As cases of people infected with the coronavirus or Covid-19 grow rapidly in Italy, Iran and South Korea, the rest of the world is bracing for a pandemic
Continue reading...Category Archives: Coronavirus outbreak
Coronavirus news: death toll rises in Italy and Iran as outbreak could cause 2008-level economic damage – live updates
Britain’s chief medical officer says mass gatherings could be cancelled. Meanwhile, experts say virus could trigger 2008-level economic damage
- Coronavirus ‘could trigger economic damage on scale of 2008 crisis’
- Priests told to take steps to stop spread at mass
- Coronavirus map: how Covid-19 is spreading across the world
- Share your experiences
In the US, health and human services secretary, Alex Azar, on Thursday said that at least 40 public health labs can currently test specimens for coronavirus and that could more than double as soon as Friday.
Azar, speaking before the House Ways and Means Committee, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had tested 3,625 specimens for the fast-moving virus as of this morning.
He said at least 40 labs currently have test kits that were previously manufactured by the CDC that were modified to test for coronavirus.
He added that a newly manufactured CDC test can be sent to 93 public health labs as soon as Monday, and a privately manufactured test based on the new CDC test could be sent to those same labs as early as tomorrow, pending FDA clearance.
Related: Five questions Donald Trump must answer on coronavirus
Downing Street defended the response to the situation at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in Tenerife.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said:
The Foreign Office has been in contact with more than 100 British nationals who are staying in the hotel.
They are providing them with support, they are also in regular contact with local authorities and tour companies to share information.
Continue reading...Coronavirus: walking through the ghost town at the centre of Italy’s outbreak – video
Streets and shops in Codogno in northern Italy have been left eerily empty after the town was placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak. The virus has so far killed 12 people in Italy, and cases across the country had reached more than 400 by Wednesday night, among them five children aged between four and 15
Continue reading...Trump says coronavirus spread not ‘inevitable’ – video
Donald Trump has sought to play down the threat from coronavirus, saying the danger to Americans ‘remains very low’ and predicting that the number of cases diagnosed in the country, currently on 15, could fall to zero in a ‘few days’. In a press conference in Washington, the US president also announced he was placing the vice-president, Mike Pence, in charge of coordinating the US response to the coronavirus outbreak
Continue reading...Will coronavirus trigger a global recession? | Jeffrey Frankel
World economy’s prospects look bleak owing to Covid-19 outbreak and Donald Trump’s trade policy
At the start of this year, things seemed to be looking up for the global economy. True, growth had slowed a bit in 2019: from 2.9% to 2.3% in the US and from 3.6% to 2.9% globally. Still, there had been no recession and as recently as January, the International Monetary Fund projected a global growth rebound in 2020. The new coronavirus, Covid-19, has changed all of that.
Early predictions about Covid-19’s economic impact were reassuring. Similar epidemics – such as the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), another China-born coronavirus – did little damage globally. At the country level, GDP growth took a hit but quickly bounced back, as consumers released pent-up demand and firms rushed to fill back orders and restock inventories.
Continue reading...Coronavirus: Lufthansa imposes hiring freeze as Diageo profits suffer
Airline offers unpaid leave, beverage firm fears £200m hit and Danone also voices concern
Lufthansa has announced a hiring freeze and is offering employees unpaid leave as part of a range of cost-saving measures to attempt to limit the financial impact of the spread of the coronavirus.
The German airline, which has already cancelled all flights to China until the end of March, also said it will expand part-time work options and cancel flight attendant and other personnel training courses from April onwards. Those that are already on courses will not be hired. The company said it aimed to offer affected trainees “employment contracts in the long term”.
Continue reading...Coronavirus in a war zone: Afghanistan braces for outbreak after first case
Lone Kabul laboratory preparing to treat patients in the midst of political turmoil and tentative peace talks, as border with Iran closed
Preparations for an outbreak of coronavirus were underway in Afghanistan as the country confirmed its first case in the western province of Herat, which borders Iran.
Seven more suspected cases have been identified in Herat, and three cases in the nearby provinces of Farah and Ghor.
Continue reading...Coronavirus live updates: Trump puts Mike Pence in charge of US response, says risk to Americans ‘very low’
Saudi Arabia bans religious tourists from entering country as WHO says virus now spreading faster outside China than in it. Follow latest news
- Ireland v Italy in Six Nations postponed due to coronavirus
- Zara Phillips will not self-isolate after Italy trip
- More new cases outside China than inside, says WHO
- Is it safe to travel, and should children be kept home?
- Have you been affected by the coronavirus?
Fiji has extended its travel ban due to coronavirus fears. Travellers who have been in Italy, Iran and the South Korean cities of Daegu and Cheongdo will not be permitted to enter Fiji. Visitors who had been in mainland China in the last 14 days have also been forbidden entry into the Pacific nation.
There are no suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus in Fiji, but Pacific nations are fearful of how their health systems will cope were the virus to reach their shores.
Ian Thorpe, the Australian Olympic swimming legend, says athletes must consider their own health before attending the Tokyo Games this year.
Thorpe, whose five Olympic golds make him the most successful Australian Olympian all time, spoke out as concerns mounted about whether the Games in July and August will go ahead because of the coronavirus outbreak.
I think the decision should come down to each individual athlete. But whether or not they want to compete, that they should take their health into consideration first.
Related: Athletes must consider their own health before travelling to Olympics, says Ian Thorpe
Continue reading...Iranian prisoners fear transfer to ward that held coronavirus victim
Anoosheh Ashoori, a British-Iranian citizen, is among those who may be forced to move
Prisoners in Iran’s Evin prison, including a British-Iranian dual national, are protesting against plans for them to be transferred to a ward that they believe previously held a coronavirus victim.
Sherry Ashoori, whose dual national husband, Anoosheh Ashoori, 65, was jailed by the Iranian authorities for 12 years, said she has contacted the Foreign Office to warn them of the plans to transfer her husband and others to the prison’s ward 4.
Continue reading...Inside Italy’s coronavirus ‘red zone’ – video diary
Schoolteacher Marzio Toniolo describes life under lockdown in San Fiorano, one of the northern Italian towns under quarantine as coronavirus cases rise.
Around 50,000 residents of 11 towns across Lombardy, where the outbreak emerged suddenly on Friday, and Veneto have been quarantined for at least the next 15 days as Italian authorities scramble to contain the worst outbreak of the virus in Europe and the third worst in the world.
- Coronavirus live blog: latest news and updates
- Britons returning from coronavirus-hit Italy told to self-isolate
Coronavirus: fourth Diamond Princess passenger dies as Japan closes some schools – live news
Concerns mount that the spread of Covid-19 cannot be stopped as stock markets fall amid investor fears. Follow latest news
- Coronavirus outbreak is pandemic ‘in all but name’, says expert
- Stocks fall as virus fears hit global markets
- Iran denies cover-up after reports of 50 deaths
- What is coronavirus and what should I do if I have symptoms?
Italy may need to call on the European Union to offer leeway on its budget targets as it struggles with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, a senior official said.
Deputy economy minister, Laura Castelli, made the comments a day after prime minister Giuseppe Conte warned that the fallout from the outbreak, which has concentrated in the economic powerhouses of northern Italy, would be “very strong”.
If you want to share any thoughts or news tips with me about the coronavirus then please email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com or tweet me @sloumarsh. My direct messages are open. Thanks
Continue reading...Coronavirus: South Korea to test 200,000 sect members as pandemic fears hit markets
Nation brings in ‘maximum measures’ to contain outbreak at secretive church
South Korea has stepped up its “maximum measures” to contain the coronavirus with plans to test around 200,000 members of a secretive church believed to be at the centre of the country’s outbreak.
Along with an emergency budget and a crackdown on the hoarding of face masks, the government in Seoul will test members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus after its founder agreed to provide authorities with the names of all its members in the country.
Continue reading...Coronavirus fears grip Middle East as Iran denies cover-up
Shrine city of Qom believed to be virus hub, as concern grows for region’s refugee population
Fears are growing across the Middle East that coronavirus has infiltrated a main pilgrimage route, which could lead the deadly pathogen to vulnerable refugee populations, causing perhaps unprecedented public health crises across the region.
Concern is centred on the Iranian shrine city of Qom, which is thought to be a hub of the disease and the likely source of its spread elsewhere in the country and in neighbouring states, where infected travellers have been diagnosed in recent days.
Continue reading...Coronavirus closures reveal vast scale of China’s secretive wildlife farm industry
Peacocks, porcupines and pangolins among species bred on 20,000 farms closed in wake of virus
Nearly 20,000 wildlife farmsraising species including peacocks, civet cats, porcupines, ostriches, wild geese and boar have been shut down across China in the wake of the coronavirus, in a move that has exposed the hitherto unknown size of the industry.
Until a few weeks ago wildlife farming was still being promoted by government agencies as an easy way for rural Chinese people to get rich.
Continue reading...Coronavirus: WHO plays down pandemic fears after sixth person dies in Italy – live updates
Latest updates amid alarm over sudden rise in cases in Italy and Iran
- Coronavirus outbreak is pandemic ‘in all but name’, says expert
- Austria to stop suspected carriers at border
- Iran denies cover-up after reports of 50 deaths
- Share your experiences
The World Health Organization has played down fears of a coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, despite sudden serious outbreaks in Italy and Iran, but some experts said they believed it was now inevitable.
“Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear,” said the WHO’s director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a briefing.
Related: Coronavirus outbreak a pandemic 'in all but name', says expert
Austria has said it will stop people suspected of carrying the coronavirus from crossing its border, after parts of northern Italy were put into lockdown over the weekend following a surge in cases.
The Austrian government released a travel warning for affected areas of Lombardy and Veneto, following a meeting of the government’s coronavirus taskforce that included the chancellor, Sebastian Kurz.
Related: Austria to close border for those suspected of carrying coronavirus
Continue reading...Coronavirus outbreak a pandemic ‘in all but name’, says expert
While WHO says virus still containable, sudden cases in Iran and Italy causing alarm
The World Health Organization has played down fears of a coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, despite sudden serious outbreaks in Italy and Iran, but some experts said they believed it was now inevitable.
“Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear,” said the WHO’s director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a briefing.
Continue reading...Aerial footage shows huge queues for masks in South Korea amid coronavirus panic – video
A queue of hundreds of people wanting to buy face masks from a supermarket stretched round several streets in Daegu on Monday.
Customers queued outside one of Daegu's E-mart stores, which began to sell face masks at half price in the city, according to local media reports. South Korea has raised its infectious disease alert level to its highest for the first time since 2009
How Britain became a nation of stockpilers: ‘It just feels like something is going to give’
First there were Brexit hoarders, now it’s coronavirus preppers. Sirin Kale talks to some of them – and to the emergency food supplier who is enjoying a boom time
James Blake, the owner of Europe’s largest emergency food supplier, is one of the few people to be doing good business out of coronavirus. Are you planning to hole up indoors while a pandemic, natural disaster or terrorist attack runs its course? Blake’s company – Emergency Food Storage UK – has got you covered, but it’s not cheap: £385 will buy you one month of food, as long as you like freeze-dried macaroni cheese and chicken-fried rice.
The prices aren’t putting Blake’s customers off. Since coronavirus emerged in China in December, he has been swamped with orders. In the last two weeks alone, Emergency Food has done as much business as it normally would in six months. Which is bad news for anyone thinking now might be a good time to stock up on some of its powdered custard apple crunch, because it’s all gone.
Continue reading...Italy imposes draconian rules to stop spread of coronavirus
People caught entering or leaving outbreak areas to be fined, after country’s third death
Italian authorities have implemented draconian measures to try to halt the coronavirus outbreak in the north of the country, including imposing fines on anyone caught entering or leaving outbreak areas, as a third person was confirmed to have died on Sunday.
The number of cases of the virus in the country has risen to 152.
Continue reading...World is approaching coronavirus tipping point, experts say
78,000 cases confirmed, as Italy and Iran scramble to contain major outbreaks
The world is fast approaching a tipping point in the spread of the coronavirus, according to experts, who warn that the disease is outpacing efforts to contain it, after major outbreaks forced Italy and Iran to introduce stringent internal travel restrictions and South Korea’s president placed the country on red alert.
Some of the countries most affected by the virus are scrambling to halt its progress two days after Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said the international community needed to act quickly before the narrowing “window of opportunity” closed completely.
Continue reading...