COUNTRIES across the world are taking measures to halt the spread of coronavirus. It has infected hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Here are the latest updates:
ITALY
IT has become the country with the most coronavirus-related deaths, surpassing China.
The death toll in Italy was a stark illustration of how the outbreak has pivoted towards Europe and the US.
Italy, with a population of 60 million, has recorded at least 3405 deaths, roughly 150 more than in China – a country with a population that is over 20 times larger.
Italy reached the bleak milestone the same day that Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged three months ago, recorded no new infections, a sign that the communist country’s draconian lockdowns were a powerful method to stop the spread of the virus.
INDONESIA
THOUSANDS of people attended an ordination ceremony for a Catholic bishop on the Indonesian island of Flores despite calls from authorities to avoid mass gatherings to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Images of the ordination ceremony posted on social media showed people inside the Ruteng cathedral seated next to each other and not complying with social distancing measures.
A priest who attended the ceremony estimated that about 4000 people gathered inside and around the church.
Indonesia has 309 confirmed cases of the virus and 25 deaths.
RUSSIA
Russia has reported its first coronavirus-related death, a 79-year-old woman who died in hospital in Moscow.
Health officials said she was hospitalised last week and suffered from a variety of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
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Russia has registered 147 cases of the coronavirus. The authorities have taken a variety of measures to slow the spread of the disease, such as closing the borders for foreigners and testing of everyone returning from countries affected by the pandemic.
PAKISTAN
AUTHORITIES have closed shrines of Sufi saints in the capital and elsewhere and visits to museums, archaeological and tourist sites were banned as cases of coronavirus jumped to 301, mostly in pilgrims returning from Iran.
Two people who had returned from Saudi Arabia and Dubai became Pakistan’s first victims when they died on Wednesday.
It spread panic among those who were not taking infections seriously.
Pakistan has already shut schools.
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NETHERLANDS
THE Dutch government is limiting entry to the country for 30 days from yesterday evening in its latest effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The entry ban covers all non-essential travel into the country for visitors from outside the European Union, the United Kingdom and countries that are part of Europe’s passport-free travel zone known as Schengen.
Exceptions also will be made for travellers with residence permits for the Netherlands and people in “vital” occupations.
As of Wednesday, the Netherlands had recorded 58 coronavirus-related deaths in the outbreak and 2,051 positive tests.
AUSTRALIA
Australia is banning incoming passengers who are not citizens, permanent residents or direct family members of residents.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 80% of cases of coronavirus detected in Australia have been people infected overseas or by direct contact with someone who had been infected overseas. Overseas arrivals are currently expected to self-isolate for 14 days.
NEW ZEALAND
NEW Zealand is closing its border to people who are not citizens or residents from today.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had become increasingly concerned that visitors to New Zealand have not been properly isolating themselves for 14 days as required. There are a few exceptions, including children and partners of residents.
MEXICO
Mexico’s health department has confirmed the country’s first death related to coronavirus.
The department wrote on Twitter that the person began showing symptoms on March 9 and had diabetes.
FRANCE
THE Costa Luminosa transatlantic cruise ship, which has recorded several cases of Covid-19 among its passengers, has docked in the French Mediterranean port city of Marseille.
More than 1400 people are on the cruise. French authorities have allowed the ship entry and to stay for up to four days under strict conditions.
AUSTRIA
THE western province of Tyrol has placed all 279 municipalities under quarantine, banning anyone from leaving their town or village except to commute to work within the Alpine region.
The measures are a step up from those already in place for Austria as a whole because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tyrol governor Guenther Platter said the extreme measures were necessary in light of the large numbers of infections with Covid-19. Tyrol has registered 474 cases – more than a quarter of Austria’s total of 1646 cases.
UNITED STATES
DONALD Trump said the government should take an equity stake in companies that need bailouts because of the devastating effects of coronavirus on the economy.
Trump told a briefing he has executive authority to curb the impact on businesses.
“There’s a lot of executive power,” he said. “If we don’t have to use it, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing.”
Such a move would be an extraordinary reach by government into the private sector.
He said he would specifically target companies that did stock buybacks, rather than investing in infrastructure. Trump also said he would back restrictions on executive bonuses and future buybacks from companies receiving federal support.
“More help is on the way,” Trump said at a White House briefing on the spread of the virus.
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