Tag Archives: state government

Brazil

Brazil’s Amapa state is experiencing a power outage for days | Instant News


RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – A fire at a power station has caused four days of blackouts in much of Brazil’s northern Amapa state, disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

The blackout began late Tuesday when a fire damaged a transformer, disrupting power supplies to 13 of the state’s 16 cities, including the capital Macapa, the state government said. The state of Amapa, on Brazil’s border with French Guiana, has a total population of 850,000.

Nearly 90% of Amapa’s population was still without electricity as of Friday morning, according to the state communications secretary. Thousands of people lined up to fill jugs and water tanks at places in the capital where supplies were still available, according to images shown in the local press. Most of the population does not have telephone service or internet access.

At some markets in the capital, there are long lines to buy bottled water and candles. In many places, products are sold out. At the gas station, dozens of cars waited to fill their cars, fearing shortages. Authorities are trying to maintain electricity supply to the ailing hospital with generators.

Waldez Góes, governor of Amapa, said he expected supplies to partially recover over the weekend. The total repair work will take up to a month, according to Góes. Amapa’s only high-voltage transmission line connected the state to the national grid in 2015. The fire caused Amapa to disconnect from regional lines and two hydroelectric plants, the state government said.

The Brazilian government has launched an investigation into the cause of the incident, said mining and energy minister Bento Albuquerque.

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Australia

An Australian investigation says police must maintain a hotel quarantine | Instant News


An investigation into Australia’s bungled city quarantine program recommends travelers from overseas should be quarantined in hotels guarded by police

November 6, 2020, 03.49

2 minutes reading

MELBOURNE, Australia – Overseas travelers must be quarantined in hotels guarded by police, investigation over AustraliaThe city’s sloppy quarantine program was reported on Friday.

The decision by the Victorian state government to use private security firms rather than police and military to enforce quarantines at Melbourne hotels has been widely blamed for lax infection control leading to Australiarevival of the worst virus in the second largest city.

The investigation into the quarantine program is recommended in the interim report “24/7 police presence on site at each quarantine facility”.

The government closed Melbourne Airport for international arrivals in July before tasking retired judge Jennifer Coate to investigate what went wrong in the hotel quarantine, which is blamed for nearly all of Victoria’s community transmission of COVID-19.

Coate will present his latest report and findings, including who made the decision to hire private security and reject offers of military assistance, on December 21.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos and senior civil servant Chris Eccles both resigned after an investigation heard evidence of their involvement in the program.

Victoria accounts for 819 of Australia’s 907 corona virus died.

Cases peaked at 725 statewide in one day in early August. Victoria on Friday recorded a seventh day without a new COVID-19 diagnosis. Two weeks ago, Melbourne came out of a 111-day lockdown.

Also on Friday, Australia’s highest court upheld the closure of state borders and dismissed billionaire businessman Clive Palmer’s argument that the pandemic’s actions were unconstitutional.

The seven High Court judges ruled that the closure of the Western Australian state border for nonessential travel was enforced as long as “danger in the form of an outbreak or epidemic” complied with the constitution. All Australian states and territories have used border restrictions to curb infections and court decisions against Western Australia could affect their pandemic response.

The state closed its borders across Australia on April 5 and has maintained travel restrictions even though it has not recorded any cases of community transmission of COVID-19 since April 11.

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Australia

Latest: Australia has had no local cases for the first time in months | Instant News


CANBERRA, Australia – Australia did not record any new locally transmitted coronavirus infections for the first time in five months.

In Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state, which has the highest number of cases in the country, residents enjoyed the first weekend cafés, restaurants and pubs reopening to arriving visitors.

The city has only one mystery case with no known source. There are 61 active cases remaining statewide, down from 70 on Saturday.

Deputy Prime Minister James Merlino hailed Sunday’s zero as “another big day for Victoria,” but urged caution ahead of Tuesday’s most prestigious horse race in Australia, the Melbourne Cup, known as “the race that stops the nation.” Australians traditionally gather in bars or in private homes to watch these events, public holidays.

The race attracted over 100,000 people at Melbourne’s Flemington racetrack, but this year it will be held without fans due to public gathering restrictions.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton urged Victorians to enjoy the Cup but to adhere to guidelines on mask use and social distancing.

“Most of the Melburnian people know what to do,” said Sutton. “There will be some who may be a little liberal in their behavior.”

Sutton said the new wave of infections in Europe shows how quickly the coronavirus can re-emerge.

“What Europe is going through right now is a consequence of not being able to get to a point where you can stay on top of very low numbers,” he said. “What we create is very valuable and we have to hold on tight.”

The state of Western Australia on Sunday recorded one new case of COVID-19, a woman who returned from overseas and is in hotel quarantine.

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HERE WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OUTBREAK VIRUS:

– Halloween in pandemic: Costumes and candy, from a distance

– England to enter a new lockdown; UK virus cases passed 1 million

– US minority contact tracers build trust across cities

– Efraín Valles guides world leaders, pop stars and a princess on an exclusive tour through Inca lands. He is now making ice cream to survive the pandemic.

– The Dutch government will suspend a multibillion-euro coronavirus bailout to national airline KLM amid a dispute with the pilots’ union over the terms of the rescue package.

– Austria has announced a partial closure that will see restaurants and bars closed for four weeks, cultural, sports and recreational activities canceled, and residents asked to stay home after 8 p.m.

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Follow coverage of the AP corona virus pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE WHAT ELSE HAPPENED:

SANTA FE, NM – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Saturday said the spread of the coronavirus was out of control in New Mexico as he urged residents to stay home and avoid hanging out with other people to celebrate Halloween.

“Please – do your part to protect yourself and your fellow New Mexicans by celebrating COVID-SAFE Halloween,” the Democratic governor’s office said in a Facebook post. “Stay at home. Don’t hang out with other people.”

State officials on Saturday reported 592 additional known virus cases and 11 additional deaths but said case data for the day were incomplete due to technical issues.

“Due to technical glitches to the electronic laboratory reporting system, the following data reflects only a fraction of the total recent cases,” the state official said in a statement. “Pending results will be included in state reporting as soon as they are received and confirmed.”

The additional cases and deaths reported on Saturday raised the state’s total to 46,490 cases and 1,018 deaths.

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JERUSALEM – Dozens of members of Israel’s Arab Druze minority stormed a hospital in northern Israel and seized the body of a sheikh who died from the coronavirus. Saturday night, his followers held a large funeral for him that went against safety guidelines.

Crowds stormed the hospital late Friday in the northern city of Safed. The TV station showed a video of dozens of followers entering the building. The funeral took place in the town of Majdal Shams on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which has been under lockdown due to high rates of coronavirus infections. Thousands of Druze participated in the funeral procession, although large gatherings were prohibited.

Late Saturday, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze sect, said the deceased’s family and Druze leader were not consulted before the bodies were taken from hospital. He appealed to the Druze to comply with health restrictions, the Israeli Arab public radio service reported.

The Druze community, which follows a secret branch of Islam, generally has good relations with the national government.

The report said that Israeli police were investigating the incident.

Israel has begun easing its second national lockdown this month after bringing down the infection rate, which in September had risen to one of the highest in the world.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. – Nevada hit 100,000 total coronavirus cases as of Saturday.

State officials reported more than 977 cases, raising the total to 100,763.

The seven-day turnover average of new cases each day changed from 584 on October 16 to 874 on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press.

The positivity rate increased from 8% to 10%. However, the average number of daily deaths fell from 7.1 to 5.6.

Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak said, “Now is not the time to be complacent or succumb to COVID exhaustion.”

Sisolak appealed to residents to wear masks, practice keeping their distance, washing their hands frequently, and avoiding crowds. He told people to take this virus seriously to protect others and the economy.

Nevada reported no deaths on Saturday, keeping the confirmed number at 1,777.

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JUNEAU, Alaska – Members of parliament, employees and journalists must be screened for the coronavirus when entering the Alaska Capitol.

The Alaska Legislative Council approved the measure, which required masks on buildings and other legislative offices. The council decided to keep the Capitol building closed to the public until at least January, when the next Legislature convenes.

Alaska reported 384 coronavirus cases and four deaths as of Friday.

There are more than 15,000 confirmed cases and 81 deaths, according to the state’s Department of Health and Social Services.

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ROME – Italy added a record 31,758 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours and doubled deaths to nearly 300 on Saturday.

The Health Ministry said about one in seven people who received swab tests had tested positive in recent days.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is considering stricter virus measures. Demonstrators took to Rome’s streets on Saturday to protest against the recent actions.

Italy has nearly 680,000 confirmed cases and 38,618 deaths, Europe’s second-highest death.

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PHOENIX – Arizona reported nearly 1,900 new cases and 45 deaths as of Saturday.

Hospitalization rates at the end of October had already started reaching levels last recorded at the end of May, with 880 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday. Nearly 200 are in intensive care.

The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases rose from 772 on October 16 to 1,166 on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press.

The daily mortality changed from 8.6 to 9.9 and the positivity rate increased from 8.2% to 10.5%.

Arizona has reported 245,946 confirmed cases and 5,979 deaths.

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Athens, Greece – Greece surpassed 2,000 coronavirus cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Authorities said there were 2,056 new cases in the past day and six deaths.

The government announced new lockdown measures on Saturday to stem the rapid increase in new cases. The restrictions, including the closure of bars, cafes, restaurants and gyms in much of the country, will take effect from Tuesday until at least the end of November.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 39,251 and 626 deaths.

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VIENNA – Austria will impose a partial closure on Tuesday closing restaurants, bars and leisure facilities.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Austria will stay home between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., although they can go out to work and exercise. He asked residents to work from home if possible.

Kurz said the restrictions will last until November. She characterized it as a “second lockout” but lenient because schools, non-essential shops, and hairdressers were able to stay open.

Austria has reported 301 cases per 100,000 population in the last seven days. That compares with 110 in neighboring Germany, which imposed a somewhat lighter four-week partial closure starting Monday.

Austria has confirmed a total of 106,000 coronavirus cases and 1,097 deaths.

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PRAGUE – The Czech Red Cross has launched a one-day training program for volunteers to assist medical personnel in hospitals and nursing homes amid staff shortages.

The volunteers will learn the basics of patient care, said Katerina Havlova, director of the Red Cross branch in the northern city of Jablonec nad Nisou.

Its branch office, one of eight providing training throughout the Czech Republic, plans to train more than 100 volunteers.

About 15,000 medical staff at the country’s hospitals have tested positive for the coronavirus. Currently, 7,281 people are hospitalized, more than double the number two weeks ago.

The Czech Republic has 323,673 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths.

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Australia

Newest: Australia will spend on vaccines for a wider area | Instant News


CANBERRA, Australia – Australia has announced that it will spend 500 million Australian dollars ($ 351 million) to secure a COVID-19 vaccine for the Pacific and Southeast Asia “as part of a joint recovery for our region from the pandemic.”

The government has said it will use various advance purchase agreements with producers through its planned global COVAX Facility, which aims to ensure the viral vaccine is shared with all countries.

“We committed an additional AU $ 500 million over three years to this effort,” he said. “The funding will further help ensure that countries in the Pacific and East Timor can achieve full immunization coverage, and will make a significant contribution to meeting Southeast Asia’s needs.

“The quick and safe launch of the vaccine … will mean we can return to more normal travel, tourism and trade with our key partners in the region.”

Meanwhile, officials in the state of Victoria reported just one new case of COVID-19 on Saturday as Melbourne residents headed for the weekend with greater social freedom.

Figures from the state’s Health Department show an average of only 2.4 new cases per day over the past 14 days.

Loosening restrictions means families can visit each other at home. A travel limit of 25 kilometers (15 miles) remains in effect and outdoor gatherings are still limited to 10 people.

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HERE WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OUTBREAK VIRUS:

– Leaders of countries facing the 2nd wave rejected measures to curb the virus

– Parisians flee, sidewalks empty as France enters lockdown

– A second study testing COVID-19 antibody drugs is experiencing setbacks

– The multi-nation coronavirus spike in the countdown to Election Day has exposed a clear divide between President Donald Trump’s bullish embrace of a return to normalcy and urgent public warnings from top government health officials.

– European countries are calling on the World Health Organization to be given greater powers to independently investigate the outbreak and forcing countries to provide more data, after the devastating coronavirus pandemic highlighted the agency’s many shortcomings.

– Day of the Dead is sure to be more difficult this year for Latino families across the US who are torn apart by the coronavirus. Mexico’s annual tradition of commemorating deceased loved ones is usually celebrated on November 1-2.

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Follow coverage of the AP corona virus pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE WHAT ELSE HAPPENED:

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky reported a near record number of new coronavirus cases on Friday as the surging outbreak continues to send more people to hospital, said Governor Andy Beshear.

“This is a dangerous time. We are moving in the wrong direction, ”said the Democratic governor as he urged Kentuckians to wear masks in public to protect themselves and those around them.

Beshear reported 1,941 new cases of COVID-19 – the second-highest daily total across the state since the pandemic began – and another 15 virus-related deaths.

The country’s positive rate stood at 6.19% – the highest level since May 6, he said.

The recent surge has led to an increase in hospitalizations. As of Friday, there were 974 patients hospitalized in Kentucky with the virus, the governor said, noting that the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care had risen to 241.

“Remember, the more cases, the more people there are in the hospital, the more people are in the ICU and the more people die,” said Beshear.

The total state-wide COVID-19 cases surpassed 105,000, and the number of virus-related deaths reached at least 1,476. The latest deaths announced include people between the ages of 39 and 91.

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ORLANDO, Florida – Walt Disney World says it plans to lay off more than 11,000 unionized workers because of the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of pandemic-related work accidents at Florida resorts to nearly 18,000 positions.

Disney World said in a letter to state and local leaders on Thursday that 11,350 unions – mostly part-time workers – would be laid off by the end of this year. Company officials previously said that another 6,400 Disney nonunion employees in Florida would lose their jobs.

Earlier this week, 720 Disney World actors and singers were laid off as many live entertainment shows at Florida resorts went dark, according to the Actors’ Equity Association, the union that represents the players.

The layoffs are part of The Walt Disney Co.’s decision. last month to eliminate 28,000 positions in the parks division in California and Florida because of the pandemic.

Disney parks closed last spring as the coronavirus began spreading in the US Florida parks reopened this summer with restrictions on how many people can be in the park at any given time and new requirements for social distancing and wearing masks. California parks have not reopened due to state restrictions.

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TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas counties requiring masks have experienced about half the number of new coronavirus infections compared to states that do not require face coverings, a study found, as statewide cases spiked again to record levels.

“Do Masks Matter in Kansas” produced by the Institute for Policy and Social Research at the University of Kansas found that the state requiring masks experienced a seven-day drop in average daily cases per 100,000 population starting 14 days after the mandate was established. rumored.

“Masks, it is important to note, do not eliminate COVID, but significantly slow the spread of the disease – at least in Kansas,” said Donna K. Ginther, director of the institute, in a video presenting the research findings. The Institute for Policy and Social Research at the University of Kansas has been tracking the impact of COVID-19 in the state, The Kansas City Star reports.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly tried over the summer to issue a statewide mask mandate, but most of the 105 states opted out. This week, Kelly and top Republican Party officials agreed to try to persuade countries that are hotspots of the coronavirus to impose mask requirements rather than asking states to step in. But he said he could still summon the Republican-controlled Legislature into a special session to enforce the statewide rule. .

Countries without a mask mandate have seen the seven-day rolling average of daily cases per 100,000 steadily increase. And by September, the district started to have higher case rates compared to districts with mask mandates, said Ginther.

“We found a 50% reduction in the spread of COVID-19 in countries that had mask mandates compared to countries that did not,” said Ginther.

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NEW YORK CITY – The coronavirus can spread more widely in households than previous studies have suggested, and children can pass it on at the same rate as adults, according to a new study.

The study shows how important it is for people who test positive to isolate themselves indoors, and for them and everyone else to wear masks when in public areas, the researchers said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study on Friday. The researchers focused on 101 households in Tennessee and Wisconsin.

In each household, after a person has been diagnosed, the rest of the household agrees to have a nose or saliva swab test and keeps a log of symptoms of the disease. Nearly 300 people participated. About 100 people were identified as the first to become infected and another 200 people live with them.

About 53% of household members tested positive, and most were diagnosed within five days of the first person falling ill. Previous studies have estimated secondary infection rates to be about half.

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SAO PAULO – Four tourists were arrested Thursday in Brazil for allegedly faking a COVID-19 test in an attempt to reach what some say are the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The two men and two women were arrested after landing on Fernando de Noronha, a group of islands off Brazil’s northern coast, according to a statement posted on the islands’ official website. The Brazilian, who boarded a private jet and arrived late Wednesday, is accused of falsifying documents, using forged documents and criminal association.

TripAdvisor users rate Sancho Bay Fernando de Noronha as the world’s best beach in 2020.

Fernando de Noronha reopened to tourists on October 10, requiring a negative COVID-19 test and given no earlier than one day before departure. The visitors presented the test results that were dated three days prior to their arrival.

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Three tigers at a Tennessee zoo are in quarantine after one tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a news release Friday from Zoo Knoxville.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s national animal laboratory confirmed a positive test for Bashir, an 11-year-old male Malayan tiger, reports the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Two other tigers, 11-year-old male Tanvir and 6-year-old female Arya, were considered positive while their tests were being processed. The three animals had a mild cough, lethargy, and decreased appetite.

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SIOUX FALLS, SD – South Dakota broke a record for new coronavirus infections reported in one day on Friday when 1,560 people tested positive.

The new virus cases bring the statewide total number of cases to 13,520, according to the Ministry of Health. That means roughly one in every 65 people currently has an active infection. The state has ranked second in the country for new cases per person over the past two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins researcher. There are about 1,359 new cases per 100,000 people.

The Ministry of Health also reported 12 new deaths, bringing the number of deaths from COVID-19 to 415 since the pandemic began. October has been the state’s deadliest month as health officials reported 192 deaths this month.

The number of hospitalizations decreased by 10 to 403, stopping the rate of hospitalization reaching a new high for five consecutive days. Approximately 31% of public hospital beds and 37% of ICU beds remain available in the state.

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BALTIMORE – The US now has 9 million confirmed coronavirus cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, as infections continue to rise in nearly every state.

It took two weeks to reach the figure of 8 million, the fastest jump of 1 million. It took more than three weeks for the total to rise from 7 million to 8 million.

Confirmed US cases are on the rise in 47 states. Mortality increased 14% over the past two weeks, averaging more than 800 each day. The virus has now killed more than 229,000 Americans.

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New Zealand

Asia Today: Sydney lifted quarantine for North Zealand travelers | World | Instant News


New South Wales on Friday reported five new cases in Sydney, including four infected overseas and detected in hotel quarantines.

Other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:

– India’s confirmed coronavirus deaths jumped to 895 in the past 24 hours, a day after recording a daily low of 680 deaths in nearly three months. The Ministry of Health on Friday also reported 63,371 new cases, raising India’s total to more than 7.3 million, second only to the US. The worst-hit western Maharashtra state accounts for nearly 36% of the 112,161 total deaths since the pandemic outbreak. . The country saw more than 1,000 deaths per day last month. According to the Health Ministry, India’s average daily number of cases fell to 72,576 last week from 92,830 during the week of September 9-15, when the virus peaked. It recorded an average of about 70,000 cases each day throughout this month. Some experts say India’s tally of more than 7.3 million infections may be unreliable because of poor reporting and inadequate health infrastructure. India also relies heavily on antigen tests, which are faster but less accurate than traditional RT-PCR tests. Health officials have also warned about the potential for the virus to spread during the religious festival season which starts later this month.

– South Korea’s daily coronavirus tally fell below 50 for the first time in more than two weeks despite reports of small-scale local infections. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday said the 47 cases added in the past 24 hours brought the country’s total to 25,035 with 441 deaths. This is a decrease from the 110 reported a day earlier, about half of whom were tied to a hospital for the elderly in the southeastern city of Busan. Health official Son Youngrae said South Korea’s caseload is currently showing a downward trend. But he said the public should remain vigilant as cluster infections have also been detected sporadically in hospitals and other high-risk facilities. Earlier this week, South Korea relaxed its social distancing rules, allowing high-risk venues such as nightclubs and karaoke bars to reopen and spectators to return to sports stadiums.

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