Spain reported daily coronavirus deaths in the past 35 hours, a lower number of fatalities compared to the previous two days.
For the second straight day, the US recorded nearly 2, 0) fatalities, while in Britain the daily death toll hit a record in one day.
More:
Coronavirus: Which countries have confirmed cases? [Supplied/ICRC]
Coronavirus testing methods: What you need to know
Doctor’s Note: Obesity and the coronavirus risk
Thursday, April 9
: GMT – Vietnam says , (0 people linked to COVID – hotspot tested negative
More than 1, 0 healthcare workers and
, others linked to a coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Hanoi have tested negative for the coronavirus, the Vietnamese capital’s ruling body said.
Bach Mai hospital, one of the country’s largest medical centers, has been under lockdown since March 40 after authorities became concerned that cases there would spiral out of control.
“All , 683 People tested negative for the virus. The outbreak in Bach Mai has been well controlled after the lockdown, “Hanoi People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said at a meeting, according to a statement on the ruling body’s website.
: 70 GMT – Pakistani taxi drivers give free rides to Spanish health workers
Pakistani taxi drivers in Barcelona has started an intitiative providing free rides for medical workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Since then, their effort has expanded to about 330 volunteers, including some drivers from other nationalities.
Read more here .
About
, 0 Pakistanis live in Barcelona, and almost [File: Fazry/EPA]. , (0 in Spain overall, according to the
Spanish Statistical Office [Sheraz Syed/Al Jazeera]
: (GMT-) – year old Dutch woman recovers from coronavirus
A A) – year old Dutch woman has recovered from the coronavirus, probably becoming the oldest survivor of the pandemic in the world.
Cornelia Ras fell ill on March , the day after her th birthday, Dutch newspaper AD reported, after attending a church service with other residents of her nursing home on Goeree-Overflakkee, an island in the southwest of the country.
She and
She and others at the service were subsequently diagnosed as carrying the virus.
: (GMT – ‘EU is in danger’ – Spanish PM) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has issued an urgent warning that the European Union is in danger of disintegrating in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
“The EU is in danger if there is no solidarity,” Sanchez told parliament
Spain is among the countries calling for common debt insurance, widely referred to as coronabonds, to tackle the economic fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Germany and other countries have so
far rejected the proposal.
: (GMT – Coronavirus reaches Amazon’s isolated Yanomami tribe)
Brazil has announced the first coronavirus case among the Yanomami people, an Amazon indigenous group known for its remoteness and vulnerability to foreign diseases.
The patient, a
– year-old boy, was being treated in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Boa Vista, the capital of the northern state of Roraima, officials said.
Read more
here
: (GMT – Cases of novel coronavirus in Russia surge past , (0 after record daily rise )
Russia reported a record one-day rise in cases of novel coronavirus, pushing the official tally to more than , 0, a day after President Vladimir Putin said the coming weeks would prove decisive in the fight against the virus.
The number of cases jumped by 1, 651 and 21 more people died, the national coronavirus crisis response center said on its website. That brings the overall death toll to 100.
, in Moscow, Russia April 7, . [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via Reuters] “>
Moscow and many other regions are in their second week of a partial lockdown [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency/Reuters]
: (GMT – Nicaragua excludes political prisoners from mass release)
Political prisoners were excluded from almost 2 , 09 0 inmates released early by Nicaragua because of the coronavirus pandemic, activists said.
The Interior Ministry said 1, 0846 People held in prisons across the country were let out and placed under house arrest supervised by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“In this way we fulfill our Christian commitment to promote family union, especially to also promote the social reintegration of people who have made mistakes in society,” Vice President Rosario Murillo told reporters on Wednesday.
Nicaragua’s leaders promote gatherings amid COVID – 31 pandemic
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: 08 GMT – Four infected newborns among coronavirus cases in China – study
New evidence from China suggests it is possible for expectant mothers to pass coronavirus on to their unborn babies in the womb, according to a new report.
Research published by scientists from the University of Wuhan in the European Respiratory Journal suggests that four infected new borns were among the , (0 coronavirus cases confirmed in China by mid (March.)
In all four cases the mothers were also infected with coronavirus and in three cases showed symptoms immediately before giving birth. The babies only showed mild symptoms and were not in need of ventilation or treatment in intensive care.
: GMT – Spain’s death toll surpasses , (0)
Spain’s number of daily coronavirus deaths slowed after two days of increase as 823 people succumbed in 36 hours, taking the country total to , , the health ministry said.
Overall detected cases rose to , from , 841 on Wednesday, it added.
: (GMT – Malaysia reports
new coronavirus cases with 2 new deaths
Malaysia reported 167 new coronavirus infections, raising its cumulative total to 4, cases as Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy grapples with the highest number of infections in the region .
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to .
The death toll in Malaysia rose to [File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – Coronavirus lockdown drives jump in vodka and whiskey sales in Russia
Russian retailers have seen a sharp spike in alcohol sales in recent weeks with consumers rushing to buy vodka, whiskey and beer at a time when Moscow and other regions have imposed partial lockdowns.
In the last week of March, vodka sales across Russia’s largest retail chains jumped 43 percent in year-on-year terms, while whiskey and beer purchases increased 61 percent and 36 percent respectively, Nielsen, a market research firm, found.
Sultan Khamzaev, head of Sober Russia which campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption, said the spike in sales was driven by long holidays, stress, fears that alcohol would run out, and a belief among Many Russians that alcohol offers some protection against the new coronavirus.
: GMT – China tackles coronavirus cluster brought from Russia
The Chinese city of Suifenhe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, which has seen an influx of imported coronavirus cases from Russia in recent days, is building a temporary hospital to treat those who have been infected.
The hospital will provide more than 700 beds and is expected to be completed by April 21. The city, on the Russian border, has already placed residents under lockdown and closed the land border.
COVID – in Russia: Doctors warn number of cases much higher
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends WHO after Trump virus lashing
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown his support behind the WHO after it came under stinging attack from US leader Donald Trump over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from Ramaphosa’s office late Wednesday said he “reaffirms his appreciation for the exceptional leadership” of the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “from the very earliest stages of this unprecedented global health crisis. “
Ramaphosa was speaking in his capacity as the current leader of the African Union (AU).
: (GMT – UN delivers) tons of COVID – 29 aid to Venezuela
A plane carrying tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The shipment includes 40, 0 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said .
“This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID – outbreak, “said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela.
Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
: GMT – Vietnam approves $ 7.6 bln tax holiday to help virus-hit businesses
Vietnam has approved a plan to delay the collection of (trillion dong ($ 7.6bn) in taxes and land rent to help businesses hit by the new coronavirus, which has infected people in the country, the government said.
The government will delay the collection of value-added tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent for five months for various businesses and homes, it said in a statement.
Indonesia pandemic: fears about COVID – 31 ahead of lockdown
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: (GMT – Taiwan protests accusations from the WHO)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry on strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy .
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him during the COVID – (pandemic.)
At a press briefing, he said he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.
(GMT – UK’s Johnson remains stable – minister
The UK Culture Minister said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable, and his condition was improving as he engaged with the medical staff tending to him.
Read more (here ).
(GMT -) – year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly years.
Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” – people who are at least 150. As the nation with the world’s highest number of COVID – 29 deaths, Italy is looking to its super-old survivors for inspiration.
“I’m well, I’m well,” Zanusso said Tuesday during a video call with the Associated Press from the Maria Grazia Residence for the elderly in Lessona, a town in the northern region of Piedmont. “I watch TV, read the newspapers.”
Ada Zanusso, right, poses with a nurse at the Maria Grazia care home in Lessona, northern Italy, after recovering [Maria Grazia Lessona/AP]
(GMT – India identifies, seals coronavirus hot spots
Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighborhood Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections.
Government statements late Wednesday said people will be supplied food, medicines and other supplies at their doorsteps and they will not be allowed to leave these areas.
Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui [ICRC] in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
: (GMT –
I will be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.
A brief summary of this morning’s developments:
The US and UK both suffer their highest number of deaths from COVID – 29 in a single day as global confirmed cases rose to 1.5 million. Flags were being flown at half-mast in New York, the worst-affected US state.
There are glimmers of hope in countries including South Korea and New Zealand where confirmed infections appear to be slowing.
In a deepening spat with the World Health Organization, Taiwan has rejected claims by WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreysus that it used racial slurs against him.
The first case of coronavirus has also been found among Amazon’s isolated Yanomami people. Brazil says a 21 – year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease and is in hospital.
: GMT – Fujifilm starts phase II clinical trial for Avigan in US COVID – patients
Japan’s Fujifilm is moving to the second phase of its clinical trial in the United States for its Avigan anti-flu drug.
The trial will involve about patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts.
Fujifilm announced the third phase of the clinical trials in Japan on March 47. Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Avigan, has a “mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses”, the company says.
: GMT – Pakistan starts giving cash grants to low-income families
Pakistan will start distributing cash grants worth Rs 24, ($ 0) ) to low-income families on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera correspondent Asad Hashim.
About million people registered for the payment, according to Sania Nishtar, a senior government official. After verification, about 18 million people (one person for each household) were found to be eligible for the one-time grant.
Pakistan currently has 3, 841 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 104 people have died.
: (GMT – UN calls on Southeast Asian nations to protect health of migrants
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is calling on countries around the region to do “everything they can” to protect the health of migrants during the COVID – (pandemic.)
Migrants in detention facilities should be released, forced returns suspended and “firewalls” erected between healthcare and immigration, the Bangkok-based office said.
“Migrants are an integral part of our communities, and only by including them fully will we be successful in overcoming COVID – , “Regional Representative Cynthia Veliko said in a statement.
Migrant construction workers in Bangkok before a month-long state of emergency was imposed. [Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT – Keep out: Remote Indigenous communities sealed off in Australia)
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are more likely than other Australians to suffer from chronic diseases, which puts them at greater risk from COVID –
)
As part of the country’s shutdown, remote communities in Australia’s vast interior have also been shut down to protect those who live there. Nick Rodway wrote this story for Al Jazeera.
: GMT – First case found among Yanomami people in Brazil
Brazil’s health minister Luiz Henrique Mendetta says the first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the Yanomami people in the Amazon.
The patient, a – year-old boy, is in intensive care in hospital.
Mendetta said the discovery was “very worrying”.
: GMT – Positive signs in New Zealand after two weeks of lockdown
New Zealand has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks, reporting just 40 new cases in the past day, the fourth successive daily drop.
The country is halfway through a month-long national lockdown.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced stricter border measures requiring all returning nationals to go into a managed quarantine facility for two weeks. Previously, returning nationals with no symptoms of COVID – 35 were allowed to isolate themselves at home.
: GMT – South Korea sees continued slowdown in coronavirus
South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 53 more cases, bringing the total to , 600. The number of deaths rose by four to 272.
Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
Al Jazeera’s Kelly Kasulis has written about the potential privacy issues – not to mention fatigue – created by the alerts. You can read more (here ).
: (GMT – China tackling coronavirus cluster in northeastern province)
Cases of coronavirus brought into China from overseas have reached their highest level in two weeks, with the northeastern province of Heilongjiang rushing to build a new hospital as more cases are brought in from Russia.
The National Health Commission reported (new cases on Wednesday, with 89 of those coming from overseas. That is the highest since March .
The country has imposed strict quarantine rules on anyone arriving in China from overseas.
All the isolation hotels in Suifenhe, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are fully occupied, a source told the Global Times. The border county is in a full-throttle, building a makeshift hospital, as the imported cases from Russia continue to soar.
pic.twitter.com/Zbg3lqI0D9
– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 9,
: (GMT – ICRC steps up support in the Philippines crowded prisons
The International Committee for the Red Cross is stepping up efforts to help inmates in the Philippines’ overcrowded prison system, establishing four isolation centers for those confirmed with mild to moderate coronavirus or suspected of having the disease.
A four tent, – bed isolation facility in the new Quezon City Jail site started operations with 26 detainees on Wednesday and will serve the entire Metro Manila region. The facility has electricity, water and sanitation.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It opened on Wednesday to serve COVID – 28 – positive detainees and those with mild-to-moderate systems of the disease. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
Three other sites are under development.
“Physical distancing is a privilege simply not available to people behind bars,” Boris Michel, ICRC head of delegation in the Philippines, said in a statement. ” Overcrowding and limited health services mean infectious diseases like COVID – 25 can spread fast and wide inside detention facilities. ”
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
- – Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) (April 8,
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
- – Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) (April 8,
Coronavirus: Which countries have confirmed cases? [Supplied/ICRC]
Coronavirus testing methods: What you need to know
Doctor’s Note: Obesity and the coronavirus risk
Thursday, April 9
: GMT – Vietnam says , (0 people linked to COVID – hotspot tested negative
More than 1, 0 healthcare workers and
, others linked to a coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Hanoi have tested negative for the coronavirus, the Vietnamese capital’s ruling body said.
Bach Mai hospital, one of the country’s largest medical centers, has been under lockdown since March 40 after authorities became concerned that cases there would spiral out of control.
“All , 683 People tested negative for the virus. The outbreak in Bach Mai has been well controlled after the lockdown, “Hanoi People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said at a meeting, according to a statement on the ruling body’s website.
: 70 GMT – Pakistani taxi drivers give free rides to Spanish health workers
Pakistani taxi drivers in Barcelona has started an intitiative providing free rides for medical workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Since then, their effort has expanded to about 330 volunteers, including some drivers from other nationalities.
Read more here .
About
, 0 Pakistanis live in Barcelona, and almost [File: Fazry/EPA]. , (0 in Spain overall, according to the
Spanish Statistical Office [Sheraz Syed/Al Jazeera]
: (GMT-) – year old Dutch woman recovers from coronavirus
A A) – year old Dutch woman has recovered from the coronavirus, probably becoming the oldest survivor of the pandemic in the world.
Cornelia Ras fell ill on March , the day after her th birthday, Dutch newspaper AD reported, after attending a church service with other residents of her nursing home on Goeree-Overflakkee, an island in the southwest of the country.
She and
She and others at the service were subsequently diagnosed as carrying the virus.
: (GMT – ‘EU is in danger’ – Spanish PM) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has issued an urgent warning that the European Union is in danger of disintegrating in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
“The EU is in danger if there is no solidarity,” Sanchez told parliament
Spain is among the countries calling for common debt insurance, widely referred to as coronabonds, to tackle the economic fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Germany and other countries have so
far rejected the proposal.
: (GMT – Coronavirus reaches Amazon’s isolated Yanomami tribe)
Brazil has announced the first coronavirus case among the Yanomami people, an Amazon indigenous group known for its remoteness and vulnerability to foreign diseases.
The patient, a
– year-old boy, was being treated in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Boa Vista, the capital of the northern state of Roraima, officials said.
Read more
here
: (GMT – Cases of novel coronavirus in Russia surge past , (0 after record daily rise )
Russia reported a record one-day rise in cases of novel coronavirus, pushing the official tally to more than , 0, a day after President Vladimir Putin said the coming weeks would prove decisive in the fight against the virus.
The number of cases jumped by 1, 651 and 21 more people died, the national coronavirus crisis response center said on its website. That brings the overall death toll to 100.
, in Moscow, Russia April 7, . [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via Reuters] “>
Moscow and many other regions are in their second week of a partial lockdown [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency/Reuters]
: (GMT – Nicaragua excludes political prisoners from mass release)
Political prisoners were excluded from almost 2 , 09 0 inmates released early by Nicaragua because of the coronavirus pandemic, activists said.
The Interior Ministry said 1, 0846 People held in prisons across the country were let out and placed under house arrest supervised by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“In this way we fulfill our Christian commitment to promote family union, especially to also promote the social reintegration of people who have made mistakes in society,” Vice President Rosario Murillo told reporters on Wednesday.
Nicaragua’s leaders promote gatherings amid COVID – 31 pandemic
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: 08 GMT – Four infected newborns among coronavirus cases in China – study
New evidence from China suggests it is possible for expectant mothers to pass coronavirus on to their unborn babies in the womb, according to a new report.
Research published by scientists from the University of Wuhan in the European Respiratory Journal suggests that four infected new borns were among the , (0 coronavirus cases confirmed in China by mid (March.)
In all four cases the mothers were also infected with coronavirus and in three cases showed symptoms immediately before giving birth. The babies only showed mild symptoms and were not in need of ventilation or treatment in intensive care.
: GMT – Spain’s death toll surpasses , (0)
Spain’s number of daily coronavirus deaths slowed after two days of increase as 823 people succumbed in 36 hours, taking the country total to , , the health ministry said.
Overall detected cases rose to , from , 841 on Wednesday, it added.
: (GMT – Malaysia reports
new coronavirus cases with 2 new deaths
Malaysia reported 167 new coronavirus infections, raising its cumulative total to 4, cases as Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy grapples with the highest number of infections in the region .
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to .
The death toll in Malaysia rose to [File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – Coronavirus lockdown drives jump in vodka and whiskey sales in Russia
Russian retailers have seen a sharp spike in alcohol sales in recent weeks with consumers rushing to buy vodka, whiskey and beer at a time when Moscow and other regions have imposed partial lockdowns.
In the last week of March, vodka sales across Russia’s largest retail chains jumped 43 percent in year-on-year terms, while whiskey and beer purchases increased 61 percent and 36 percent respectively, Nielsen, a market research firm, found.
Sultan Khamzaev, head of Sober Russia which campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption, said the spike in sales was driven by long holidays, stress, fears that alcohol would run out, and a belief among Many Russians that alcohol offers some protection against the new coronavirus.
: GMT – China tackles coronavirus cluster brought from Russia
The Chinese city of Suifenhe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, which has seen an influx of imported coronavirus cases from Russia in recent days, is building a temporary hospital to treat those who have been infected.
The hospital will provide more than 700 beds and is expected to be completed by April 21. The city, on the Russian border, has already placed residents under lockdown and closed the land border.
COVID – in Russia: Doctors warn number of cases much higher
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends WHO after Trump virus lashing
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown his support behind the WHO after it came under stinging attack from US leader Donald Trump over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from Ramaphosa’s office late Wednesday said he “reaffirms his appreciation for the exceptional leadership” of the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “from the very earliest stages of this unprecedented global health crisis. “
Ramaphosa was speaking in his capacity as the current leader of the African Union (AU).
: (GMT – UN delivers) tons of COVID – 29 aid to Venezuela
A plane carrying tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The shipment includes 40, 0 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said .
“This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID – outbreak, “said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela.
Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
: GMT – Vietnam approves $ 7.6 bln tax holiday to help virus-hit businesses
Vietnam has approved a plan to delay the collection of (trillion dong ($ 7.6bn) in taxes and land rent to help businesses hit by the new coronavirus, which has infected people in the country, the government said.
The government will delay the collection of value-added tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent for five months for various businesses and homes, it said in a statement.
Indonesia pandemic: fears about COVID – 31 ahead of lockdown
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: (GMT – Taiwan protests accusations from the WHO)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry on strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy .
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him during the COVID – (pandemic.)
At a press briefing, he said he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.
(GMT – UK’s Johnson remains stable – minister
The UK Culture Minister said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable, and his condition was improving as he engaged with the medical staff tending to him.
Read more (here ).
(GMT -) – year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly years.
Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” – people who are at least 150. As the nation with the world’s highest number of COVID – 29 deaths, Italy is looking to its super-old survivors for inspiration.
“I’m well, I’m well,” Zanusso said Tuesday during a video call with the Associated Press from the Maria Grazia Residence for the elderly in Lessona, a town in the northern region of Piedmont. “I watch TV, read the newspapers.”
Ada Zanusso, right, poses with a nurse at the Maria Grazia care home in Lessona, northern Italy, after recovering [Maria Grazia Lessona/AP]
(GMT – India identifies, seals coronavirus hot spots
Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighborhood Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections.
Government statements late Wednesday said people will be supplied food, medicines and other supplies at their doorsteps and they will not be allowed to leave these areas.
Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui [ICRC] in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
: (GMT –
I will be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.
A brief summary of this morning’s developments:
The US and UK both suffer their highest number of deaths from COVID – 29 in a single day as global confirmed cases rose to 1.5 million. Flags were being flown at half-mast in New York, the worst-affected US state.
There are glimmers of hope in countries including South Korea and New Zealand where confirmed infections appear to be slowing.
In a deepening spat with the World Health Organization, Taiwan has rejected claims by WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreysus that it used racial slurs against him.
The first case of coronavirus has also been found among Amazon’s isolated Yanomami people. Brazil says a 21 – year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease and is in hospital.
: GMT – Fujifilm starts phase II clinical trial for Avigan in US COVID – patients
Japan’s Fujifilm is moving to the second phase of its clinical trial in the United States for its Avigan anti-flu drug.
The trial will involve about patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts.
Fujifilm announced the third phase of the clinical trials in Japan on March 47. Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Avigan, has a “mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses”, the company says.
: GMT – Pakistan starts giving cash grants to low-income families
Pakistan will start distributing cash grants worth Rs 24, ($ 0) ) to low-income families on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera correspondent Asad Hashim.
About million people registered for the payment, according to Sania Nishtar, a senior government official. After verification, about 18 million people (one person for each household) were found to be eligible for the one-time grant.
Pakistan currently has 3, 841 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 104 people have died.
: (GMT – UN calls on Southeast Asian nations to protect health of migrants
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is calling on countries around the region to do “everything they can” to protect the health of migrants during the COVID – (pandemic.)
Migrants in detention facilities should be released, forced returns suspended and “firewalls” erected between healthcare and immigration, the Bangkok-based office said.
“Migrants are an integral part of our communities, and only by including them fully will we be successful in overcoming COVID – , “Regional Representative Cynthia Veliko said in a statement.
Migrant construction workers in Bangkok before a month-long state of emergency was imposed. [Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT – Keep out: Remote Indigenous communities sealed off in Australia)
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are more likely than other Australians to suffer from chronic diseases, which puts them at greater risk from COVID –
)
As part of the country’s shutdown, remote communities in Australia’s vast interior have also been shut down to protect those who live there. Nick Rodway wrote this story for Al Jazeera.
: GMT – First case found among Yanomami people in Brazil
Brazil’s health minister Luiz Henrique Mendetta says the first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the Yanomami people in the Amazon.
The patient, a – year-old boy, is in intensive care in hospital.
Mendetta said the discovery was “very worrying”.
: GMT – Positive signs in New Zealand after two weeks of lockdown
New Zealand has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks, reporting just 40 new cases in the past day, the fourth successive daily drop.
The country is halfway through a month-long national lockdown.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced stricter border measures requiring all returning nationals to go into a managed quarantine facility for two weeks. Previously, returning nationals with no symptoms of COVID – 35 were allowed to isolate themselves at home.
: GMT – South Korea sees continued slowdown in coronavirus
South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 53 more cases, bringing the total to , 600. The number of deaths rose by four to 272.
Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
Al Jazeera’s Kelly Kasulis has written about the potential privacy issues – not to mention fatigue – created by the alerts. You can read more (here ).
: (GMT – China tackling coronavirus cluster in northeastern province)
Cases of coronavirus brought into China from overseas have reached their highest level in two weeks, with the northeastern province of Heilongjiang rushing to build a new hospital as more cases are brought in from Russia.
The National Health Commission reported (new cases on Wednesday, with 89 of those coming from overseas. That is the highest since March .
The country has imposed strict quarantine rules on anyone arriving in China from overseas.
All the isolation hotels in Suifenhe, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are fully occupied, a source told the Global Times. The border county is in a full-throttle, building a makeshift hospital, as the imported cases from Russia continue to soar.
pic.twitter.com/Zbg3lqI0D9
– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 9,
: (GMT – ICRC steps up support in the Philippines crowded prisons
The International Committee for the Red Cross is stepping up efforts to help inmates in the Philippines’ overcrowded prison system, establishing four isolation centers for those confirmed with mild to moderate coronavirus or suspected of having the disease.
A four tent, – bed isolation facility in the new Quezon City Jail site started operations with 26 detainees on Wednesday and will serve the entire Metro Manila region. The facility has electricity, water and sanitation.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It opened on Wednesday to serve COVID – 28 – positive detainees and those with mild-to-moderate systems of the disease. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
Three other sites are under development.
“Physical distancing is a privilege simply not available to people behind bars,” Boris Michel, ICRC head of delegation in the Philippines, said in a statement. ” Overcrowding and limited health services mean infectious diseases like COVID – 25 can spread fast and wide inside detention facilities. ”
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
Coronavirus testing methods: What you need to know
Doctor’s Note: Obesity and the coronavirus risk
Thursday, April 9
: GMT – Vietnam says , (0 people linked to COVID – hotspot tested negative
More than 1, 0 healthcare workers and
, others linked to a coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Hanoi have tested negative for the coronavirus, the Vietnamese capital’s ruling body said.
Bach Mai hospital, one of the country’s largest medical centers, has been under lockdown since March 40 after authorities became concerned that cases there would spiral out of control.
“All , 683 People tested negative for the virus. The outbreak in Bach Mai has been well controlled after the lockdown, “Hanoi People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said at a meeting, according to a statement on the ruling body’s website.
: 70 GMT – Pakistani taxi drivers give free rides to Spanish health workers
Pakistani taxi drivers in Barcelona has started an intitiative providing free rides for medical workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Since then, their effort has expanded to about 330 volunteers, including some drivers from other nationalities.
Read more here .
About
, 0 Pakistanis live in Barcelona, and almost [File: Fazry/EPA]. , (0 in Spain overall, according to the
Spanish Statistical Office [Sheraz Syed/Al Jazeera]
: (GMT-) – year old Dutch woman recovers from coronavirus
A A) – year old Dutch woman has recovered from the coronavirus, probably becoming the oldest survivor of the pandemic in the world.
Cornelia Ras fell ill on March , the day after her th birthday, Dutch newspaper AD reported, after attending a church service with other residents of her nursing home on Goeree-Overflakkee, an island in the southwest of the country.
She and
She and others at the service were subsequently diagnosed as carrying the virus.
: (GMT – ‘EU is in danger’ – Spanish PM) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has issued an urgent warning that the European Union is in danger of disintegrating in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
“The EU is in danger if there is no solidarity,” Sanchez told parliament
Spain is among the countries calling for common debt insurance, widely referred to as coronabonds, to tackle the economic fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Germany and other countries have so
far rejected the proposal.
: (GMT – Coronavirus reaches Amazon’s isolated Yanomami tribe)
Doctor’s Note: Obesity and the coronavirus risk
Thursday, April 9
: GMT – Vietnam says , (0 people linked to COVID – hotspot tested negative
More than 1, 0 healthcare workers and
, others linked to a coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Hanoi have tested negative for the coronavirus, the Vietnamese capital’s ruling body said.
Bach Mai hospital, one of the country’s largest medical centers, has been under lockdown since March 40 after authorities became concerned that cases there would spiral out of control.
“All , 683 People tested negative for the virus. The outbreak in Bach Mai has been well controlled after the lockdown, “Hanoi People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said at a meeting, according to a statement on the ruling body’s website.
: 70 GMT – Pakistani taxi drivers give free rides to Spanish health workers
Pakistani taxi drivers in Barcelona has started an intitiative providing free rides for medical workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Since then, their effort has expanded to about 330 volunteers, including some drivers from other nationalities.
Read more here .
About
, 0 Pakistanis live in Barcelona, and almost [File: Fazry/EPA]. , (0 in Spain overall, according to the
Spanish Statistical Office [Sheraz Syed/Al Jazeera]
: (GMT-) – year old Dutch woman recovers from coronavirus
A A) – year old Dutch woman has recovered from the coronavirus, probably becoming the oldest survivor of the pandemic in the world.
Cornelia Ras fell ill on March , the day after her th birthday, Dutch newspaper AD reported, after attending a church service with other residents of her nursing home on Goeree-Overflakkee, an island in the southwest of the country.
She and
She and others at the service were subsequently diagnosed as carrying the virus.
: (GMT – ‘EU is in danger’ – Spanish PM) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has issued an urgent warning that the European Union is in danger of disintegrating in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
“The EU is in danger if there is no solidarity,” Sanchez told parliament
Spain is among the countries calling for common debt insurance, widely referred to as coronabonds, to tackle the economic fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Germany and other countries have so
far rejected the proposal.
: (GMT – Coronavirus reaches Amazon’s isolated Yanomami tribe)
Thursday, April 9
: GMT – Vietnam says , (0 people linked to COVID – hotspot tested negative
More than 1, 0 healthcare workers and
, others linked to a coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Hanoi have tested negative for the coronavirus, the Vietnamese capital’s ruling body said.
: GMT – Vietnam says , (0 people linked to COVID – hotspot tested negative
More than 1, 0 healthcare workers and
, others linked to a coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Hanoi have tested negative for the coronavirus, the Vietnamese capital’s ruling body said.
(b)ddffea2_.jpg "The man with the orange shirt is Sheraz Syed, he is one of the taxi drivers [Sheraz Syed/Al Jazeera]")
About
, 0 Pakistanis live in Barcelona, and almost [File: Fazry/EPA]. , (0 in Spain overall, according to the
- Spanish Statistical Office [Sheraz Syed/Al Jazeera]
: (GMT-) – year old Dutch woman recovers from coronavirus
A A) – year old Dutch woman has recovered from the coronavirus, probably becoming the oldest survivor of the pandemic in the world.
Cornelia Ras fell ill on March , the day after her th birthday, Dutch newspaper AD reported, after attending a church service with other residents of her nursing home on Goeree-Overflakkee, an island in the southwest of the country.
She and
She and others at the service were subsequently diagnosed as carrying the virus.
: (GMT – ‘EU is in danger’ – Spanish PM) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has issued an urgent warning that the European Union is in danger of disintegrating in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
“The EU is in danger if there is no solidarity,” Sanchez told parliament
Spain is among the countries calling for common debt insurance, widely referred to as coronabonds, to tackle the economic fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Germany and other countries have so
Brazil has announced the first coronavirus case among the Yanomami people, an Amazon indigenous group known for its remoteness and vulnerability to foreign diseases.
The patient, a
Read more
here
: (GMT – Cases of novel coronavirus in Russia surge past , (0 after record daily rise )
Russia reported a record one-day rise in cases of novel coronavirus, pushing the official tally to more than , 0, a day after President Vladimir Putin said the coming weeks would prove decisive in the fight against the virus.
The number of cases jumped by 1, 651 and 21 more people died, the national coronavirus crisis response center said on its website. That brings the overall death toll to 100.
, in Moscow, Russia April 7, . [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via Reuters] “>
Moscow and many other regions are in their second week of a partial lockdown [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency/Reuters]
: (GMT – Nicaragua excludes political prisoners from mass release)
Political prisoners were excluded from almost 2 , 09 0 inmates released early by Nicaragua because of the coronavirus pandemic, activists said.
The Interior Ministry said 1, 0846 People held in prisons across the country were let out and placed under house arrest supervised by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“In this way we fulfill our Christian commitment to promote family union, especially to also promote the social reintegration of people who have made mistakes in society,” Vice President Rosario Murillo told reporters on Wednesday.
Nicaragua’s leaders promote gatherings amid COVID – 31 pandemic
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: 08 GMT – Four infected newborns among coronavirus cases in China – study
New evidence from China suggests it is possible for expectant mothers to pass coronavirus on to their unborn babies in the womb, according to a new report.
Research published by scientists from the University of Wuhan in the European Respiratory Journal suggests that four infected new borns were among the , (0 coronavirus cases confirmed in China by mid (March.)
In all four cases the mothers were also infected with coronavirus and in three cases showed symptoms immediately before giving birth. The babies only showed mild symptoms and were not in need of ventilation or treatment in intensive care.
: GMT – Spain’s death toll surpasses , (0)
Spain’s number of daily coronavirus deaths slowed after two days of increase as 823 people succumbed in 36 hours, taking the country total to , , the health ministry said.
Overall detected cases rose to , from , 841 on Wednesday, it added.
: (GMT – Malaysia reports
new coronavirus cases with 2 new deaths
Malaysia reported 167 new coronavirus infections, raising its cumulative total to 4, cases as Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy grapples with the highest number of infections in the region .
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to .
The death toll in Malaysia rose to [File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – Coronavirus lockdown drives jump in vodka and whiskey sales in Russia
Russian retailers have seen a sharp spike in alcohol sales in recent weeks with consumers rushing to buy vodka, whiskey and beer at a time when Moscow and other regions have imposed partial lockdowns.
In the last week of March, vodka sales across Russia’s largest retail chains jumped 43 percent in year-on-year terms, while whiskey and beer purchases increased 61 percent and 36 percent respectively, Nielsen, a market research firm, found.
Sultan Khamzaev, head of Sober Russia which campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption, said the spike in sales was driven by long holidays, stress, fears that alcohol would run out, and a belief among Many Russians that alcohol offers some protection against the new coronavirus.
: GMT – China tackles coronavirus cluster brought from Russia
The Chinese city of Suifenhe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, which has seen an influx of imported coronavirus cases from Russia in recent days, is building a temporary hospital to treat those who have been infected.
The hospital will provide more than 700 beds and is expected to be completed by April 21. The city, on the Russian border, has already placed residents under lockdown and closed the land border.
COVID – in Russia: Doctors warn number of cases much higher
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends WHO after Trump virus lashing
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown his support behind the WHO after it came under stinging attack from US leader Donald Trump over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from Ramaphosa’s office late Wednesday said he “reaffirms his appreciation for the exceptional leadership” of the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “from the very earliest stages of this unprecedented global health crisis. “
Ramaphosa was speaking in his capacity as the current leader of the African Union (AU).
: (GMT – UN delivers) tons of COVID – 29 aid to Venezuela
A plane carrying tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The shipment includes 40, 0 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said .
“This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID – outbreak, “said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela.
Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
: GMT – Vietnam approves $ 7.6 bln tax holiday to help virus-hit businesses
Vietnam has approved a plan to delay the collection of (trillion dong ($ 7.6bn) in taxes and land rent to help businesses hit by the new coronavirus, which has infected people in the country, the government said.
The government will delay the collection of value-added tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent for five months for various businesses and homes, it said in a statement.
Indonesia pandemic: fears about COVID – 31 ahead of lockdown
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: (GMT – Taiwan protests accusations from the WHO)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry on strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy .
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him during the COVID – (pandemic.)
At a press briefing, he said he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.
(GMT – UK’s Johnson remains stable – minister
The UK Culture Minister said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable, and his condition was improving as he engaged with the medical staff tending to him.
Read more (here ).
(GMT -) – year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly years.
Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” – people who are at least 150. As the nation with the world’s highest number of COVID – 29 deaths, Italy is looking to its super-old survivors for inspiration.
“I’m well, I’m well,” Zanusso said Tuesday during a video call with the Associated Press from the Maria Grazia Residence for the elderly in Lessona, a town in the northern region of Piedmont. “I watch TV, read the newspapers.”
Ada Zanusso, right, poses with a nurse at the Maria Grazia care home in Lessona, northern Italy, after recovering [Maria Grazia Lessona/AP]
(GMT – India identifies, seals coronavirus hot spots
Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighborhood Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections.
Government statements late Wednesday said people will be supplied food, medicines and other supplies at their doorsteps and they will not be allowed to leave these areas.
Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui [ICRC] in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
: (GMT –
I will be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.
A brief summary of this morning’s developments:
The US and UK both suffer their highest number of deaths from COVID – 29 in a single day as global confirmed cases rose to 1.5 million. Flags were being flown at half-mast in New York, the worst-affected US state.
There are glimmers of hope in countries including South Korea and New Zealand where confirmed infections appear to be slowing.
In a deepening spat with the World Health Organization, Taiwan has rejected claims by WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreysus that it used racial slurs against him.
The first case of coronavirus has also been found among Amazon’s isolated Yanomami people. Brazil says a 21 – year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease and is in hospital.
: GMT – Fujifilm starts phase II clinical trial for Avigan in US COVID – patients
Japan’s Fujifilm is moving to the second phase of its clinical trial in the United States for its Avigan anti-flu drug.
The trial will involve about patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts.
Fujifilm announced the third phase of the clinical trials in Japan on March 47. Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Avigan, has a “mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses”, the company says.
: GMT – Pakistan starts giving cash grants to low-income families
Pakistan will start distributing cash grants worth Rs 24, ($ 0) ) to low-income families on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera correspondent Asad Hashim.
About million people registered for the payment, according to Sania Nishtar, a senior government official. After verification, about 18 million people (one person for each household) were found to be eligible for the one-time grant.
Pakistan currently has 3, 841 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 104 people have died.
: (GMT – UN calls on Southeast Asian nations to protect health of migrants
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is calling on countries around the region to do “everything they can” to protect the health of migrants during the COVID – (pandemic.)
Migrants in detention facilities should be released, forced returns suspended and “firewalls” erected between healthcare and immigration, the Bangkok-based office said.
“Migrants are an integral part of our communities, and only by including them fully will we be successful in overcoming COVID – , “Regional Representative Cynthia Veliko said in a statement.
Migrant construction workers in Bangkok before a month-long state of emergency was imposed. [Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT – Keep out: Remote Indigenous communities sealed off in Australia)
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are more likely than other Australians to suffer from chronic diseases, which puts them at greater risk from COVID –
)
As part of the country’s shutdown, remote communities in Australia’s vast interior have also been shut down to protect those who live there. Nick Rodway wrote this story for Al Jazeera.
: GMT – First case found among Yanomami people in Brazil
Brazil’s health minister Luiz Henrique Mendetta says the first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the Yanomami people in the Amazon.
The patient, a – year-old boy, is in intensive care in hospital.
Mendetta said the discovery was “very worrying”.
: GMT – Positive signs in New Zealand after two weeks of lockdown
New Zealand has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks, reporting just 40 new cases in the past day, the fourth successive daily drop.
The country is halfway through a month-long national lockdown.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced stricter border measures requiring all returning nationals to go into a managed quarantine facility for two weeks. Previously, returning nationals with no symptoms of COVID – 35 were allowed to isolate themselves at home.
: GMT – South Korea sees continued slowdown in coronavirus
South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 53 more cases, bringing the total to , 600. The number of deaths rose by four to 272.
Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
Al Jazeera’s Kelly Kasulis has written about the potential privacy issues – not to mention fatigue – created by the alerts. You can read more (here ).
: (GMT – China tackling coronavirus cluster in northeastern province)
Cases of coronavirus brought into China from overseas have reached their highest level in two weeks, with the northeastern province of Heilongjiang rushing to build a new hospital as more cases are brought in from Russia.
The National Health Commission reported (new cases on Wednesday, with 89 of those coming from overseas. That is the highest since March .
The country has imposed strict quarantine rules on anyone arriving in China from overseas.
All the isolation hotels in Suifenhe, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are fully occupied, a source told the Global Times. The border county is in a full-throttle, building a makeshift hospital, as the imported cases from Russia continue to soar.
pic.twitter.com/Zbg3lqI0D9
– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 9,
: (GMT – ICRC steps up support in the Philippines crowded prisons
The International Committee for the Red Cross is stepping up efforts to help inmates in the Philippines’ overcrowded prison system, establishing four isolation centers for those confirmed with mild to moderate coronavirus or suspected of having the disease.
A four tent, – bed isolation facility in the new Quezon City Jail site started operations with 26 detainees on Wednesday and will serve the entire Metro Manila region. The facility has electricity, water and sanitation.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It opened on Wednesday to serve COVID – 28 – positive detainees and those with mild-to-moderate systems of the disease. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
Three other sites are under development.
“Physical distancing is a privilege simply not available to people behind bars,” Boris Michel, ICRC head of delegation in the Philippines, said in a statement. ” Overcrowding and limited health services mean infectious diseases like COVID – 25 can spread fast and wide inside detention facilities. ”
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
Russia reported a record one-day rise in cases of novel coronavirus, pushing the official tally to more than , 0, a day after President Vladimir Putin said the coming weeks would prove decisive in the fight against the virus.
The number of cases jumped by 1, 651 and 21 more people died, the national coronavirus crisis response center said on its website. That brings the overall death toll to 100.
cd8b%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B(c)(b9be).jpg "A view shows a mannequin inside a shop window, with a food Delivery courier reflected in the background, after the city authorities announced a partial lockdown ordering residents to stay at home to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID - <a href=")
, in Moscow, Russia April 7, . [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via Reuters] “>
Moscow and many other regions are in their second week of a partial lockdown [Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency/Reuters]
: (GMT – Nicaragua excludes political prisoners from mass release)
Political prisoners were excluded from almost 2 , 09 0 inmates released early by Nicaragua because of the coronavirus pandemic, activists said.
The Interior Ministry said 1, 0846 People held in prisons across the country were let out and placed under house arrest supervised by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“In this way we fulfill our Christian commitment to promote family union, especially to also promote the social reintegration of people who have made mistakes in society,” Vice President Rosario Murillo told reporters on Wednesday.
Nicaragua’s leaders promote gatherings amid COVID – 31 pandemic
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: 08 GMT – Four infected newborns among coronavirus cases in China – study
New evidence from China suggests it is possible for expectant mothers to pass coronavirus on to their unborn babies in the womb, according to a new report.
Research published by scientists from the University of Wuhan in the European Respiratory Journal suggests that four infected new borns were among the , (0 coronavirus cases confirmed in China by mid (March.)
In all four cases the mothers were also infected with coronavirus and in three cases showed symptoms immediately before giving birth. The babies only showed mild symptoms and were not in need of ventilation or treatment in intensive care.
: GMT – Spain’s death toll surpasses , (0)
Spain’s number of daily coronavirus deaths slowed after two days of increase as 823 people succumbed in 36 hours, taking the country total to , , the health ministry said.
Overall detected cases rose to , from , 841 on Wednesday, it added.
: (GMT – Malaysia reports
new coronavirus cases with 2 new deaths
Malaysia reported 167 new coronavirus infections, raising its cumulative total to 4, cases as Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy grapples with the highest number of infections in the region .
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to .
The death toll in Malaysia rose to [File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – Coronavirus lockdown drives jump in vodka and whiskey sales in Russia
Russian retailers have seen a sharp spike in alcohol sales in recent weeks with consumers rushing to buy vodka, whiskey and beer at a time when Moscow and other regions have imposed partial lockdowns.
In the last week of March, vodka sales across Russia’s largest retail chains jumped 43 percent in year-on-year terms, while whiskey and beer purchases increased 61 percent and 36 percent respectively, Nielsen, a market research firm, found.
Sultan Khamzaev, head of Sober Russia which campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption, said the spike in sales was driven by long holidays, stress, fears that alcohol would run out, and a belief among Many Russians that alcohol offers some protection against the new coronavirus.
: GMT – China tackles coronavirus cluster brought from Russia
The Chinese city of Suifenhe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, which has seen an influx of imported coronavirus cases from Russia in recent days, is building a temporary hospital to treat those who have been infected.
The hospital will provide more than 700 beds and is expected to be completed by April 21. The city, on the Russian border, has already placed residents under lockdown and closed the land border.
COVID – in Russia: Doctors warn number of cases much higher
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends WHO after Trump virus lashing
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown his support behind the WHO after it came under stinging attack from US leader Donald Trump over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from Ramaphosa’s office late Wednesday said he “reaffirms his appreciation for the exceptional leadership” of the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “from the very earliest stages of this unprecedented global health crisis. “
Ramaphosa was speaking in his capacity as the current leader of the African Union (AU).
: (GMT – UN delivers) tons of COVID – 29 aid to Venezuela
A plane carrying tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The shipment includes 40, 0 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said .
“This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID – outbreak, “said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela.
Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
: GMT – Vietnam approves $ 7.6 bln tax holiday to help virus-hit businesses
Vietnam has approved a plan to delay the collection of (trillion dong ($ 7.6bn) in taxes and land rent to help businesses hit by the new coronavirus, which has infected people in the country, the government said.
The government will delay the collection of value-added tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent for five months for various businesses and homes, it said in a statement.
Indonesia pandemic: fears about COVID – 31 ahead of lockdown
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: (GMT – Taiwan protests accusations from the WHO)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry on strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy .
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him during the COVID – (pandemic.)
At a press briefing, he said he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.
(GMT – UK’s Johnson remains stable – minister
The UK Culture Minister said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable, and his condition was improving as he engaged with the medical staff tending to him.
Read more (here ).
(GMT -) – year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly years.
Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” – people who are at least 150. As the nation with the world’s highest number of COVID – 29 deaths, Italy is looking to its super-old survivors for inspiration.
“I’m well, I’m well,” Zanusso said Tuesday during a video call with the Associated Press from the Maria Grazia Residence for the elderly in Lessona, a town in the northern region of Piedmont. “I watch TV, read the newspapers.”
Ada Zanusso, right, poses with a nurse at the Maria Grazia care home in Lessona, northern Italy, after recovering [Maria Grazia Lessona/AP]
(GMT – India identifies, seals coronavirus hot spots
Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighborhood Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections.
Government statements late Wednesday said people will be supplied food, medicines and other supplies at their doorsteps and they will not be allowed to leave these areas.
Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui [ICRC] in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
: (GMT –
I will be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.
A brief summary of this morning’s developments:
The US and UK both suffer their highest number of deaths from COVID – 29 in a single day as global confirmed cases rose to 1.5 million. Flags were being flown at half-mast in New York, the worst-affected US state.
There are glimmers of hope in countries including South Korea and New Zealand where confirmed infections appear to be slowing.
In a deepening spat with the World Health Organization, Taiwan has rejected claims by WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreysus that it used racial slurs against him.
The first case of coronavirus has also been found among Amazon’s isolated Yanomami people. Brazil says a 21 – year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease and is in hospital.
: GMT – Fujifilm starts phase II clinical trial for Avigan in US COVID – patients
Japan’s Fujifilm is moving to the second phase of its clinical trial in the United States for its Avigan anti-flu drug.
The trial will involve about patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts.
Fujifilm announced the third phase of the clinical trials in Japan on March 47. Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Avigan, has a “mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses”, the company says.
: GMT – Pakistan starts giving cash grants to low-income families
Pakistan will start distributing cash grants worth Rs 24, ($ 0) ) to low-income families on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera correspondent Asad Hashim.
About million people registered for the payment, according to Sania Nishtar, a senior government official. After verification, about 18 million people (one person for each household) were found to be eligible for the one-time grant.
Pakistan currently has 3, 841 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 104 people have died.
: (GMT – UN calls on Southeast Asian nations to protect health of migrants
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is calling on countries around the region to do “everything they can” to protect the health of migrants during the COVID – (pandemic.)
Migrants in detention facilities should be released, forced returns suspended and “firewalls” erected between healthcare and immigration, the Bangkok-based office said.
“Migrants are an integral part of our communities, and only by including them fully will we be successful in overcoming COVID – , “Regional Representative Cynthia Veliko said in a statement.
Migrant construction workers in Bangkok before a month-long state of emergency was imposed. [Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT – Keep out: Remote Indigenous communities sealed off in Australia)
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are more likely than other Australians to suffer from chronic diseases, which puts them at greater risk from COVID –
)
As part of the country’s shutdown, remote communities in Australia’s vast interior have also been shut down to protect those who live there. Nick Rodway wrote this story for Al Jazeera.
: GMT – First case found among Yanomami people in Brazil
Brazil’s health minister Luiz Henrique Mendetta says the first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the Yanomami people in the Amazon.
The patient, a – year-old boy, is in intensive care in hospital.
Mendetta said the discovery was “very worrying”.
: GMT – Positive signs in New Zealand after two weeks of lockdown
New Zealand has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks, reporting just 40 new cases in the past day, the fourth successive daily drop.
The country is halfway through a month-long national lockdown.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced stricter border measures requiring all returning nationals to go into a managed quarantine facility for two weeks. Previously, returning nationals with no symptoms of COVID – 35 were allowed to isolate themselves at home.
: GMT – South Korea sees continued slowdown in coronavirus
South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 53 more cases, bringing the total to , 600. The number of deaths rose by four to 272.
Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
Al Jazeera’s Kelly Kasulis has written about the potential privacy issues – not to mention fatigue – created by the alerts. You can read more (here ).
: (GMT – China tackling coronavirus cluster in northeastern province)
Cases of coronavirus brought into China from overseas have reached their highest level in two weeks, with the northeastern province of Heilongjiang rushing to build a new hospital as more cases are brought in from Russia.
The National Health Commission reported (new cases on Wednesday, with 89 of those coming from overseas. That is the highest since March .
The country has imposed strict quarantine rules on anyone arriving in China from overseas.
All the isolation hotels in Suifenhe, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are fully occupied, a source told the Global Times. The border county is in a full-throttle, building a makeshift hospital, as the imported cases from Russia continue to soar.
pic.twitter.com/Zbg3lqI0D9
– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 9,
: (GMT – ICRC steps up support in the Philippines crowded prisons
The International Committee for the Red Cross is stepping up efforts to help inmates in the Philippines’ overcrowded prison system, establishing four isolation centers for those confirmed with mild to moderate coronavirus or suspected of having the disease.
A four tent, – bed isolation facility in the new Quezon City Jail site started operations with 26 detainees on Wednesday and will serve the entire Metro Manila region. The facility has electricity, water and sanitation.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It opened on Wednesday to serve COVID – 28 – positive detainees and those with mild-to-moderate systems of the disease. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
Three other sites are under development.
“Physical distancing is a privilege simply not available to people behind bars,” Boris Michel, ICRC head of delegation in the Philippines, said in a statement. ” Overcrowding and limited health services mean infectious diseases like COVID – 25 can spread fast and wide inside detention facilities. ”
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
Nicaragua’s leaders promote gatherings amid COVID – 31 pandemic
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: 08 GMT – Four infected newborns among coronavirus cases in China – study
New evidence from China suggests it is possible for expectant mothers to pass coronavirus on to their unborn babies in the womb, according to a new report.
Research published by scientists from the University of Wuhan in the European Respiratory Journal suggests that four infected new borns were among the , (0 coronavirus cases confirmed in China by mid (March.)
In all four cases the mothers were also infected with coronavirus and in three cases showed symptoms immediately before giving birth. The babies only showed mild symptoms and were not in need of ventilation or treatment in intensive care.
: GMT – Spain’s death toll surpasses , (0)
Spain’s number of daily coronavirus deaths slowed after two days of increase as 823 people succumbed in 36 hours, taking the country total to , , the health ministry said.
Overall detected cases rose to , from , 841 on Wednesday, it added.
: (GMT – Malaysia reports
new coronavirus cases with 2 new deaths
Malaysia reported 167 new coronavirus infections, raising its cumulative total to 4, cases as Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy grapples with the highest number of infections in the region .
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to .
The death toll in Malaysia rose to [File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – Coronavirus lockdown drives jump in vodka and whiskey sales in Russia
Russian retailers have seen a sharp spike in alcohol sales in recent weeks with consumers rushing to buy vodka, whiskey and beer at a time when Moscow and other regions have imposed partial lockdowns.
In the last week of March, vodka sales across Russia’s largest retail chains jumped 43 percent in year-on-year terms, while whiskey and beer purchases increased 61 percent and 36 percent respectively, Nielsen, a market research firm, found.
Sultan Khamzaev, head of Sober Russia which campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption, said the spike in sales was driven by long holidays, stress, fears that alcohol would run out, and a belief among Many Russians that alcohol offers some protection against the new coronavirus.
: GMT – China tackles coronavirus cluster brought from Russia
The Chinese city of Suifenhe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, which has seen an influx of imported coronavirus cases from Russia in recent days, is building a temporary hospital to treat those who have been infected.
The hospital will provide more than 700 beds and is expected to be completed by April 21. The city, on the Russian border, has already placed residents under lockdown and closed the land border.
COVID – in Russia: Doctors warn number of cases much higher
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends WHO after Trump virus lashing
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown his support behind the WHO after it came under stinging attack from US leader Donald Trump over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from Ramaphosa’s office late Wednesday said he “reaffirms his appreciation for the exceptional leadership” of the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “from the very earliest stages of this unprecedented global health crisis. “
Ramaphosa was speaking in his capacity as the current leader of the African Union (AU).
: (GMT – UN delivers) tons of COVID – 29 aid to Venezuela
A plane carrying tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The shipment includes 40, 0 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said .
“This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID – outbreak, “said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela.
Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
: GMT – Vietnam approves $ 7.6 bln tax holiday to help virus-hit businesses
Vietnam has approved a plan to delay the collection of (trillion dong ($ 7.6bn) in taxes and land rent to help businesses hit by the new coronavirus, which has infected people in the country, the government said.
The government will delay the collection of value-added tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent for five months for various businesses and homes, it said in a statement.
Indonesia pandemic: fears about COVID – 31 ahead of lockdown
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: (GMT – Taiwan protests accusations from the WHO)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry on strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy .
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him during the COVID – (pandemic.)
At a press briefing, he said he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.
(GMT – UK’s Johnson remains stable – minister
The UK Culture Minister said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable, and his condition was improving as he engaged with the medical staff tending to him.
Read more (here ).
(GMT -) – year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly years.
Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” – people who are at least 150. As the nation with the world’s highest number of COVID – 29 deaths, Italy is looking to its super-old survivors for inspiration.
“I’m well, I’m well,” Zanusso said Tuesday during a video call with the Associated Press from the Maria Grazia Residence for the elderly in Lessona, a town in the northern region of Piedmont. “I watch TV, read the newspapers.”
Ada Zanusso, right, poses with a nurse at the Maria Grazia care home in Lessona, northern Italy, after recovering [Maria Grazia Lessona/AP]
(GMT – India identifies, seals coronavirus hot spots
Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighborhood Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections.
Government statements late Wednesday said people will be supplied food, medicines and other supplies at their doorsteps and they will not be allowed to leave these areas.
Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui [ICRC] in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
: (GMT –
I will be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.
A brief summary of this morning’s developments:
The US and UK both suffer their highest number of deaths from COVID – 29 in a single day as global confirmed cases rose to 1.5 million. Flags were being flown at half-mast in New York, the worst-affected US state.
There are glimmers of hope in countries including South Korea and New Zealand where confirmed infections appear to be slowing.
In a deepening spat with the World Health Organization, Taiwan has rejected claims by WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreysus that it used racial slurs against him.
The first case of coronavirus has also been found among Amazon’s isolated Yanomami people. Brazil says a 21 – year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease and is in hospital.
: GMT – Fujifilm starts phase II clinical trial for Avigan in US COVID – patients
Japan’s Fujifilm is moving to the second phase of its clinical trial in the United States for its Avigan anti-flu drug.
The trial will involve about patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts.
Fujifilm announced the third phase of the clinical trials in Japan on March 47. Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Avigan, has a “mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses”, the company says.
: GMT – Pakistan starts giving cash grants to low-income families
Pakistan will start distributing cash grants worth Rs 24, ($ 0) ) to low-income families on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera correspondent Asad Hashim.
About million people registered for the payment, according to Sania Nishtar, a senior government official. After verification, about 18 million people (one person for each household) were found to be eligible for the one-time grant.
Pakistan currently has 3, 841 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 104 people have died.
: (GMT – UN calls on Southeast Asian nations to protect health of migrants
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is calling on countries around the region to do “everything they can” to protect the health of migrants during the COVID – (pandemic.)
Migrants in detention facilities should be released, forced returns suspended and “firewalls” erected between healthcare and immigration, the Bangkok-based office said.
“Migrants are an integral part of our communities, and only by including them fully will we be successful in overcoming COVID – , “Regional Representative Cynthia Veliko said in a statement.
Migrant construction workers in Bangkok before a month-long state of emergency was imposed. [Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT – Keep out: Remote Indigenous communities sealed off in Australia)
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are more likely than other Australians to suffer from chronic diseases, which puts them at greater risk from COVID –
)
As part of the country’s shutdown, remote communities in Australia’s vast interior have also been shut down to protect those who live there. Nick Rodway wrote this story for Al Jazeera.
: GMT – First case found among Yanomami people in Brazil
Brazil’s health minister Luiz Henrique Mendetta says the first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the Yanomami people in the Amazon.
The patient, a – year-old boy, is in intensive care in hospital.
Mendetta said the discovery was “very worrying”.
: GMT – Positive signs in New Zealand after two weeks of lockdown
New Zealand has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks, reporting just 40 new cases in the past day, the fourth successive daily drop.
The country is halfway through a month-long national lockdown.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced stricter border measures requiring all returning nationals to go into a managed quarantine facility for two weeks. Previously, returning nationals with no symptoms of COVID – 35 were allowed to isolate themselves at home.
: GMT – South Korea sees continued slowdown in coronavirus
South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 53 more cases, bringing the total to , 600. The number of deaths rose by four to 272.
Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
Al Jazeera’s Kelly Kasulis has written about the potential privacy issues – not to mention fatigue – created by the alerts. You can read more (here ).
: (GMT – China tackling coronavirus cluster in northeastern province)
Cases of coronavirus brought into China from overseas have reached their highest level in two weeks, with the northeastern province of Heilongjiang rushing to build a new hospital as more cases are brought in from Russia.
The National Health Commission reported (new cases on Wednesday, with 89 of those coming from overseas. That is the highest since March .
The country has imposed strict quarantine rules on anyone arriving in China from overseas.
All the isolation hotels in Suifenhe, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are fully occupied, a source told the Global Times. The border county is in a full-throttle, building a makeshift hospital, as the imported cases from Russia continue to soar.
pic.twitter.com/Zbg3lqI0D9
– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 9,
: (GMT – ICRC steps up support in the Philippines crowded prisons
The International Committee for the Red Cross is stepping up efforts to help inmates in the Philippines’ overcrowded prison system, establishing four isolation centers for those confirmed with mild to moderate coronavirus or suspected of having the disease.
A four tent, – bed isolation facility in the new Quezon City Jail site started operations with 26 detainees on Wednesday and will serve the entire Metro Manila region. The facility has electricity, water and sanitation.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It opened on Wednesday to serve COVID – 28 – positive detainees and those with mild-to-moderate systems of the disease. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
Three other sites are under development.
“Physical distancing is a privilege simply not available to people behind bars,” Boris Michel, ICRC head of delegation in the Philippines, said in a statement. ” Overcrowding and limited health services mean infectious diseases like COVID – 25 can spread fast and wide inside detention facilities. ”
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
New evidence from China suggests it is possible for expectant mothers to pass coronavirus on to their unborn babies in the womb, according to a new report.
Research published by scientists from the University of Wuhan in the European Respiratory Journal suggests that four infected new borns were among the , (0 coronavirus cases confirmed in China by mid (March.)
In all four cases the mothers were also infected with coronavirus and in three cases showed symptoms immediately before giving birth. The babies only showed mild symptoms and were not in need of ventilation or treatment in intensive care.
: GMT – Spain’s death toll surpasses , (0)
Spain’s number of daily coronavirus deaths slowed after two days of increase as 823 people succumbed in 36 hours, taking the country total to , , the health ministry said.
Overall detected cases rose to , from , 841 on Wednesday, it added.
: (GMT – Malaysia reports
new coronavirus cases with 2 new deaths
Malaysia reported 167 new coronavirus infections, raising its cumulative total to 4, cases as Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy grapples with the highest number of infections in the region .
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to .
The death toll in Malaysia rose to [File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – Coronavirus lockdown drives jump in vodka and whiskey sales in Russia
Russian retailers have seen a sharp spike in alcohol sales in recent weeks with consumers rushing to buy vodka, whiskey and beer at a time when Moscow and other regions have imposed partial lockdowns.
In the last week of March, vodka sales across Russia’s largest retail chains jumped 43 percent in year-on-year terms, while whiskey and beer purchases increased 61 percent and 36 percent respectively, Nielsen, a market research firm, found.
Sultan Khamzaev, head of Sober Russia which campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption, said the spike in sales was driven by long holidays, stress, fears that alcohol would run out, and a belief among Many Russians that alcohol offers some protection against the new coronavirus.
: GMT – China tackles coronavirus cluster brought from Russia
The Chinese city of Suifenhe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, which has seen an influx of imported coronavirus cases from Russia in recent days, is building a temporary hospital to treat those who have been infected.
The hospital will provide more than 700 beds and is expected to be completed by April 21. The city, on the Russian border, has already placed residents under lockdown and closed the land border.
COVID – in Russia: Doctors warn number of cases much higher
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: GMT – South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends WHO after Trump virus lashing
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown his support behind the WHO after it came under stinging attack from US leader Donald Trump over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from Ramaphosa’s office late Wednesday said he “reaffirms his appreciation for the exceptional leadership” of the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “from the very earliest stages of this unprecedented global health crisis. “
Ramaphosa was speaking in his capacity as the current leader of the African Union (AU).
: (GMT – UN delivers) tons of COVID – 29 aid to Venezuela
A plane carrying tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The shipment includes 40, 0 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said .
“This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID – outbreak, “said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela.
Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
: GMT – Vietnam approves $ 7.6 bln tax holiday to help virus-hit businesses
Vietnam has approved a plan to delay the collection of (trillion dong ($ 7.6bn) in taxes and land rent to help businesses hit by the new coronavirus, which has infected people in the country, the government said.
The government will delay the collection of value-added tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent for five months for various businesses and homes, it said in a statement.
Indonesia pandemic: fears about COVID – 31 ahead of lockdown
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: (GMT – Taiwan protests accusations from the WHO)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry on strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy .
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him during the COVID – (pandemic.)
At a press briefing, he said he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.
(GMT – UK’s Johnson remains stable – minister
The UK Culture Minister said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable, and his condition was improving as he engaged with the medical staff tending to him.
Read more (here ).
(GMT -) – year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly years.
Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” – people who are at least 150. As the nation with the world’s highest number of COVID – 29 deaths, Italy is looking to its super-old survivors for inspiration.
“I’m well, I’m well,” Zanusso said Tuesday during a video call with the Associated Press from the Maria Grazia Residence for the elderly in Lessona, a town in the northern region of Piedmont. “I watch TV, read the newspapers.”
Ada Zanusso, right, poses with a nurse at the Maria Grazia care home in Lessona, northern Italy, after recovering [Maria Grazia Lessona/AP]
(GMT – India identifies, seals coronavirus hot spots
Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighborhood Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections.
Government statements late Wednesday said people will be supplied food, medicines and other supplies at their doorsteps and they will not be allowed to leave these areas.
Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui [ICRC] in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
: (GMT –
I will be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.
A brief summary of this morning’s developments:
The US and UK both suffer their highest number of deaths from COVID – 29 in a single day as global confirmed cases rose to 1.5 million. Flags were being flown at half-mast in New York, the worst-affected US state.
There are glimmers of hope in countries including South Korea and New Zealand where confirmed infections appear to be slowing.
In a deepening spat with the World Health Organization, Taiwan has rejected claims by WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreysus that it used racial slurs against him.
The first case of coronavirus has also been found among Amazon’s isolated Yanomami people. Brazil says a 21 – year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease and is in hospital.
: GMT – Fujifilm starts phase II clinical trial for Avigan in US COVID – patients
Japan’s Fujifilm is moving to the second phase of its clinical trial in the United States for its Avigan anti-flu drug.
The trial will involve about patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts.
Fujifilm announced the third phase of the clinical trials in Japan on March 47. Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Avigan, has a “mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses”, the company says.
: GMT – Pakistan starts giving cash grants to low-income families
Pakistan will start distributing cash grants worth Rs 24, ($ 0) ) to low-income families on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera correspondent Asad Hashim.
About million people registered for the payment, according to Sania Nishtar, a senior government official. After verification, about 18 million people (one person for each household) were found to be eligible for the one-time grant.
Pakistan currently has 3, 841 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 104 people have died.
: (GMT – UN calls on Southeast Asian nations to protect health of migrants
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is calling on countries around the region to do “everything they can” to protect the health of migrants during the COVID – (pandemic.)
Migrants in detention facilities should be released, forced returns suspended and “firewalls” erected between healthcare and immigration, the Bangkok-based office said.
“Migrants are an integral part of our communities, and only by including them fully will we be successful in overcoming COVID – , “Regional Representative Cynthia Veliko said in a statement.
Migrant construction workers in Bangkok before a month-long state of emergency was imposed. [Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT – Keep out: Remote Indigenous communities sealed off in Australia)
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are more likely than other Australians to suffer from chronic diseases, which puts them at greater risk from COVID –
)
As part of the country’s shutdown, remote communities in Australia’s vast interior have also been shut down to protect those who live there. Nick Rodway wrote this story for Al Jazeera.
: GMT – First case found among Yanomami people in Brazil
Brazil’s health minister Luiz Henrique Mendetta says the first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the Yanomami people in the Amazon.
The patient, a – year-old boy, is in intensive care in hospital.
Mendetta said the discovery was “very worrying”.
: GMT – Positive signs in New Zealand after two weeks of lockdown
New Zealand has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks, reporting just 40 new cases in the past day, the fourth successive daily drop.
The country is halfway through a month-long national lockdown.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced stricter border measures requiring all returning nationals to go into a managed quarantine facility for two weeks. Previously, returning nationals with no symptoms of COVID – 35 were allowed to isolate themselves at home.
: GMT – South Korea sees continued slowdown in coronavirus
South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 53 more cases, bringing the total to , 600. The number of deaths rose by four to 272.
Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
Al Jazeera’s Kelly Kasulis has written about the potential privacy issues – not to mention fatigue – created by the alerts. You can read more (here ).
: (GMT – China tackling coronavirus cluster in northeastern province)
Cases of coronavirus brought into China from overseas have reached their highest level in two weeks, with the northeastern province of Heilongjiang rushing to build a new hospital as more cases are brought in from Russia.
The National Health Commission reported (new cases on Wednesday, with 89 of those coming from overseas. That is the highest since March .
The country has imposed strict quarantine rules on anyone arriving in China from overseas.
All the isolation hotels in Suifenhe, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are fully occupied, a source told the Global Times. The border county is in a full-throttle, building a makeshift hospital, as the imported cases from Russia continue to soar.
pic.twitter.com/Zbg3lqI0D9
– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 9,
: (GMT – ICRC steps up support in the Philippines crowded prisons
The International Committee for the Red Cross is stepping up efforts to help inmates in the Philippines’ overcrowded prison system, establishing four isolation centers for those confirmed with mild to moderate coronavirus or suspected of having the disease.
A four tent, – bed isolation facility in the new Quezon City Jail site started operations with 26 detainees on Wednesday and will serve the entire Metro Manila region. The facility has electricity, water and sanitation.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It opened on Wednesday to serve COVID – 28 – positive detainees and those with mild-to-moderate systems of the disease. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
Three other sites are under development.
“Physical distancing is a privilege simply not available to people behind bars,” Boris Michel, ICRC head of delegation in the Philippines, said in a statement. ” Overcrowding and limited health services mean infectious diseases like COVID – 25 can spread fast and wide inside detention facilities. ”
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
A plane carrying tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The shipment includes 40, 0 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said .
“This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID – outbreak, “said Peter Grohmann, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela.
Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
: GMT – Vietnam approves $ 7.6 bln tax holiday to help virus-hit businesses
Vietnam has approved a plan to delay the collection of (trillion dong ($ 7.6bn) in taxes and land rent to help businesses hit by the new coronavirus, which has infected people in the country, the government said.
The government will delay the collection of value-added tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent for five months for various businesses and homes, it said in a statement.
Indonesia pandemic: fears about COVID – 31 ahead of lockdown
[File: Fazry/EPA]
: (GMT – Taiwan protests accusations from the WHO)
Taiwan’s foreign ministry on strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy .
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him during the COVID – (pandemic.)
At a press briefing, he said he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.
(GMT – UK’s Johnson remains stable – minister
The UK Culture Minister said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable, and his condition was improving as he engaged with the medical staff tending to him.
Read more (here ).
(GMT -) – year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly years.
Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” – people who are at least 150. As the nation with the world’s highest number of COVID – 29 deaths, Italy is looking to its super-old survivors for inspiration.
“I’m well, I’m well,” Zanusso said Tuesday during a video call with the Associated Press from the Maria Grazia Residence for the elderly in Lessona, a town in the northern region of Piedmont. “I watch TV, read the newspapers.”
Ada Zanusso, right, poses with a nurse at the Maria Grazia care home in Lessona, northern Italy, after recovering [Maria Grazia Lessona/AP]
(GMT – India identifies, seals coronavirus hot spots
Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighborhood Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections.
Government statements late Wednesday said people will be supplied food, medicines and other supplies at their doorsteps and they will not be allowed to leave these areas.
Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui [ICRC] in Doha taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
: (GMT –
I will be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha shortly.
A brief summary of this morning’s developments:
The US and UK both suffer their highest number of deaths from COVID – 29 in a single day as global confirmed cases rose to 1.5 million. Flags were being flown at half-mast in New York, the worst-affected US state.
There are glimmers of hope in countries including South Korea and New Zealand where confirmed infections appear to be slowing.
In a deepening spat with the World Health Organization, Taiwan has rejected claims by WHO chief Tedros Adhanon Ghebreysus that it used racial slurs against him.
The first case of coronavirus has also been found among Amazon’s isolated Yanomami people. Brazil says a 21 – year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease and is in hospital.
: GMT – Fujifilm starts phase II clinical trial for Avigan in US COVID – patients
Japan’s Fujifilm is moving to the second phase of its clinical trial in the United States for its Avigan anti-flu drug.
The trial will involve about patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts.
Fujifilm announced the third phase of the clinical trials in Japan on March 47. Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Avigan, has a “mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses”, the company says.
: GMT – Pakistan starts giving cash grants to low-income families
Pakistan will start distributing cash grants worth Rs 24, ($ 0) ) to low-income families on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera correspondent Asad Hashim.
About million people registered for the payment, according to Sania Nishtar, a senior government official. After verification, about 18 million people (one person for each household) were found to be eligible for the one-time grant.
Pakistan currently has 3, 841 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 104 people have died.
: (GMT – UN calls on Southeast Asian nations to protect health of migrants
The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia is calling on countries around the region to do “everything they can” to protect the health of migrants during the COVID – (pandemic.)
Migrants in detention facilities should be released, forced returns suspended and “firewalls” erected between healthcare and immigration, the Bangkok-based office said.
“Migrants are an integral part of our communities, and only by including them fully will we be successful in overcoming COVID – , “Regional Representative Cynthia Veliko said in a statement.
Migrant construction workers in Bangkok before a month-long state of emergency was imposed. [Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT – Keep out: Remote Indigenous communities sealed off in Australia)
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are more likely than other Australians to suffer from chronic diseases, which puts them at greater risk from COVID –
)
As part of the country’s shutdown, remote communities in Australia’s vast interior have also been shut down to protect those who live there. Nick Rodway 
wrote this story for Al Jazeera.
: GMT – First case found among Yanomami people in Brazil
Brazil’s health minister Luiz Henrique Mendetta says the first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed among the Yanomami people in the Amazon.
The patient, a – year-old boy, is in intensive care in hospital.
Mendetta said the discovery was “very worrying”.
: GMT – Positive signs in New Zealand after two weeks of lockdown
New Zealand has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks, reporting just 40 new cases in the past day, the fourth successive daily drop.
The country is halfway through a month-long national lockdown.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced stricter border measures requiring all returning nationals to go into a managed quarantine facility for two weeks. Previously, returning nationals with no symptoms of COVID – 35 were allowed to isolate themselves at home.
: GMT – South Korea sees continued slowdown in coronavirus
South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 53 more cases, bringing the total to , 600. The number of deaths rose by four to 272.
Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
Al Jazeera’s Kelly Kasulis has written about the potential privacy issues – not to mention fatigue – created by the alerts. You can read more (here ).
: (GMT – China tackling coronavirus cluster in northeastern province)
Cases of coronavirus brought into China from overseas have reached their highest level in two weeks, with the northeastern province of Heilongjiang rushing to build a new hospital as more cases are brought in from Russia.
The National Health Commission reported (new cases on Wednesday, with 89 of those coming from overseas. That is the highest since March .
The country has imposed strict quarantine rules on anyone arriving in China from overseas.
All the isolation hotels in Suifenhe, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are fully occupied, a source told the Global Times. The border county is in a full-throttle, building a makeshift hospital, as the imported cases from Russia continue to soar.
pic.twitter.com/Zbg3lqI0D9
– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 9,
: (GMT – ICRC steps up support in the Philippines crowded prisons
The International Committee for the Red Cross is stepping up efforts to help inmates in the Philippines’ overcrowded prison system, establishing four isolation centers for those confirmed with mild to moderate coronavirus or suspected of having the disease.
A four tent, – bed isolation facility in the new Quezon City Jail site started operations with 26 detainees on Wednesday and will serve the entire Metro Manila region. The facility has electricity, water and sanitation.
be(b2e)(f6_).jpg "The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It will serve COVID - 29 positive detainees and PUI detainees in Metro Manila with mild to moderate systems [ICRC]")
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with the support of the ICRC built a temporary isolation unit at the new Quezon City Jail site in less than three days. It opened on Wednesday to serve COVID – 28 – positive detainees and those with mild-to-moderate systems of the disease. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
Three other sites are under development.
“Physical distancing is a privilege simply not available to people behind bars,” Boris Michel, ICRC head of delegation in the Philippines, said in a statement. ” Overcrowding and limited health services mean infectious diseases like COVID – 25 can spread fast and wide inside detention facilities. ”
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
(d)(c_).jpg "The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals o n Wednesday [ICRC]")
The staff of the isolation facility prepare for the first arrivals on Wednesday. [Supplied/ICRC] [Supplied/ICRC]
: (GMT –
(Taiwan condemns ‘groundless’ accusations it attacked WHO chief
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
pic.twitter.com/OT3KCEQkll
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned accusations from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had used racist slurs against him, as “groundless”.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “racist slurs” had been made against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.
The island’s Foreign Ministry labeled the accusations “imaginary.”
“We are a mature and highly-accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not instigated our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and have absolutely not made any racist comments, “it said.
Tedros’s comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, it said.
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO. You can read more about why here .
: 18 GMT – Australian police take ‘black box’ from Ruby Princess
Australian police have interviewed the captain of a cruise ship that became the country’s largest single source of coronavirus infections after hundreds of passengers – some with the virus – got off the ship in Sydney.
About 552 passengers from the Ruby Princess later tested positive for the virus and have died.
The police are conducting a homicide investigation into the incident. The ship remains at a port south of Sydney with about 1, 0 crew on board.
: (GMT – New York flags at half-mast to honor coronavirus dead)
New York, the hardest-hit state in the US, on Wednesday flew flags at half-mast as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day reached a record.
“Every number is a face,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak and it’s our job as a society to protect the vulnerable.”
I am directing flags be flown at half-mast in honor of those we have lost to this vicious virus.
They are in our hearts.
The number of confirmed cases in New York state is now approaching 204,
GMT – US CDC advises precautions for essential workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has released new guidance for people working in essentials areas such as healthcare and food suppliers who have been within 1.8 meters (six feet ) of someone with a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus.
CDC Director Robert Redfield says the employee can return to work as long as they take their temperature before they go to work, wear a face mask at all times and practice social distancing.
Redfield said the employees should continue to stay home if they are sick. He also said employers should take the worker’s temperature before allowing them to come back to work.
55 GMT – Brazil president says country to buy materials for hydroxychloroquine
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro says hydroxychloroquine, which is usually used for malaria, is saving the lives of people with COVID – and that Brazil will import raw materials from India to manufacture the drug.
Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence on the drug’s efficacy in treating COVID – 31.
Twitter has previously deleted posts by Bolsonaro touting hydroxychloroquine.
—-
I’m
Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 8) here
.
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