BANGKOK: The global march of the new virus triggered a vigorous appeal on Thursday from the World Health Organisation for governments to pull out “all the stops” to slow the epidemic, as it closed Bethlehem’s Nativity Church and blocked Italians from visiting elderly relatives in nursing homes.
As China, after many arduous weeks, appeared to be winning its epic, costly battle against the new virus, the fight was revving up in newly affected areas of the globe, unleashing disruptions that profoundly impacted billions of people.
The UN health agency urged all countries to “push this virus back”, a call to action reinforced by figures showing there are now about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it. To date, the virus has infected nearly 97,000 people and killed over 3,300.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time for giving up. This is not a time of for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing in Geneva. “Countries should be preparing for sustained community transmission... They have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans.”
As Chinese manufacturers gradually reopened their factories, anti-virus barriers went up elsewhere. In Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s outbreak, workers in latex gloves pinned “closed” notices on school gates, enforcing a 10-day shutdown of the education system. A government decree on Thursday urged the country’s famously demonstrative citizens to stay at least threefeet apart from each other, placed restrictions on visiting nursing homes and urged the elderly not to go outside. Italy’s toll climbed on Thursday to 148, and its confirmed cases to 3,858.
Iran, which has registered 107 virus deaths, has also closed schools and universities. Now it has introduced checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. Iranians were urged to reduce their use of paper money. Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, said the US offered humanitarian assistance to help Iran deal with its outbreak but “the regime rejected the offer”.
In the US, California joined the list of states declaring emergencies. So far, 11 deaths have been linked to the virus — one in California and the rest in Seattle — with 162 confirmed cases across the country. Hundreds of people were placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb. Off the coast of California, a cruise ship with about 3,500 aboard was ordered to stay put until passengers and crew could be tested because a traveller from its previous voyage died and another one was infected. South Africa confirmed its first case, becoming the seventh African nation to report infections. Britain and Switzerland reported their first coronavirus deaths. Palestinian officials closed the storied Church of the Nativity in the biblical city of Bethlehem indefinitely, weeks ahead of the busy Easter holiday.
In China, where hospitals were releasing hundreds of recovered patients, officials reported 139 new cases of infection and 31 more deaths. Overall, China has reported 80,409 cases and 3,012 deaths.
As China, after many arduous weeks, appeared to be winning its epic, costly battle against the new virus, the fight was revving up in newly affected areas of the globe, unleashing disruptions that profoundly impacted billions of people.
The UN health agency urged all countries to “push this virus back”, a call to action reinforced by figures showing there are now about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it. To date, the virus has infected nearly 97,000 people and killed over 3,300.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time for giving up. This is not a time of for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing in Geneva. “Countries should be preparing for sustained community transmission... They have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans.”
As Chinese manufacturers gradually reopened their factories, anti-virus barriers went up elsewhere. In Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s outbreak, workers in latex gloves pinned “closed” notices on school gates, enforcing a 10-day shutdown of the education system. A government decree on Thursday urged the country’s famously demonstrative citizens to stay at least threefeet apart from each other, placed restrictions on visiting nursing homes and urged the elderly not to go outside. Italy’s toll climbed on Thursday to 148, and its confirmed cases to 3,858.
Iran, which has registered 107 virus deaths, has also closed schools and universities. Now it has introduced checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. Iranians were urged to reduce their use of paper money. Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, said the US offered humanitarian assistance to help Iran deal with its outbreak but “the regime rejected the offer”.
In the US, California joined the list of states declaring emergencies. So far, 11 deaths have been linked to the virus — one in California and the rest in Seattle — with 162 confirmed cases across the country. Hundreds of people were placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb. Off the coast of California, a cruise ship with about 3,500 aboard was ordered to stay put until passengers and crew could be tested because a traveller from its previous voyage died and another one was infected. South Africa confirmed its first case, becoming the seventh African nation to report infections. Britain and Switzerland reported their first coronavirus deaths. Palestinian officials closed the storied Church of the Nativity in the biblical city of Bethlehem indefinitely, weeks ahead of the busy Easter holiday.
In China, where hospitals were releasing hundreds of recovered patients, officials reported 139 new cases of infection and 31 more deaths. Overall, China has reported 80,409 cases and 3,012 deaths.
Download The Times of India News App for Latest World News.
Get the app