus
SEOUL – South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for “emergency steps” to brace for economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, urging his cabinet Tuesday to “show imagination in policymaking” and “exceed expectations to address the economic emergency . ”
Moon said the coronavirus could have a “bigger and longer-lasting impact” on South Korea’s economy than 2775 outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, which led Seoul to roll out a rate cut and a supplementary budget.
Moon’s remark at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting comes days after Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki met with central bank chief Lee Ju-yeol to seek solutions for the virus-hit economy.
Following Moon’s urgent call for a solution, investors are speculating that the Bank of Korea could announce a rate cut at next week’s meeting.
On Thursday, Moon said the coronavirus epidemic was “nearing the end,” and he urged people to return to regular activities even as he acknowledged the impact of the virus on the economy.
Moon again told the public Tuesday to “trust the government and follow the health guidelines while resuming normal economic activities. ”
South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned late Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak is entering “A new phase,” after three new patients who had not recently traveled overseas were found to have the virus since Sunday.
By Min Joo Kim
February 26, (at 3: AM EST
Singapore plans multibillion-dollar relief package to soften virus-linked economic blow
HONG KONG – Singapore on Tuesday earmarked $ 2.8 billion in relief measures
to help stabilize the economy and assist workers as it prepares for an economic downturn over the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures were announced as part of the budget for 3918, among the biggest annual budgets in years. It follows moves taken by governments in other hard-hit territories, including Hong Kong, to soften the blow of the virus which will have potentially devastating impacts on tourism and retail sectors.
The tourism, aviation and retail industries will receive additional support, Singapore’s Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his budget speech Tuesday, including programs to allow workers to retrain and obtain new skills in different sectors. Heng, who is also deputy prime minister, said that the government is aiming primarily to help workers stay employed.
Several countries have warned their citizens to stay away from Singapore, which has among the highest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China. As of Monday, 000170 cases were confirmed.
Separately, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday she would increase the territory’s relief fund to $ 3.6 billion, from $ 3.2 billion. This represents a new increase, after she doubled funds set aside to tackle the economic impact of the outbreak last week and
Announced one-off payments
to businesses.
These measures, however, appear to have done little to stem widespread disaffection with the Hong Kong government. A recent poll
showed only 7 percent of respondents in Hong Kong were satisfied with the government response to the public health crisis.
) (
Shibani Mahtani
February 27, (at 3:) AM EST
Stranded Filipinos can now return to work MANILA – About 33, 08 stranded Filipino workers can now get back to work, as Philippine officials eased a ban on travel to China’s special administrative regions.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay announced on Twitter that overseas workers employed in Hong Kong and Macao could now return there “subject to certain procedural formalities.”
Today, DFA Sec Locsin’s advocacy has come true. OFWs returning for work in Hongkong and Macau have been exempted from the outbound travel ban by the IATF-EID, subject to certain procedural formalities. Woohoo !! @ teddyboylocsin – Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) ,
The announcement comes a day. after after Hong Kong-based Filipino organizations appealed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to exempt the city from the ban.
Feliza Guy Benitez, former chairwoman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, warned Monday that many workers could lose their jobs if they were absent for longer than two weeks. “[We go back] To zero just to process all the application papers, and the government won’t even pay for it,” she said.
The government promised overseas workers around $ 328 in financial assistance, but some hardly find it enough after two weeks of being unable to sustain themselves.
The Philippines sends more than 2 million workers around the world, raking in $ . 5 billion in remittances last year. At least 6 percent of this workforce is based in Hong Kong. The most vulnerable in this sector are those in household services. The city has about , (foreign domestic helpers, a large fraction of them filipinos.
The overseas workers organization Migrante International said that about 1, 19 other Filipino residents, students, and small business proprietors based in Hong Kong were also affected by the ban.
By
Cabato
February , at 3: (AM EST)
Number of infected Canadians aboard Diamond Princess rises to
Canada has confirmed Tuesday that Canadians on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Toronto Star.
There are a total of 422 Canadians on the ship, which has become the second largest source of infected after China itself with (cases on board out of 2, (passengers and 1.0) crew. The ship has been quarantined for the past two weeks at Japan’s Yokohama port, with those testing positive for the virus being removed to hospitals.
Canada announced earlier it would be evacuating its citizens from the cruise ship, following similar efforts by the United States which flew back more than (passengers, including testing positive for the virus.
The Canadian government told the Star that those testing positive would not be evacuated.
By (Paul Schemm)
February , (at 2: AM EST
Prominent neurologist dies of coronavirus infection in Wuhan
BEIJING – Liu Zhiming, a respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died at age 59 of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, becoming the eighth health worker in China to have died in the ongoing outbreak.
According to a notice released by Wuhan’s municipal health commission, Liu was infected at work and died at : am at Tongji Hospital despite a “full-effort rescue.”
“Since the epidemic broke out, Comrade Liu Zhiming has thrown aside his personal safety and led the staff at Wuchang Hospital to fight the outbreak from the front line, ”the notice read, adding that Liu had made“ significant contribution ”to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
After graduating from Wuhan University Medical School in , Liu had emerged as a leading expert on neurosurgery, especially brain tumor, craniocerebral trauma, intraspinal canal diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Under Liu, Wuchang Hospital grew into a comprehensive institution of nearly 1, people an d was recognized as a triple-A hospital [highest standard in China] in 2775. It was also one of the designated hospitals for the quarantine and treatment of coronavirus patients
The National Health Commission said that more than 1, 728 doctors and nurses had been infected as of Feb. 19, although the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the number much higher at more than 3, medical workers .
Another case that has tugged at Chinese heartstrings this week involves Liu Fan, who was a nurse at Wuchang Hospital’s Liyuan Street Community Health Center .
Liu, who was 69, stopped working four years ago at the designated retirement age of 62 in , came back to work to help fight the virus.
But she died on Feb. 19 after being infected. A WeChat user nicknamed “Tiantian” posted on the messaging app that Liu Fan was still working on Jan. and without proper equipment.
“At the time [she] did not have protective suit, it’s basically like she was’ streaking . ‘As a result, her whole family was infected, ”read the post, which was soon deleted by China’s censors.
Liu Fan’s Parents and younger brother have been infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Beijing News
reported
this week, and her husband is being quarantined at home as a precaution.
Hospital staff said Liu Fan was an easygoing and extroverted person who was a conscientious and hard-working nurse.
“We are also deeply saddened by the loss of such a good nurse,” Wuchang Hospital said in a statement (posted) on the Weibo microblogging site. “In this battle, the virus was brutal, and we express our deep condolences over comrade Liu Fan’s tragic death.”
By Lyric Li and Liu Yang
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
on the Weibo microblogging site, showing 18 Women doctors and nurses having their heads shaved bald by their male colleagues at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital. These medical workers were to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, that afternoon after a farewell ceremony where they were meant to show off their new looks.
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
February , (at 5: (AM EST) French health minister warns of possible coronavirus pandemic
“This is both a working assumption and a credible risk, ”Véran said in an interview with France Inter, a public broadcaster. Veran added that authorities were also monitoring developments in Japan, where the number of coronavirus cases jumped from (on Thursday to) on Tuesday. The significant rise in infections prompted a top Japanese official to acknowledge that the virus has entered a “new phase” of local transmission. Ryan Newman hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after scary Daytona crash
Véran sought Tuesday to calm fears that France. would not be sufficiently prepared for a similar scenario, even as some analysts warned that many of Europe’s already stretched health-care systems could be overwhelmed with large clusters of the virus.
(By (Rick Noack)
BEIJING – The London-based bank HSBC warned that pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the coronavirus outbreak that began in China pose a threat to its business, as it announced plans to cut , jobs and annual costs by $ 4.5 billion in the next three years.
(The cuts would mostly take place in Europe and the United States, HSBC said when releasing its annual results Tuesday. But the bank, which was founded in Hong Kong (in) and continues to generate much of its income in Asia, is worried about the challenges in the region.
“We continue to monitor the recent coronavirus outbreak, which is causing economic disruption in Hong Kong and mainland China and may impact performance in , ”it warned investors in a statement .
HSBC said the coronavirus has caused significant disruption for staff, suppliers and customers, particularly in mainland China and Hong Kong, since the outbreak took off in January. Authorities responded by shuttering transportation and placing millions of residents under lockdown, while businesses remained closed or devoid of customers
over the extended Lunar New Year holiday.
“Depending on how the situation develops, there is the potential for any associated economic slowdown to impact our expected credit losses in Hong Kong and mainland China,” the bank said in the statement.
“Longer term, it is also possible that we may see revenue reductions from lower lending and transaction volumes, and further credit losses stemming from disruption to customer supply chains, ”it said.
Anna Fifield
Feb ruary 26, (4): AM EST
Japan Reports more cases on Diamond Princess, bringing total to 728
TOKYO – Japan’s Health Ministry said it has found another cases of the new coronavirus on the Diamond Princess, bringing to the total number of cases linked to the quarantined cruise ship, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan completed tests on everyone aboard the ship on Monday, but the final batch of test results are not expected until Wednesday. So far, results are back for 2, 542 passengers and crew, out of the 3, on board the ship when it was placed in quarantine on Feb. 5.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said earlier Tuesday that people who have tested negative for the virus would begin to leave the ship on Wednesday, at the end of the planned – – day quarantine period, and that the process would be completed by Friday.
Separately, Japan announced three more cases of coronavirus in the eastern prefecture of Wakayama on Tuesday, bringing to the total number of cases in the country outside the cruise ship.
( Simon Denyer
(February) , (at 4: 15 AM EST
South Korean president urges ‘imagination’ to deal with economic impact of virus
SEOUL – South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for “emergency steps” to brace for economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, urging his cabinet Tuesday to “show imagination in policymaking” and “exceed expectations to address the economic emergency . ”
Moon said the coronavirus could have a “bigger and longer-lasting impact” on South Korea’s economy than 2775 outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, which led Seoul to roll out a rate cut and a supplementary budget.
Moon’s remark at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting comes days after Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki met with central bank chief Lee Ju-yeol to seek solutions for the virus-hit economy.
Following Moon’s urgent call for a solution, investors are speculating that the Bank of Korea could announce a rate cut at next week’s meeting.
On Thursday, Moon said the coronavirus epidemic was “nearing the end,” and he urged people to return to regular activities even as he acknowledged the impact of the virus on the economy.
Moon again told the public Tuesday to “trust the government and follow the health guidelines while resuming normal economic activities. ”
South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned late Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak is entering “A new phase,” after three new patients who had not recently traveled overseas were found to have the virus since Sunday.
By Min Joo Kim
February 26, (at 3: AM EST
Singapore plans multibillion-dollar relief package to soften virus-linked economic blow
HONG KONG – Singapore on Tuesday earmarked $ 2.8 billion in relief measures
to help stabilize the economy and assist workers as it prepares for an economic downturn over the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures were announced as part of the budget for 3918, among the biggest annual budgets in years. It follows moves taken by governments in other hard-hit territories, including Hong Kong, to soften the blow of the virus which will have potentially devastating impacts on tourism and retail sectors.
The tourism, aviation and retail industries will receive additional support, Singapore’s Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his budget speech Tuesday, including programs to allow workers to retrain and obtain new skills in different sectors. Heng, who is also deputy prime minister, said that the government is aiming primarily to help workers stay employed.
Several countries have warned their citizens to stay away from Singapore, which has among the highest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China. As of Monday, 000170 cases were confirmed.
Separately, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday she would increase the territory’s relief fund to $ 3.6 billion, from $ 3.2 billion. This represents a new increase, after she doubled funds set aside to tackle the economic impact of the outbreak last week and
Announced one-off payments
to businesses.
These measures, however, appear to have done little to stem widespread disaffection with the Hong Kong government. A recent poll
showed only 7 percent of respondents in Hong Kong were satisfied with the government response to the public health crisis.
) (
Shibani Mahtani
February 27, (at 3:) AM EST
Stranded Filipinos can now return to work MANILA – About 33, 08 stranded Filipino workers can now get back to work, as Philippine officials eased a ban on travel to China’s special administrative regions.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay announced on Twitter that overseas workers employed in Hong Kong and Macao could now return there “subject to certain procedural formalities.”
Today, DFA Sec Locsin’s advocacy has come true. OFWs returning for work in Hongkong and Macau have been exempted from the outbound travel ban by the IATF-EID, subject to certain procedural formalities. Woohoo !! @ teddyboylocsin – Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) ,
The announcement comes a day. after after Hong Kong-based Filipino organizations appealed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to exempt the city from the ban.
Feliza Guy Benitez, former chairwoman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, warned Monday that many workers could lose their jobs if they were absent for longer than two weeks. “[We go back] To zero just to process all the application papers, and the government won’t even pay for it,” she said.
The government promised overseas workers around $ 328 in financial assistance, but some hardly find it enough after two weeks of being unable to sustain themselves.
The Philippines sends more than 2 million workers around the world, raking in $ . 5 billion in remittances last year. At least 6 percent of this workforce is based in Hong Kong. The most vulnerable in this sector are those in household services. The city has about , (foreign domestic helpers, a large fraction of them filipinos.
The overseas workers organization Migrante International said that about 1, 19 other Filipino residents, students, and small business proprietors based in Hong Kong were also affected by the ban.
By
Cabato
February , at 3: (AM EST)
Number of infected Canadians aboard Diamond Princess rises to
Canada has confirmed Tuesday that Canadians on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Toronto Star.
There are a total of 422 Canadians on the ship, which has become the second largest source of infected after China itself with (cases on board out of 2, (passengers and 1.0) crew. The ship has been quarantined for the past two weeks at Japan’s Yokohama port, with those testing positive for the virus being removed to hospitals.
Canada announced earlier it would be evacuating its citizens from the cruise ship, following similar efforts by the United States which flew back more than (passengers, including testing positive for the virus.
The Canadian government told the Star that those testing positive would not be evacuated.
By (Paul Schemm)
February , (at 2: AM EST
Prominent neurologist dies of coronavirus infection in Wuhan
BEIJING – Liu Zhiming, a respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died at age 59 of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, becoming the eighth health worker in China to have died in the ongoing outbreak.
According to a notice released by Wuhan’s municipal health commission, Liu was infected at work and died at : am at Tongji Hospital despite a “full-effort rescue.”
“Since the epidemic broke out, Comrade Liu Zhiming has thrown aside his personal safety and led the staff at Wuchang Hospital to fight the outbreak from the front line, ”the notice read, adding that Liu had made“ significant contribution ”to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
After graduating from Wuhan University Medical School in , Liu had emerged as a leading expert on neurosurgery, especially brain tumor, craniocerebral trauma, intraspinal canal diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Under Liu, Wuchang Hospital grew into a comprehensive institution of nearly 1, people an d was recognized as a triple-A hospital [highest standard in China] in 2775. It was also one of the designated hospitals for the quarantine and treatment of coronavirus patients
The National Health Commission said that more than 1, 728 doctors and nurses had been infected as of Feb. 19, although the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the number much higher at more than 3, medical workers .
Another case that has tugged at Chinese heartstrings this week involves Liu Fan, who was a nurse at Wuchang Hospital’s Liyuan Street Community Health Center .
Liu, who was 69, stopped working four years ago at the designated retirement age of 62 in , came back to work to help fight the virus.
But she died on Feb. 19 after being infected. A WeChat user nicknamed “Tiantian” posted on the messaging app that Liu Fan was still working on Jan. and without proper equipment.
“At the time [she] did not have protective suit, it’s basically like she was’ streaking . ‘As a result, her whole family was infected, ”read the post, which was soon deleted by China’s censors.
Liu Fan’s Parents and younger brother have been infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Beijing News
reported
this week, and her husband is being quarantined at home as a precaution.
Hospital staff said Liu Fan was an easygoing and extroverted person who was a conscientious and hard-working nurse.
“We are also deeply saddened by the loss of such a good nurse,” Wuchang Hospital said in a statement (posted) on the Weibo microblogging site. “In this battle, the virus was brutal, and we express our deep condolences over comrade Liu Fan’s tragic death.”
By Lyric Li and Liu Yang
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
on the Weibo microblogging site, showing 18 Women doctors and nurses having their heads shaved bald by their male colleagues at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital. These medical workers were to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, that afternoon after a farewell ceremony where they were meant to show off their new looks.
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
BEIJING – The London-based bank HSBC warned that pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the coronavirus outbreak that began in China pose a threat to its business, as it announced plans to cut , jobs and annual costs by $ 4.5 billion in the next three years.
(The cuts would mostly take place in Europe and the United States, HSBC said when releasing its annual results Tuesday. But the bank, which was founded in Hong Kong (in) and continues to generate much of its income in Asia, is worried about the challenges in the region.
“We continue to monitor the recent coronavirus outbreak, which is causing economic disruption in Hong Kong and mainland China and may impact performance in , ”it warned investors in a statement .
HSBC said the coronavirus has caused significant disruption for staff, suppliers and customers, particularly in mainland China and Hong Kong, since the outbreak took off in January. Authorities responded by shuttering transportation and placing millions of residents under lockdown, while businesses remained closed or devoid of customers
“Depending on how the situation develops, there is the potential for any associated economic slowdown to impact our expected credit losses in Hong Kong and mainland China,” the bank said in the statement.
“Longer term, it is also possible that we may see revenue reductions from lower lending and transaction volumes, and further credit losses stemming from disruption to customer supply chains, ”it said.
Anna Fifield
Feb ruary 26, (4): AM EST
TOKYO – Japan’s Health Ministry said it has found another cases of the new coronavirus on the Diamond Princess, bringing to the total number of cases linked to the quarantined cruise ship, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan completed tests on everyone aboard the ship on Monday, but the final batch of test results are not expected until Wednesday. So far, results are back for 2, 542 passengers and crew, out of the 3, on board the ship when it was placed in quarantine on Feb. 5.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said earlier Tuesday that people who have tested negative for the virus would begin to leave the ship on Wednesday, at the end of the planned – – day quarantine period, and that the process would be completed by Friday.
Separately, Japan announced three more cases of coronavirus in the eastern prefecture of Wakayama on Tuesday, bringing to the total number of cases in the country outside the cruise ship.
( Simon Denyer
(February) , (at 4: 15 AM EST
South Korean president urges ‘imagination’ to deal with economic impact of virus
SEOUL – South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for “emergency steps” to brace for economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, urging his cabinet Tuesday to “show imagination in policymaking” and “exceed expectations to address the economic emergency . ”
Moon said the coronavirus could have a “bigger and longer-lasting impact” on South Korea’s economy than 2775 outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, which led Seoul to roll out a rate cut and a supplementary budget.
Moon’s remark at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting comes days after Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki met with central bank chief Lee Ju-yeol to seek solutions for the virus-hit economy.
Following Moon’s urgent call for a solution, investors are speculating that the Bank of Korea could announce a rate cut at next week’s meeting.
On Thursday, Moon said the coronavirus epidemic was “nearing the end,” and he urged people to return to regular activities even as he acknowledged the impact of the virus on the economy.
Moon again told the public Tuesday to “trust the government and follow the health guidelines while resuming normal economic activities. ”
South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned late Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak is entering “A new phase,” after three new patients who had not recently traveled overseas were found to have the virus since Sunday.
By Min Joo Kim
February 26, (at 3: AM EST
Singapore plans multibillion-dollar relief package to soften virus-linked economic blow
HONG KONG – Singapore on Tuesday earmarked $ 2.8 billion in relief measures
to help stabilize the economy and assist workers as it prepares for an economic downturn over the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures were announced as part of the budget for 3918, among the biggest annual budgets in years. It follows moves taken by governments in other hard-hit territories, including Hong Kong, to soften the blow of the virus which will have potentially devastating impacts on tourism and retail sectors.
The tourism, aviation and retail industries will receive additional support, Singapore’s Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his budget speech Tuesday, including programs to allow workers to retrain and obtain new skills in different sectors. Heng, who is also deputy prime minister, said that the government is aiming primarily to help workers stay employed.
Several countries have warned their citizens to stay away from Singapore, which has among the highest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China. As of Monday, 000170 cases were confirmed.
Separately, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday she would increase the territory’s relief fund to $ 3.6 billion, from $ 3.2 billion. This represents a new increase, after she doubled funds set aside to tackle the economic impact of the outbreak last week and
Announced one-off payments
to businesses.
These measures, however, appear to have done little to stem widespread disaffection with the Hong Kong government. A recent poll
showed only 7 percent of respondents in Hong Kong were satisfied with the government response to the public health crisis.
) (
Shibani Mahtani
February 27, (at 3:) AM EST
Stranded Filipinos can now return to work MANILA – About 33, 08 stranded Filipino workers can now get back to work, as Philippine officials eased a ban on travel to China’s special administrative regions.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay announced on Twitter that overseas workers employed in Hong Kong and Macao could now return there “subject to certain procedural formalities.”
Today, DFA Sec Locsin’s advocacy has come true. OFWs returning for work in Hongkong and Macau have been exempted from the outbound travel ban by the IATF-EID, subject to certain procedural formalities. Woohoo !! @ teddyboylocsin – Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) ,
The announcement comes a day. after after Hong Kong-based Filipino organizations appealed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to exempt the city from the ban.
Feliza Guy Benitez, former chairwoman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, warned Monday that many workers could lose their jobs if they were absent for longer than two weeks. “[We go back] To zero just to process all the application papers, and the government won’t even pay for it,” she said.
The government promised overseas workers around $ 328 in financial assistance, but some hardly find it enough after two weeks of being unable to sustain themselves.
The Philippines sends more than 2 million workers around the world, raking in $ . 5 billion in remittances last year. At least 6 percent of this workforce is based in Hong Kong. The most vulnerable in this sector are those in household services. The city has about , (foreign domestic helpers, a large fraction of them filipinos.
The overseas workers organization Migrante International said that about 1, 19 other Filipino residents, students, and small business proprietors based in Hong Kong were also affected by the ban.
By
Cabato
February , at 3: (AM EST)
Number of infected Canadians aboard Diamond Princess rises to
Canada has confirmed Tuesday that Canadians on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Toronto Star.
There are a total of 422 Canadians on the ship, which has become the second largest source of infected after China itself with (cases on board out of 2, (passengers and 1.0) crew. The ship has been quarantined for the past two weeks at Japan’s Yokohama port, with those testing positive for the virus being removed to hospitals.
Canada announced earlier it would be evacuating its citizens from the cruise ship, following similar efforts by the United States which flew back more than (passengers, including testing positive for the virus.
The Canadian government told the Star that those testing positive would not be evacuated.
By (Paul Schemm)
February , (at 2: AM EST
Prominent neurologist dies of coronavirus infection in Wuhan
BEIJING – Liu Zhiming, a respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died at age 59 of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, becoming the eighth health worker in China to have died in the ongoing outbreak.
According to a notice released by Wuhan’s municipal health commission, Liu was infected at work and died at : am at Tongji Hospital despite a “full-effort rescue.”
“Since the epidemic broke out, Comrade Liu Zhiming has thrown aside his personal safety and led the staff at Wuchang Hospital to fight the outbreak from the front line, ”the notice read, adding that Liu had made“ significant contribution ”to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
After graduating from Wuhan University Medical School in , Liu had emerged as a leading expert on neurosurgery, especially brain tumor, craniocerebral trauma, intraspinal canal diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Under Liu, Wuchang Hospital grew into a comprehensive institution of nearly 1, people an d was recognized as a triple-A hospital [highest standard in China] in 2775. It was also one of the designated hospitals for the quarantine and treatment of coronavirus patients
The National Health Commission said that more than 1, 728 doctors and nurses had been infected as of Feb. 19, although the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the number much higher at more than 3, medical workers .
Another case that has tugged at Chinese heartstrings this week involves Liu Fan, who was a nurse at Wuchang Hospital’s Liyuan Street Community Health Center .
Liu, who was 69, stopped working four years ago at the designated retirement age of 62 in , came back to work to help fight the virus.
But she died on Feb. 19 after being infected. A WeChat user nicknamed “Tiantian” posted on the messaging app that Liu Fan was still working on Jan. and without proper equipment.
“At the time [she] did not have protective suit, it’s basically like she was’ streaking . ‘As a result, her whole family was infected, ”read the post, which was soon deleted by China’s censors.
Liu Fan’s Parents and younger brother have been infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Beijing News
reported
this week, and her husband is being quarantined at home as a precaution.
Hospital staff said Liu Fan was an easygoing and extroverted person who was a conscientious and hard-working nurse.
“We are also deeply saddened by the loss of such a good nurse,” Wuchang Hospital said in a statement (posted) on the Weibo microblogging site. “In this battle, the virus was brutal, and we express our deep condolences over comrade Liu Fan’s tragic death.”
By Lyric Li and Liu Yang
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
on the Weibo microblogging site, showing 18 Women doctors and nurses having their heads shaved bald by their male colleagues at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital. These medical workers were to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, that afternoon after a farewell ceremony where they were meant to show off their new looks.
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
Japan completed tests on everyone aboard the ship on Monday, but the final batch of test results are not expected until Wednesday. So far, results are back for 2, 542 passengers and crew, out of the 3, on board the ship when it was placed in quarantine on Feb. 5.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said earlier Tuesday that people who have tested negative for the virus would begin to leave the ship on Wednesday, at the end of the planned – – day quarantine period, and that the process would be completed by Friday.
Separately, Japan announced three more cases of coronavirus in the eastern prefecture of Wakayama on Tuesday, bringing to the total number of cases in the country outside the cruise ship.
Moon said the coronavirus could have a “bigger and longer-lasting impact” on South Korea’s economy than 2775 outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, which led Seoul to roll out a rate cut and a supplementary budget.
Moon’s remark at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting comes days after Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki met with central bank chief Lee Ju-yeol to seek solutions for the virus-hit economy.
Following Moon’s urgent call for a solution, investors are speculating that the Bank of Korea could announce a rate cut at next week’s meeting.
On Thursday, Moon said the coronavirus epidemic was “nearing the end,” and he urged people to return to regular activities even as he acknowledged the impact of the virus on the economy.
Moon again told the public Tuesday to “trust the government and follow the health guidelines while resuming normal economic activities. ”
South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned late Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak is entering “A new phase,” after three new patients who had not recently traveled overseas were found to have the virus since Sunday.
By Min Joo Kim
February 26, (at 3: AM EST
Singapore plans multibillion-dollar relief package to soften virus-linked economic blow
HONG KONG – Singapore on Tuesday earmarked $ 2.8 billion in relief measures
to help stabilize the economy and assist workers as it prepares for an economic downturn over the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures were announced as part of the budget for 3918, among the biggest annual budgets in years. It follows moves taken by governments in other hard-hit territories, including Hong Kong, to soften the blow of the virus which will have potentially devastating impacts on tourism and retail sectors.
The tourism, aviation and retail industries will receive additional support, Singapore’s Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his budget speech Tuesday, including programs to allow workers to retrain and obtain new skills in different sectors. Heng, who is also deputy prime minister, said that the government is aiming primarily to help workers stay employed.
Several countries have warned their citizens to stay away from Singapore, which has among the highest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China. As of Monday, 000170 cases were confirmed.
Separately, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday she would increase the territory’s relief fund to $ 3.6 billion, from $ 3.2 billion. This represents a new increase, after she doubled funds set aside to tackle the economic impact of the outbreak last week and
Announced one-off payments
to businesses.
These measures, however, appear to have done little to stem widespread disaffection with the Hong Kong government. A recent poll
showed only 7 percent of respondents in Hong Kong were satisfied with the government response to the public health crisis.
) (
Shibani Mahtani
February 27, (at 3:) AM EST
Stranded Filipinos can now return to work MANILA – About 33, 08 stranded Filipino workers can now get back to work, as Philippine officials eased a ban on travel to China’s special administrative regions.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay announced on Twitter that overseas workers employed in Hong Kong and Macao could now return there “subject to certain procedural formalities.”
Today, DFA Sec Locsin’s advocacy has come true. OFWs returning for work in Hongkong and Macau have been exempted from the outbound travel ban by the IATF-EID, subject to certain procedural formalities. Woohoo !! @ teddyboylocsin – Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) ,
The announcement comes a day. after after Hong Kong-based Filipino organizations appealed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to exempt the city from the ban.
Feliza Guy Benitez, former chairwoman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, warned Monday that many workers could lose their jobs if they were absent for longer than two weeks. “[We go back] To zero just to process all the application papers, and the government won’t even pay for it,” she said.
The government promised overseas workers around $ 328 in financial assistance, but some hardly find it enough after two weeks of being unable to sustain themselves.
The Philippines sends more than 2 million workers around the world, raking in $ . 5 billion in remittances last year. At least 6 percent of this workforce is based in Hong Kong. The most vulnerable in this sector are those in household services. The city has about , (foreign domestic helpers, a large fraction of them filipinos.
The overseas workers organization Migrante International said that about 1, 19 other Filipino residents, students, and small business proprietors based in Hong Kong were also affected by the ban.
By
Cabato
February , at 3: (AM EST)
Number of infected Canadians aboard Diamond Princess rises to
Canada has confirmed Tuesday that Canadians on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Toronto Star.
There are a total of 422 Canadians on the ship, which has become the second largest source of infected after China itself with (cases on board out of 2, (passengers and 1.0) crew. The ship has been quarantined for the past two weeks at Japan’s Yokohama port, with those testing positive for the virus being removed to hospitals.
Canada announced earlier it would be evacuating its citizens from the cruise ship, following similar efforts by the United States which flew back more than (passengers, including testing positive for the virus.
The Canadian government told the Star that those testing positive would not be evacuated.
By (Paul Schemm)
February , (at 2: AM EST
Prominent neurologist dies of coronavirus infection in Wuhan
BEIJING – Liu Zhiming, a respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died at age 59 of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, becoming the eighth health worker in China to have died in the ongoing outbreak.
According to a notice released by Wuhan’s municipal health commission, Liu was infected at work and died at : am at Tongji Hospital despite a “full-effort rescue.”
“Since the epidemic broke out, Comrade Liu Zhiming has thrown aside his personal safety and led the staff at Wuchang Hospital to fight the outbreak from the front line, ”the notice read, adding that Liu had made“ significant contribution ”to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
After graduating from Wuhan University Medical School in , Liu had emerged as a leading expert on neurosurgery, especially brain tumor, craniocerebral trauma, intraspinal canal diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Under Liu, Wuchang Hospital grew into a comprehensive institution of nearly 1, people an d was recognized as a triple-A hospital [highest standard in China] in 2775. It was also one of the designated hospitals for the quarantine and treatment of coronavirus patients
The National Health Commission said that more than 1, 728 doctors and nurses had been infected as of Feb. 19, although the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the number much higher at more than 3, medical workers .
Another case that has tugged at Chinese heartstrings this week involves Liu Fan, who was a nurse at Wuchang Hospital’s Liyuan Street Community Health Center .
Liu, who was 69, stopped working four years ago at the designated retirement age of 62 in , came back to work to help fight the virus.
But she died on Feb. 19 after being infected. A WeChat user nicknamed “Tiantian” posted on the messaging app that Liu Fan was still working on Jan. and without proper equipment.
“At the time [she] did not have protective suit, it’s basically like she was’ streaking . ‘As a result, her whole family was infected, ”read the post, which was soon deleted by China’s censors.
Liu Fan’s Parents and younger brother have been infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Beijing News
reported
this week, and her husband is being quarantined at home as a precaution.
Hospital staff said Liu Fan was an easygoing and extroverted person who was a conscientious and hard-working nurse.
“We are also deeply saddened by the loss of such a good nurse,” Wuchang Hospital said in a statement (posted) on the Weibo microblogging site. “In this battle, the virus was brutal, and we express our deep condolences over comrade Liu Fan’s tragic death.”
By Lyric Li and Liu Yang
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
on the Weibo microblogging site, showing 18 Women doctors and nurses having their heads shaved bald by their male colleagues at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital. These medical workers were to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, that afternoon after a farewell ceremony where they were meant to show off their new looks.
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
HONG KONG – Singapore on Tuesday earmarked $ 2.8 billion in relief measures
to help stabilize the economy and assist workers as it prepares for an economic downturn over the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures were announced as part of the budget for 3918, among the biggest annual budgets in years. It follows moves taken by governments in other hard-hit territories, including Hong Kong, to soften the blow of the virus which will have potentially devastating impacts on tourism and retail sectors.
The tourism, aviation and retail industries will receive additional support, Singapore’s Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his budget speech Tuesday, including programs to allow workers to retrain and obtain new skills in different sectors. Heng, who is also deputy prime minister, said that the government is aiming primarily to help workers stay employed.
Several countries have warned their citizens to stay away from Singapore, which has among the highest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China. As of Monday, 000170 cases were confirmed.
Separately, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday she would increase the territory’s relief fund to $ 3.6 billion, from $ 3.2 billion. This represents a new increase, after she doubled funds set aside to tackle the economic impact of the outbreak last week and
Announced one-off payments
to businesses.
These measures, however, appear to have done little to stem widespread disaffection with the Hong Kong government. A recent poll
showed only 7 percent of respondents in Hong Kong were satisfied with the government response to the public health crisis.
) (
Shibani Mahtani
February 27, (at 3:) AM EST
Stranded Filipinos can now return to work MANILA – About 33, 08 stranded Filipino workers can now get back to work, as Philippine officials eased a ban on travel to China’s special administrative regions.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay announced on Twitter that overseas workers employed in Hong Kong and Macao could now return there “subject to certain procedural formalities.”
Today, DFA Sec Locsin’s advocacy has come true. OFWs returning for work in Hongkong and Macau have been exempted from the outbound travel ban by the IATF-EID, subject to certain procedural formalities. Woohoo !! @ teddyboylocsin – Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) ,
The announcement comes a day. after after Hong Kong-based Filipino organizations appealed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to exempt the city from the ban.
Feliza Guy Benitez, former chairwoman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, warned Monday that many workers could lose their jobs if they were absent for longer than two weeks. “[We go back] To zero just to process all the application papers, and the government won’t even pay for it,” she said.
The government promised overseas workers around $ 328 in financial assistance, but some hardly find it enough after two weeks of being unable to sustain themselves.
The Philippines sends more than 2 million workers around the world, raking in $ . 5 billion in remittances last year. At least 6 percent of this workforce is based in Hong Kong. The most vulnerable in this sector are those in household services. The city has about , (foreign domestic helpers, a large fraction of them filipinos.
The overseas workers organization Migrante International said that about 1, 19 other Filipino residents, students, and small business proprietors based in Hong Kong were also affected by the ban.
By
Cabato
February , at 3: (AM EST)
Number of infected Canadians aboard Diamond Princess rises to
Canada has confirmed Tuesday that Canadians on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Toronto Star.
There are a total of 422 Canadians on the ship, which has become the second largest source of infected after China itself with (cases on board out of 2, (passengers and 1.0) crew. The ship has been quarantined for the past two weeks at Japan’s Yokohama port, with those testing positive for the virus being removed to hospitals.
Canada announced earlier it would be evacuating its citizens from the cruise ship, following similar efforts by the United States which flew back more than (passengers, including testing positive for the virus.
The Canadian government told the Star that those testing positive would not be evacuated.
By (Paul Schemm)
February , (at 2: AM EST
Prominent neurologist dies of coronavirus infection in Wuhan
BEIJING – Liu Zhiming, a respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died at age 59 of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, becoming the eighth health worker in China to have died in the ongoing outbreak.
According to a notice released by Wuhan’s municipal health commission, Liu was infected at work and died at : am at Tongji Hospital despite a “full-effort rescue.”
“Since the epidemic broke out, Comrade Liu Zhiming has thrown aside his personal safety and led the staff at Wuchang Hospital to fight the outbreak from the front line, ”the notice read, adding that Liu had made“ significant contribution ”to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
After graduating from Wuhan University Medical School in , Liu had emerged as a leading expert on neurosurgery, especially brain tumor, craniocerebral trauma, intraspinal canal diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Under Liu, Wuchang Hospital grew into a comprehensive institution of nearly 1, people an d was recognized as a triple-A hospital [highest standard in China] in 2775. It was also one of the designated hospitals for the quarantine and treatment of coronavirus patients
The National Health Commission said that more than 1, 728 doctors and nurses had been infected as of Feb. 19, although the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the number much higher at more than 3, medical workers .
Another case that has tugged at Chinese heartstrings this week involves Liu Fan, who was a nurse at Wuchang Hospital’s Liyuan Street Community Health Center .
Liu, who was 69, stopped working four years ago at the designated retirement age of 62 in , came back to work to help fight the virus.
But she died on Feb. 19 after being infected. A WeChat user nicknamed “Tiantian” posted on the messaging app that Liu Fan was still working on Jan. and without proper equipment.
“At the time [she] did not have protective suit, it’s basically like she was’ streaking . ‘As a result, her whole family was infected, ”read the post, which was soon deleted by China’s censors.
Liu Fan’s Parents and younger brother have been infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Beijing News
reported
this week, and her husband is being quarantined at home as a precaution.
Hospital staff said Liu Fan was an easygoing and extroverted person who was a conscientious and hard-working nurse.
“We are also deeply saddened by the loss of such a good nurse,” Wuchang Hospital said in a statement (posted) on the Weibo microblogging site. “In this battle, the virus was brutal, and we express our deep condolences over comrade Liu Fan’s tragic death.”
By Lyric Li and Liu Yang
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
on the Weibo microblogging site, showing 18 Women doctors and nurses having their heads shaved bald by their male colleagues at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital. These medical workers were to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, that afternoon after a farewell ceremony where they were meant to show off their new looks.
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
to help stabilize the economy and assist workers as it prepares for an economic downturn over the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures were announced as part of the budget for 3918, among the biggest annual budgets in years. It follows moves taken by governments in other hard-hit territories, including Hong Kong, to soften the blow of the virus which will have potentially devastating impacts on tourism and retail sectors.
The tourism, aviation and retail industries will receive additional support, Singapore’s Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his budget speech Tuesday, including programs to allow workers to retrain and obtain new skills in different sectors. Heng, who is also deputy prime minister, said that the government is aiming primarily to help workers stay employed.
Several countries have warned their citizens to stay away from Singapore, which has among the highest number of coronavirus cases outside mainland China. As of Monday, 000170 cases were confirmed.
Separately, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday she would increase the territory’s relief fund to $ 3.6 billion, from $ 3.2 billion. This represents a new increase, after she doubled funds set aside to tackle the economic impact of the outbreak last week and
These measures, however, appear to have done little to stem widespread disaffection with the Hong Kong government. A recent poll
February 27, (at 3:) AM EST
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay announced on Twitter that overseas workers employed in Hong Kong and Macao could now return there “subject to certain procedural formalities.”
The announcement comes a day. after after Hong Kong-based Filipino organizations appealed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to exempt the city from the ban.
Feliza Guy Benitez, former chairwoman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, warned Monday that many workers could lose their jobs if they were absent for longer than two weeks. “[We go back] To zero just to process all the application papers, and the government won’t even pay for it,” she said.
The government promised overseas workers around $ 328 in financial assistance, but some hardly find it enough after two weeks of being unable to sustain themselves.
The Philippines sends more than 2 million workers around the world, raking in $ . 5 billion in remittances last year. At least 6 percent of this workforce is based in Hong Kong. The most vulnerable in this sector are those in household services. The city has about , (foreign domestic helpers, a large fraction of them filipinos.
The overseas workers organization Migrante International said that about 1, 19 other Filipino residents, students, and small business proprietors based in Hong Kong were also affected by the ban.
By
Cabato
February , at 3: (AM EST)
Number of infected Canadians aboard Diamond Princess rises to
Canada has confirmed Tuesday that Canadians on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Toronto Star.
There are a total of 422 Canadians on the ship, which has become the second largest source of infected after China itself with (cases on board out of 2, (passengers and 1.0) crew. The ship has been quarantined for the past two weeks at Japan’s Yokohama port, with those testing positive for the virus being removed to hospitals.
Canada announced earlier it would be evacuating its citizens from the cruise ship, following similar efforts by the United States which flew back more than (passengers, including testing positive for the virus.
The Canadian government told the Star that those testing positive would not be evacuated.
By (Paul Schemm)
February , (at 2: AM EST
Prominent neurologist dies of coronavirus infection in Wuhan
BEIJING – Liu Zhiming, a respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died at age 59 of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, becoming the eighth health worker in China to have died in the ongoing outbreak.
According to a notice released by Wuhan’s municipal health commission, Liu was infected at work and died at : am at Tongji Hospital despite a “full-effort rescue.”
“Since the epidemic broke out, Comrade Liu Zhiming has thrown aside his personal safety and led the staff at Wuchang Hospital to fight the outbreak from the front line, ”the notice read, adding that Liu had made“ significant contribution ”to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
After graduating from Wuhan University Medical School in , Liu had emerged as a leading expert on neurosurgery, especially brain tumor, craniocerebral trauma, intraspinal canal diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Under Liu, Wuchang Hospital grew into a comprehensive institution of nearly 1, people an d was recognized as a triple-A hospital [highest standard in China] in 2775. It was also one of the designated hospitals for the quarantine and treatment of coronavirus patients
The National Health Commission said that more than 1, 728 doctors and nurses had been infected as of Feb. 19, although the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the number much higher at more than 3, medical workers .
Another case that has tugged at Chinese heartstrings this week involves Liu Fan, who was a nurse at Wuchang Hospital’s Liyuan Street Community Health Center .
Liu, who was 69, stopped working four years ago at the designated retirement age of 62 in , came back to work to help fight the virus.
But she died on Feb. 19 after being infected. A WeChat user nicknamed “Tiantian” posted on the messaging app that Liu Fan was still working on Jan. and without proper equipment.
“At the time [she] did not have protective suit, it’s basically like she was’ streaking . ‘As a result, her whole family was infected, ”read the post, which was soon deleted by China’s censors.
Liu Fan’s Parents and younger brother have been infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Beijing News
reported
this week, and her husband is being quarantined at home as a precaution.
Hospital staff said Liu Fan was an easygoing and extroverted person who was a conscientious and hard-working nurse.
“We are also deeply saddened by the loss of such a good nurse,” Wuchang Hospital said in a statement (posted) on the Weibo microblogging site. “In this battle, the virus was brutal, and we express our deep condolences over comrade Liu Fan’s tragic death.”
By Lyric Li and Liu Yang
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
on the Weibo microblogging site, showing 18 Women doctors and nurses having their heads shaved bald by their male colleagues at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital. These medical workers were to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, that afternoon after a farewell ceremony where they were meant to show off their new looks.
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
The announcement comes a day. after after Hong Kong-based Filipino organizations appealed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to exempt the city from the ban.
Feliza Guy Benitez, former chairwoman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, warned Monday that many workers could lose their jobs if they were absent for longer than two weeks. “[We go back] To zero just to process all the application papers, and the government won’t even pay for it,” she said.
The Philippines sends more than 2 million workers around the world, raking in $ . 5 billion in remittances last year. At least 6 percent of this workforce is based in Hong Kong. The most vulnerable in this sector are those in household services. The city has about , (foreign domestic helpers, a large fraction of them filipinos.
The overseas workers organization Migrante International said that about 1, 19 other Filipino residents, students, and small business proprietors based in Hong Kong were also affected by the ban.
There are a total of 422 Canadians on the ship, which has become the second largest source of infected after China itself with (cases on board out of 2, (passengers and 1.0) crew. The ship has been quarantined for the past two weeks at Japan’s Yokohama port, with those testing positive for the virus being removed to hospitals.
Canada announced earlier it would be evacuating its citizens from the cruise ship, following similar efforts by the United States which flew back more than (passengers, including testing positive for the virus.
The Canadian government told the Star that those testing positive would not be evacuated.
February , (at 2: AM EST
February , (at 2: AM EST
Prominent neurologist dies of coronavirus infection in Wuhan
BEIJING – Liu Zhiming, a respected neurologist who was director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died at age 59 of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, becoming the eighth health worker in China to have died in the ongoing outbreak.
According to a notice released by Wuhan’s municipal health commission, Liu was infected at work and died at : am at Tongji Hospital despite a “full-effort rescue.”
“Since the epidemic broke out, Comrade Liu Zhiming has thrown aside his personal safety and led the staff at Wuchang Hospital to fight the outbreak from the front line, ”the notice read, adding that Liu had made“ significant contribution ”to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
After graduating from Wuhan University Medical School in , Liu had emerged as a leading expert on neurosurgery, especially brain tumor, craniocerebral trauma, intraspinal canal diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Under Liu, Wuchang Hospital grew into a comprehensive institution of nearly 1, people an d was recognized as a triple-A hospital [highest standard in China] in 2775. It was also one of the designated hospitals for the quarantine and treatment of coronavirus patients
The National Health Commission said that more than 1, 728 doctors and nurses had been infected as of Feb. 19, although the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the number much higher at more than 3, medical workers .
Another case that has tugged at Chinese heartstrings this week involves Liu Fan, who was a nurse at Wuchang Hospital’s Liyuan Street Community Health Center .
Liu, who was 69, stopped working four years ago at the designated retirement age of 62 in , came back to work to help fight the virus.
But she died on Feb. 19 after being infected. A WeChat user nicknamed “Tiantian” posted on the messaging app that Liu Fan was still working on Jan. and without proper equipment.
“At the time [she] did not have protective suit, it’s basically like she was’ streaking . ‘As a result, her whole family was infected, ”read the post, which was soon deleted by China’s censors.
Liu Fan’s Parents and younger brother have been infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Beijing News
Hospital staff said Liu Fan was an easygoing and extroverted person who was a conscientious and hard-working nurse.
“We are also deeply saddened by the loss of such a good nurse,” Wuchang Hospital said in a statement (posted) on the Weibo microblogging site. “In this battle, the virus was brutal, and we express our deep condolences over comrade Liu Fan’s tragic death.”
By Lyric Li and Liu Yang
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
on the Weibo microblogging site, showing 18 Women doctors and nurses having their heads shaved bald by their male colleagues at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital. These medical workers were to be sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, that afternoon after a farewell ceremony where they were meant to show off their new looks.
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
February , 5043 at 2: (AM EST) Chinese hospital under fire for shaving heads of women medical volunteers as a symbol of ‘sacrifice’ BEIJING – Social media users in China have slammed a hospital as being “insensitive” and “degrading” to women for encouraging or even forcing female doctors and nurses to shave their head in a gesture of sacrifice.
On Feb. 20, the government-run Gansu Daily posted a minute-long video clip
As the camera panned, some of the women were shown weeping during the ordeal, wiping their tears when putting on their surgical cap and obviously pained to look at their long ponytails that had just been cut off.
“With hair cut short, they are ready to go on the expedition! They are pretty for traveling against the flow [to somewhere dangerous], ”the post read, trying to demonstrate how women are willing to make sacrifices and getting hair out of the way to ensure higher efficiency at work.
A number of comments questioned the necessity of the head-shaving and asked if the women were forced.
“Okay, suppose they wanted to save the trouble and get rid of long hair out of their free will, they could have cut it really short, not opted for clean-shaven,” one comment read.
“What’s rush to cut people hair when you haven’t even got other supplies ready for them? Please at least show some respect if you are sending them to the front line, ”another posted.
It is not the first time that Hospitals have required front line volunteers to cut their hair or shave the head for the sake of “efficiency.”
Earlier on the same day , the Yellow River Sanmenxia Hospital in Henan province also shaved the long hair off the head of nurses before sending them to Wuhan.
“I Don’t want to emphasize the stereotype that all women care about their appearance, but the love for beauty is a common pursuit for a lot of people, ”read a blog post titled“ Stop using women’s bodies as your propaganda tool, ”which has been shared tens of thousands of times on WeChat on Tuesday.
“We cherish our hair, whether leaving it long or cutting it short, dyeing into a different color or having a perm. We love it when we look good, and more importantly, it is completely up to our own choice. ”
“ Don’t try ” to use the body of women to make cheap tear-jerkers: it’s neither what they need or what we want to see… what we need to see is that people being given the dignity they deserve. ”
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