Latest about pandemic coronavirus. New Coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, can cause more severe illness or death.
—Trump hopes to continue the campaign without social distance.
– Japan surpasses 10,000 cases of the virus; Abe stressed the importance of social distance.
– South Korea shows the lowest daily jump in virus cases since February 20.
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea has reported 18 new cases of corona virus, the lowest daily jump since February 20, continuing a downward trend as officials discuss more sustainable forms of social distance that enable social and economic activity.
Figures released by the South Korea Disease Control and Prevention Center on Saturday brought the national total to 10,653 cases and 232 virus-related deaths. The number of cases continues to shrink in the hardest hit city of Daegu, where officials say the number of active cases has fallen below 1,000 for the first time since the surge in infections at the end of February.
At least 993 of all infections have been linked to arrivals from abroad. Most of these cases were detected in the densely populated metropolitan area of Seoul during the past month when thousands of South Korean students and other citizens returned home amid worsening outbreaks and deferred school years in Europe and the United States.
Deputy Health Minister Kim Gang-lip on Saturday called for vigilance to maintain the hard-earned profits against the virus, raising concerns about ongoing infections in hospitals and local transmission health workers unable to track. It takes one or two weeks to assess the impact of Wednesday’s national parliamentary elections, which show the highest turnout in almost three decades amid the epidemic.
While saying that a speedy return to normality before COVID-19 was not possible, Kim said officials could immediately announce Sunday important parts of the new guidelines that would replace the weeks of social distance campaigning in the country. Officials said they were looking for ways to enable people to engage in “a certain level of economic and social activity” while carrying the risk of infection.
Government officials have not shared specific details about the new guidelines.
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea said it was releasing all foreign nationals from the coronavirus quarantine while continuing to strengthen its anti-virus efforts.
The Korea Central News Agency also said that authorities on Saturday freed all quarantined citizens in South Phyongan and North Hwanghae provinces, located near the capital Pyongyang, and the city of Rason at point three bordering China and Russia.
The report did not specify how many people were still under quarantine for 30 days in the country. Figures from previous state media reports suggest North Korea will release nearly 10,000 people over the past few weeks.
North Korea initially placed 380 foreigners under quarantine. North Korea in March arranged a special government flight to fly dozens of diplomats to Vladivostok, Russia.
KCNA said officials continued to strengthen the “medical monitoring” of its citizens while ensuring normal activities for those released from quarantine.
North Korea says there have not been any cases of the virus in its region, but the claim has been questioned by many outside experts.
Describing its anti-virus efforts as “a matter of national existence,” North Korea has banned foreign tourists, closed almost all cross-border traffic with China, intensified screening at the entry point and mobilized health workers to monitor the population and isolate those who had symptoms. .
TOKYO – Japan has 556 new cases of the corona virus, bringing the national total to 9,795, the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Saturday.
With the addition of 712 more from cruise ships quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year, Japan now has 10,507 cases, surpassing 10,000 by about three months after the first case was discovered in the country.
Nearly a third of domestic cases come from Tokyo, where daily spikes in these cases have weighed on hospitals, fueling fears of a collapse of the medical system.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded the state of emergency on April 7, which was confined to Tokyo and six other city prefectures, throughout Japan on Thursday. He expressed concern at a press conference on Friday that people were not paying attention to the social distance demanded by the government as much as they should.
So far, additional requests for unimportant business closures have only been in Tokyo and a number of other prefectures, and have begun in several other areas. In Japan, such actions carry no penalty.
The request to stay at Abe’s home nationally comes before the weekend and the upcoming “golden week” holiday at the end of April, when officials try to stop people from traveling and potentially spread the virus. Abe also announced giving 100,000 yen ($ 930) cash to all residents to give them more incentives to comply.
BEIJING, (ANTARA News) – China has reported 27 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, while trying to stem an increase in infections in the northeastern province bordering Russia.
Twenty new cases occurred in Heilongjiang province, including 13 Chinese citizens who had just returned from Russia. The land border with Russia has been closed.
The number of official Chinese deaths rose sharply to 4,632, reflecting a major upward revision the previous day by authorities in Wuhan, the hardest-hit city in the country.
The latest confirmed cases bring the total to 82,719, of which 77,029 have recovered and were repatriated, the National Health Commission said.
Eighteen officials in Heilongjiang province have been convicted of failure in their response to the outbreak, state media reported Friday. They included the deputy mayor of Harbin, the provincial capital, and vice president of Harbin Medical University. They are given a warning, or deficiencies, in their personnel files.
CANBERRA, Australia – Prime Minister Scott Morrison said cell phone applications to help track people who had contact with coronavirus cases would not be required.
In a tweet, Morrison said the government would seek “cooperation and support” of Australians to download applications to help health workers and protect the public.
In an interview on Friday, the prime minister did not appear to rule out making software compulsory if not enough Australians registered to make it effective. Media reports suggest applications require 40% of Australian users to register to function effectively.
The government plans to launch the application in a few weeks. This will track everyone who has made contact with cellphone owners who tested positive for the corona virus in the previous few weeks, in an effort to automate coronavirus contact tracing, and allow easing of restrictions.
WASHINGTON – The federal prison bureau said a case worker in a federal prison in Atlanta had died after being tested positive for coronavirus.
An agency spokesman said Robin Grubbs was the first staff member in the federal prison system to die after being tested positive for the virus.
As of Friday, 465 inmates and 296 staff members have tested positive in federal prisons around the US.
Grubbs was found dead at his home on Tuesday by a fellow prison staff member who went to examine him. Officials said he last worked as a case manager at USP Atlanta on April 10 and appeared to have no symptoms.
They said the medical examiner’s office told the Prison Bureau that he had tested positive for corona virus posthumously, although the cause of his death could not be determined.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he still hoped that he would be able to continue the campaign before the November elections.
Trump said that he did not want social distance at the rally, which usually attracts many people, because he did not want participants to miss the “feeling” of the experience. Trump stopped holding large stadium rallies in early March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The president predicted that when the rally continued, they would be “bigger than before.”
Trump only left Washington once in the past month because he was dealing with a pandemic.
But the president announced on Friday that he planned to travel to the U.S. Military Academy. in New York next month for the start ceremony.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – In a time when people are told to keep their distance, the Argentine government advises its citizens to express their desires virtually.
A government health adviser, Dr. José Barletta, warned against sex with people outside one’s household during the government’s daily briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday.
“When we talk about social distance, that includes sexual encounters with people we don’t live with,” he said.
“Tools such as videocall, virtual sex or sexting can be good alternatives,” he advised.
Barletta said “it is very clear that the virus can be transmitted through actions such as kissing, and it is very likely that it can be transmitted through sex.”
SACRAMENTO, California – California officials said the state lost nearly 100,000 jobs in March, signaling the end of a record 10-year successive growth due to a coronavirus outbreak.
The unemployment rate in the country’s most populous state was 5.3% in March, an increase of 1.4 percentage points. It was the biggest jump recorded since 1976, when state officials began using the current formula to track job losses.
Governor Gavin Newsom said California was now “in a recession caused by a pandemic.”
Job losses are based on surveys taken that week including March 12. It was one day after the NBA suspended its season and Newsom banned the meeting of more than 250 people, prompting the closure of Disneyland and other California landmarks.
Most of the job losses in the country occurred after that date, the sooner so Newsom issued mandatory home stay orders on March 19. Newsom said 3.1 million Californians had applied for unemployment benefits since mid-March.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said his government launched a $ 19 billion program to help farmers struggle from the coronavirus pandemic.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the program included $ 16 billion in direct payments to farmers, ranchers, and producers who experienced “unprecedented losses” during the pandemic.
Perdue said the Department of Agriculture would spend another $ 3 billion to buy fresh products, milk and meat products that would be distributed through the food bank network.
NEW YORK – The US government has not released its own counts, but Associated Press calculations from media reports and the state health department show 6,912 deaths have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and national long-term care facilities.
NEW YORK – A large study of COVID-19 patients treated in hospitals in New York City found 1 in 3 people using a breathing machine. That number is more than 10 times higher than that seen in China.
The study authors said that of the patients studied, 36% were obese, which might contribute to severe respiratory problems and ventilator requirements.
Published online Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the report involved 393 patients who were treated in two unknown hospitals from March 5-27. Patients aged an average of 62 and 60% were male. Nearly 40% are white but the report has no other racial damage. Overall, 6% are health care workers.
Coughing, fever, and shortness of breath are the main symptoms, but diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting also often occur.
Parag Goyal from Weill Cornell Medicine and report’s authors say that compared to China, hospitalization for COVID-19 in the US is generally limited to terminally ill patients, another possible reason for greater ventilator use.
The authors say 40 patients or 10% died and 260 were discharged from the hospital.
BOISE, Idaho – More than 1,000 protesters gathered at Idaho Statehouse to oppose Governor Brad Little on orders to stay at home across the state.
The governor has extended orders until the end of April in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
That was responded with scorn by some right-wing members in Idaho, and several libertarian, weapons-rights and anti-vaccine organizations began to direct members to oppose the order. Most in Boise protested standing shoulder to shoulder and not wearing masks.
Some carry signs that claim coronavirus is a hoax, while others hold signs with slogans such as, “All workers are very important” and “Freedom is not fear.” Similar protests have taken place throughout the US, with groups opposing permanent home orders in places such as Michigan, Texas and Virginia. Dozens of circles circled the Oregon State Capitol in their vehicles to protest permanent orders in the state.
MEXICO CITY – Mexican President said US President Donald Trump had promised Mexico would be able to buy 1,000 ventilators and other intensive therapy equipment used in handling severe cases of COVID-19.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he spoke with Trump about Mexico’s request to buy engines, of which relatively few of them were available in Mexico.
López Obrador said on Twitter that Trump “guaranteed me that at the end of this month” Mexico could buy 1,000 ventilators and maybe more.
López Obrador called it “a new gesture of solidarity with Mexico.” He said he suggested a meeting with Trump in June or July to personally declare a state award.
Such a visit would be unusual, especially if it implied the Mexican leader would travel to the United States. López Obrador has avoided overseas travel since he took office in December 2018.
MINNEAPOLIS – President Donald Trump tweeted his support for protesting physical long-distance rules by conservatives outside the official residence of Governor Tim Walz in St. Paul.
“LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” The tweet was followed by similar tweets about Michigan and Virginia Walz said he tried to call the White House about Trump’s tweet but could not contact the president or vice president.
Washington Democratic Governor Jay Inslee said Trump was pushing for “illegal and dangerous actions.”
At least 400 people gathered outside the Minnesota governor’s house to ask for help. Many wear pro-Trump clothing but very few practice social distance or wear masks. Dozens of people carry American flags or signs that read like “Reopen MN.” Others drove in vehicles bearing the prohibition against restrictions.
Walz recently extended his home stay order to Minnesota to May 4th. He said the state needed to expand its testing capacity before it could begin to reduce restrictions, even when it was under pressure from the Republic to move faster.
SEATTLE – Influential modeling institutes predict specific reopening dates for countries covered by coronavirus. The recommendation is based on projections when each country’s infection will drop below one per 1 million people.
The University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation says Hawaii, Montana, Vermont and West Virginia can be opened on May 4, if they restrict large gatherings, widely test and quarantine the contacts of people who test positive.
According to the model, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah are several states that have to wait until the end of June or early July.
The agency said the country’s decision on reopening must be based on a situation closer to the expected reopening date. Projections vary widely over time, inviting criticism from researchers with other models.
The Seattle model is the one most frequently mentioned by US health officials at the White House briefing.
He uses inpatient and US mortality data, along with trends observed in China, Italy and Spain to project what will happen next in the United States. Uncertainty is built into every mathematical model that tries to predict the future.
WASHINGTON – Even people who work for FEMA can’t get protective gear.
The union representing 5,000 employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency warned Congress about the “shortage” of personal protective equipment.
Steven Reaves of the American Government Employee Federation unit representing FEMA workers requested letters to members of Congress urging the administration to obtain and distribute adequate supplies.
Reaves told The Associated Press that 25 of its members have tested positive for COVID-19. FEMA’s workforce includes emergency managers, contract officers and safety officials, as well as police and firefighters.
FEMA distributes protective equipment to people throughout the country but Reaves said people who work for these agents can also be vulnerable and must be given adequate protection.
TRENTON, N.J. – US hospitals desperately need sterile gowns to protect workers so that some are forced to wear staff who wear clothes, Tyvek suits, and ponchos. That’s according to a new survey from Premier Inc. hospital consultants which illustrates how combating lack of facial masks can worsen the others.
The survey found that companies that make personal protective equipment recently increased the production of N95 and surgical masks in response to requests from hospital workers so that now hospitals are more difficult to get sterile gowns than masks. That’s because they are often made from the same type of textiles.
Premier helps 4,000 members of its hospital obtain medicines and supplies at discounted prices. It said 700 hospitals answered the April 11-15 survey.
ROMA – Migrants rescued by a German-flagged charity ship have been transferred to an unused passenger ferry in Palermo, Sicily, for quarantine if someone is infected with COVID-19.
The Italian coast guard said 146 migrants were taken from Alan Kurdi and boarded the ferry, which had Italian Red Cross personnel boarding to monitor their health condition.
Four migrants were evacuated earlier for health reasons from Alan Kurdi, who made a rescue in the Mediterranean Sea on April 6. The day after the rescue, Italy banned foreign-flagged rescue vessels from anchoring in Italian ports.
Under government policy, rescued migrants reaching Italy will be distributed to EU countries which have previously agreed to share the burden of caring for them. Migrants depart by boat or fishing boat launched by human traffickers based in Libya. Italy has one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Europe.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Governor Greg Abbott has begun a slow reopening of the country’s economy with orders that allow retail shops to sell roadside goods, open state parks for visitors and put doctors back in the operating room after they were banned for weeks. Weeks to do unnecessary work operations.
Restrictions will subside gradually starting next week. The Republican Governor announced them after President Donald Trump gave the governor a road map to recover from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic.
Abbott said he would announce the reopening phase on April 27 but did not specify what criteria would be used or what businesses would be allowed to continue.
Texas schools will remain closed at least until summer. Abbott said the orders to stay in larger homes designed to increase social distance remained in effect until April.
At least 17,300 people in Texas have tested positive for the virus, and more than 400 have died.
RICHMOND, Va. – The American Civil Liberties Union requested a federal court to block Virginia election officials so that voters who were absent found witnesses to witness them signing the ballot during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ACLU filed suit on behalf of three voters and League of Women Voters. The lawsuit said witness requirements could lead to “massive deprivation” of Virginia voters.
Under state law, voters who submit absentee ballots by mail must open envelopes containing ballots in front of others, fill in ballots, and then ask witnesses to sign outside the ballot envelope before sending it.
GENEVA – World Health Organization (WHO) scientists say countries, especially in Africa, must not give up in the fight against the corona virus outbreak.
Maria Van Kerkhove is the technical leader for the WHO emergency program. He said several countries in Europe and Asia had successfully controlled the plague.
Van Kerkhove said, “Detention is possible. It will be a difficult struggle.”
He said more needs to be done, including more testing, treatment centers, steps to keep a physical distance and washing hands in places without running water to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Many scientists believe that novel coronaviruses are more infectious than the flu.
TIRANA, Albania – The COVID-19 virus carries positive signs of warming in relations between former Kosovo war enemies and Serbia.
Kosovo has helped fight viruses from the European Union, the United States, Turkey and many other countries, including Serbia. Ministry of Health spokesman Faik Hoti said Serbia had donated 1,000 virus tests.
Health Minister Arben Vitia initiated an online call with colleagues from Western Balkan countries, including his partner from Serbia, to coordinate joint efforts in fighting the virus.
A count from Johns Hopkins University shows Serbia has 5,690 cases of the virus, and 110 people have died. Kosovo has 449 cases and 12 deaths.
Kosovo-Serbia relations remain tense and talks brokered by the European Union about the normalization of their relations have stalled since the end of 2018.
Kosovo, a former part of old Yugoslavia, was released in 1999. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade did not recognize it.
