WHO says the Americas is the new epicenter of Covid-19

WHO says the Americas are a new viral epicenter

The Americas have become the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a briefing, while an American study predicted an increase in deaths in Brazil and other countries. Latin America until August.

“Now is not the time for countries to ease restrictions,” said Carissa Etienne, director of the WHO for the Americas and head of the Pan American Health Organization, by videoconference.

The Americas has recorded more than 2.4 million cases of the new coronavirus and more than 143,000 deaths from the resulting Covid-19 respiratory disease. Latin America has overtaken Europe and the United States in daily infections, she said.

“Our region has become the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Etienne, while other PAHO directors warned him that there were “very hard” weeks ahead for the region. and that Brazil had a long way to go before the end of the pandemic.

WHO officials are also concerned about the acceleration of epidemic outbreaks in Peru, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

Deaths in France reach more than 28,500, cases slow

The death toll in France increased by less than 100 for the sixth day, despite the fact that data on retirement homes are included again, which suggests that the worst of the pandemic has passed for the country.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is due to detail new measures on Thursday to lift the lockout, which could result in the reopening of bars and restaurants in parts of France, which has now reported 28,530 deaths from coronaviruses, the fourth highest in the world.

The French Ministry of Health indicated that the number of deaths increased by 83, or 0.3%, in hospitals, to reach 18,195. But it lowered the toll in nursing homes to 10,335, 10 of less than when it was last published, after a technical revision.

South Africa allows places of worship to operate from June

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that churches and other recognized places of worship will operate from June, when the country will further ease lock restrictions, but will be limited to 50 people or less.

“The religious community is an integral part of South African life and has made a great contribution to the fight against the coronavirus,” said Ramaphosa in a television address.

Significant number of patients recover in Turkey

Turkey is experiencing a significant increase in the number of virus recoveries, said the country’s health ministry.

The number of patients who have recovered from the disease has reached 121,507 as 1,492 others were discharged from hospitals in the past day, said Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Twitter.

948 new cases of the virus have been reported in the country, bringing the total to 158,762, added Koca.

The death toll from the epidemic has risen to 4,397, with the country reporting 28 new deaths in the past 24 hours, according to ministry data.

Healthcare professionals have also performed more than 19,800 additional tests for the virus, bringing the total number to more than 1.87 million.

Kansas City and St. Louis leaders ask lakegoers to quarantine

Kansas City, St. Louis, and Kansas state leaders urged those who came close to Lake of the Ozarks over Memorial Day weekend to self-quarantine for two weeks, so that the gatherings documented in publications on social networks would lead to a resurgence of the virus.

Large crowds have been reported in the pools, bars and restaurants of central Missouri Lake which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Videos and photos posted on social media showed masked people partying and swimming together nearby, apparently ignoring advice from the U.S. and State Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at least 6 feet from each other.

Spain mourns death of virus

The Spanish government declared a 10-day official mourning period on Wednesday to honor nearly 30,000 people who died from the coronavirus pandemic in one of the most affected countries in the world, government spokeswoman Maria Jesus said. Montero.

During the mourning period, flags will fly at half-mast throughout public buildings and the country’s navy ships, she said at a media availability after a cabinet meeting.

The period will end with an official ceremony led by the Head of State in memory of the 26,834 deaths recorded in the country. Spain has reported a total of 235,400 confirmed cases of the disease.

Italy records 78 new deaths from coronavirus

The number of deaths from the virus epidemic in Italy has increased from 78, up from 92 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily number of new cases has risen to 300 from 300 the day before.

The total number of deaths since the epidemic was revealed on February 21 now stands at 32,955, according to the agency, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Great Britain.

France unveils $ 8.8 billion plan to revive auto sector

President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan of 8.8 billion dollars (8 billion euros) to revive the French automobile industry by making it the European leader in the electric car, in an impetus for a sector brought to its knees by the coronavirus.

Macron said the package would include a billion euros in subsidies for electric and hybrid cars, adding that France is expected to produce one million green cars a year by 2025.

Dutch Prime Minister did not visit dying mother until late due to coronavirus rules

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte did not visit his 96-year-old mother for more than eight weeks before a few hours before his death this month due to foreclosure measures in the Netherlands, his office said.

Mieke Rutte-Dilling died on May 13, Rutte’s office said on Monday. She did not have the coronavirus, although there were Covid-19 infections in the nursing home where she lived.

“The Prime Minister has complied with all restrictive measures against coronaviruses and has not visited his mother for (more than 8) weeks,” the office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.

Prime Minister Johnson invites Putin to online vaccine summit

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend an online summit on the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

The British embassy said Johnson had officially invited Putin to attend the Britain’s 2020 vaccine summit on June 4.

Embassy statement says summit will focus on securing critical support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to “continue its vital work and help ensure that any vaccine developed for Covid-19 is available for the whole world”.

UK Medicines Agency Approves Remdesivir Use

The British Medicines Agency has authorized the use of the drug remdesivir for patients with Covid-19, which could shorten the time some patients spend in hospital.

Clinical trials testing the antiviral to determine whether it works or not are still underway globally, but early results suggest that it can speed up recovery time for people infected with the new coronavirus.

In a statement released Tuesday, the UK Medicines and Health Regulatory Agency said it would support the use of remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead, to treat adults and adolescents hospitalized with severe Covid-19.

Spain: 27,119 cases of coronavirus deaths, with 236,259 cases

The Spanish Ministry of Health has reported that a total of 27,119 people have died from the virus since the start of the epidemic.

Confirmed virus cases reached 236,259, the ministry said.

On Monday, the government revised the total death toll in the country down by nearly 2,000 after checking data provided by the regions, a move that drew strong criticism from political opponents.

WHO says safety results from hydroxychloroquine expected by mid-June

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that a security team will review the data on hydroxychloroquine by next month, one day after officials cited safety concerns that prompted them to suspend the use of the malaria drug in a global trial on patients with the virus.

WHO asked for time to use the drug in its multi-country trial, called Solidarity, after a study published in the British medical journal The Lancet found that patients randomized to receive hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had higher mortality rate and higher frequency of irregular heartbeat. President Donald Trump and others have argued HCQ as a possible treatment for the disease.

British Minister leaves Cummings Containment Program

The government of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was struck by his first resignation following the controversy surrounding the travel across the country of his assistant Dominic Cummings when the virus closed.

Mining the ministers’ attempts to try to get out of the crisis that dominated British politics for days, Scottish Minister Douglas Ross resigned to protest.

The resignation will further increase pressure on Cummings, which held an extraordinary press conference on Monday to justify driving his wife and young son on a 425-kilometer trip from London to Durham in the north-east of England at most following the coronavirus crisis.

Turkey sends medical aid to Chad

A Turkish plane carrying medical supplies left the capital Ankara for Chad on Tuesday following the virus pandemic.

The boxes containing the aid carried a message for the Chadian people.

“After the despair, there is so much hope, and after the darkness, there is the much brighter sun,” he said, citing the words of the thirteenth-century Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi that were listed on all aid from Turkey.

Turkey has helped dozens of countries, including Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, and remains the third largest provider of humanitarian aid in the world during the pandemic.

Indonesia reports 415 new cases and 27 new deaths

Indonesia has reported 415 new confirmed cases of new coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 23,165, its health ministry said.

Indonesia has also confirmed 27 new deaths, bringing the total to 1,418, Ministry of Health official Achmad Yurianto told reporters.

On Tuesday, 188,302 people were tested and 5,877 recovered.

Singapore confirms 383 other cases

The Singapore Ministry of Health has confirmed 383 other cases of new coronavirus, bringing the city-state’s toll to 32,343.

The lower number of cases is due in part to the decrease in testing, he added.

Russia records another record increase, this time dead

Russia has said that 174 people with coronavirus have died in the past 24 hours, a record high of a day that has increased the death toll to 3,807 across the country.

Authorities reported 8,915 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 362,342.

Cases in India are increasing

For the seventh consecutive day, India has reported a single-day record jump in new virus cases. The Department of Health counted 145,380 cases, a gain in one day of 6,535, and reported that 4,167 people had died.

Most of the cases are concentrated in two neighboring states in central India, Maharashtra, which houses the financial center of Mumbai, and Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A slight increase in cases has also been reported in some of the poorest states in India, as migrant workers returning to the villages of origin in India’s largest cities have started to return home by special trains.

India eased its lockdown, with domestic flights resuming at a fraction of normal on Monday.

Australia’s borders won’t open anytime soon – Morrison

Australia will not open the country’s borders “anytime soon,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison, but added that the country will continue talks with neighboring New Zealand for a safe trans-Tasman travel zone.

“I was speaking with Prime Minister Ardern this morning, and we will continue to have our discussions on the trans-Tasman travel area,” Morrison told the National Press Club of Canberra, referring to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Thailand reports three new cases

Thailand reported three new cases of coronavirus and no new deaths, bringing its total to 3,045 confirmed cases and 57 deaths.

The three new cases were Thai nationals who recently returned from overseas and are currently under quarantine, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesperson for the government’s coronavirus task force.

2,929 patients recovered.

South Korea reports 19 new cases

South Korea has reported 19 new cases of coronavirus, most in the densely populated metropolitan area of ​​Seoul, where officials have actively sought transmissions from nightclubs and other places of entertainment.

The South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported two other deaths, bringing the national total to 11,225 cases and 269 deaths. Authorities have linked three of the new cases to international arrivals.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany is 179,002

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased from 432 to 179,002, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases.

The number of reported deaths has increased from 45 to 8,302, according to the count.

China reports seven new cases on the mainland

China reported seven new cases on the continent at the end of May 25, up from 11 a day earlier, the National Health Commission reported.

The commission said in a statement that all of the new infections were imported cases, involving overseas travelers.

He also reported 29 new asymptomatic cases, of infected patients with no symptoms, compared to 40 a day earlier.

To date, the total number of cases on the continent has reached 82,992.

Death toll remains unchanged at 4,634

Daily figures from Mexico

Mexican health officials have reported 2,485 new cases of coronavirus and 239 deaths, bringing the country’s total to 71,105 and 7,633, respectively.

Pandemic brings more modest and moderate Memorial Day celebrations

Americans settled for small processions and tributes online instead of parades Monday as they watched Memorial Day in the shadow of the pandemic, which forced communities to honor the nation’s military dead with modest and more moderate ceremonies which also remembered those lost due to the coronavirus.

On the weekend that marked the unofficial start of summer, authorities warned people going to beaches, parks or backyard barbecues to follow social distancing rules to avoid a resurgence of disease. These were not taken into account when photographs emerged from crowded gatherings, especially in Missouri.

Memorial Day commemorations have been canceled or mitigated across the country.

Veterans, as well as residents of nursing homes, made up a significant portion of those who died during the outbreak in the United States.

Australia to present economic plans as closings are eased

Morrison will present his government’s plans to revive the spray economy, but is expected to warn that a recovery will take between three and five years.

Australia has reported just over 7,100 Covid-19 infections, including 102 deaths.

This is well below the figures reported by many other developed countries, a success he attributes to the strict rules of social distancing, which prevented local hospitals from being overwhelmed but weighed heavily on the economy.

With Australia convinced that it has stopped the spread of the coronavirus, Morrison will look into how to revive the country’s economy when the debt level stands at around 30% of GDP.

Demonstrations in Ecuador against jobs, wage cuts and the virus

Protesters challenged restrictions on marching through Ecuador’s cities on Monday to protest President Lenin Moreno’s drastic economic measures to tackle the crisis.

Moreno last week announced cuts to public spending, including the closure of state-owned companies and embassies around the world, but unions said on Monday that workers are paying a disproportionate price to the Ecuadorian elite.

“This protest is due to the fact that the government is laying off workers to avoid making the rich pay,” Mecias Tatamuez, head of the county’s largest union, the United Workers’ Front, told reporters during a march to Quito.

About 2,000 people marched through the capital, waving flags and banners and shouting anti-government slogans.

Daily deaths in Brazil are higher than in the United States

According to the country’s health ministry, daily deaths from the virus in Brazil have been higher than deaths in the United States for the first time in the past 24 hours.

Brazil has registered 807 deaths in the past 24 hours, while 620 have died in the United States.

Brazil has the second worst epidemic in the world, with 374,898 cases, behind the United States with 1,706,150 million cases.

The total number of deaths in the United States reached 99,804 compared to 23,473 in Brazil.

California reopens places of worship and retail store

California says churches can resume services in person, but congregations will be limited to less than 100 and worshipers should wear masks, avoid sharing prayer books and skip the plate.

The State Department of Public Health has released a framework for county health officials to allow places of worship to reopen.

Most have been limited to online and remote services since March, when Governor Gavin Newsom’s home support order came into effect to slow the spread.

With the progress made, Newsom has relaxed these restrictions for restaurants, stores and other businesses.

Several thousand churches had sworn to defy Newsom’s order on May 31, which is Pentacost Sunday, an important holiday for many Christians.

US bans travel to Brazil

A ban on foreign travelers arriving in the United States from Brazil due to the upsurge in virus cases will take effect Tuesday evening, two days earlier than expected.

The ban was to take effect Thursday evening. The White House announced the change on Monday without explanation.

Brazil is second behind the United States for the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19.

The White House cited Brazil’s status as the hardest hit Latin American country on Sunday when it announced the ban, saying it would prevent further infections in the United States.

Foreign nationals who have traveled to Brazil in the two weeks preceding their attempt to enter the United States must be returned under the ban.

The ban does not apply to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, or their spouses, parents, or children.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies