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The Newest on the coronavirus pandemic. The brand new coronavirus causes delicate or average signs for most individuals. For some, particularly older adults and other people with present well being issues, it might probably trigger extra extreme sickness or demise.
TOP OF THE HOUR:
__ UN: Opponents in 11 nations have responded positively to enchantment for a world cease-fire
__ Russian capital imposing fines for violating self-quarantine orders.
__ Pentagon to simply accept COVID-19 constructive sufferers at services in Dallas and New Orleans.
__ Berlin’s high safety official accuses United States of utilizing “wild west strategies” to acquire PPE.
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UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres says fighters in 11 nations have responded positively to his enchantment for a world cease-fire to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
However there are monumental difficulties in turning phrases into peace. Preventing has escalated in main conflicts together with Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan.
Guterres referred to as on all governments, teams and other people with affect “to induce and stress combatants all over the world to place down their arms.” He referred to as the necessity is pressing as a result of COVID-19 is now headed to all battle areas.
Guterres informed a briefing at U.N. headquarters in New York on Friday that his enchantment 10 days in the past was rooted within the recognition that “there needs to be just one combat in our world at present: our shared battle in opposition to COVID-19.”
The U.N. chief cited a rising variety of endorsements for the cease-fire from 70 nations, civil society, non secular leaders together with Pope Francis, and a couple of million folks in a web-based enchantment.
He stated events to conflicts in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Libya, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen have additionally expressed their acceptance.
However Guterres stated: “There are monumental difficulties to implementation as conflicts have festered for years, mistrust is deep, with many spoilers and plenty of suspicions.”
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WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia has introduced 104 new constructive infections of the brand new coronavirus. That brings the overall 757 with 15 deaths.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has issued a stay-home order for Washington’s roughly 700,000 residents. Neighboring Maryland and Virginia have performed the identical.
Bowser has declared a state of emergency, shuttered all colleges and ordered all non-essential companies to shut. White Home and Capitol excursions have been cancelled and the Nationwide Zoo, Smithsonian museum community and Kennedy Heart have closed.
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MOSCOW — The Russian capital has imposed its first fines for violating self-quarantine orders.
Yevgeny Danchikov is head of Moscow’s metropolis providers division and was quoted by state tv Friday saying three folks have been fined four,000 rubles ($57) every after video surveillance cameras recorded them leaving their residences.
The violators had been identified with signs of coronavirus an infection however allowed to recuperate below quarantine at house. Moscow has imposed a normal lockdown requiring most individuals to say house besides to buy meals and medication or go to workplaces if required.
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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says is it’ll start accepting COVID-19 constructive sufferers at Pentagon-supported medical services in Dallas and New Orleans that beforehand had been designated as non-COVID hospitals.
COVID-19 constructive sufferers in convalescent care and people deemed non-urgent circumstances shall be accepted on the Morial federal medical station in New Orleans and on the Kay Bailey Hutchison federal medical heart in Dallas. These sufferers should first be screened at a neighborhood hospital.
President Donald Trump on Thursday introduced that he had authorized New York’s request that COVID-19 sufferers be accepted for care on the Pentagon-supported Javits heart, which beforehand had taken on non-COVID sufferers.
The Pentagon additionally stated Friday that screening for care of non-COVID-19 sufferers on the hospital ship USNS Consolation in New York harbor is being modified in an effort to cut back a backlog at some New York hospitals.
As a substitute of requiring sufferers to be examined for COVID-19 on the hospital from which they’re being transferred, every affected person transferred to the Consolation shall be screened by temperature and given a brief questionnaire pier-side.
The Pentagon additionally introduced that the variety of COVID-19 constructive circumstances within the active-duty army had risen to 978 as of Friday morning. That’s up 85 from a day earlier.
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PHILADELPHIA — Meek Mill’s prison justice reform group says it’s donating 100,000 face masks to a few of the nation’s most infamous jails and prisons.
The celebrity-backed REFORM Alliance says 50,000 masks will go to the Rikers Island jail advanced in New York Metropolis, 40,000 shall be despatched to the Tennessee Division of Correction, and 5,000 are headed to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.
The Philadelphia-based group contains Jay-Z amongst its founding members and has been urgent the nation’s jails and prisons to skinny their inmate populations, enhance sanitation, shield jail employees and take different precautions to sluggish the unfold of the coronavirus.
Tons of of inmates and workers at U.S. correctional services have examined constructive for the virus. Well being specialists say folks inside prisons and jails are at heightened danger due to tight inmate quarters, a scarcity of sanitation and substandard medical care.
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NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has informed its almost 50 million folks to put on face masks to assist shield themselves in opposition to the coronavirus.
The well being ministry says the East African nation’s textile business has the capability to make 60 million masks “instantly” and the sale value needs to be round 20 Kenyan shillings, which is about 20 cents.
The nation has struggled at instances with a coronavirus-related curfew and police have been accused of capturing lifeless a 13-year-old and beating or utilizing tear fuel on different folks.
The nation has 122 circumstances of the brand new coronavirus. A 6-year-old boy is the most recent to die.
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LONDON — The European Medicines Company issued steering for the compassionate use of experimental drug remdesivir as a doable remedy for COVID-19.
The European drug regulator says remdesivir ought to solely be given to hospitalized critically in poor health sufferers affected by the coronavirus who haven’t any different remedy choices.
The EMA’s recommendation was prompted by requests produced from Estonia, Greece, the Netherlands and Romania asking for steering on how the drug needs to be utilized in treating the brand new coronavirus.
A number of scientific trials are already below method to check the effectiveness of remdesivir, which is made by Gilead Sciences.
The World Well being Group has beforehand described the drug as “probably the most promising candidate” among the many dozens being studied. Remdesivir was initially developed to deal with Ebola and there are some restricted laboratory knowledge suggesting it’s efficient in opposition to associated coronaviruses like SARS and MERS.
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BERLIN — Berlin’s high safety official is accusing the US of utilizing “wild west strategies” to acquire private protecting tools. The declare got here after a supply of face masks destined for the German capital was diverted en route from China.
German media reported Friday that a whole bunch of 1000’s of masks bought from producer 3M and meant for Berlin police have been diverted to the U.S. as they have been being transferred between planes in Thailand.
Berlin officers confirmed that about 200,000 FFP2 masks already paid for by Germany have been seized at a Bangkok airport and did not attain their meant vacation spot. The masks are the equal of the U.S. N95 commonplace.
Andreas Geisel is the inside minister for Berlin state. He says the diversion of the masks is “an act of recent piracy. That is no method to deal with trans-Atlantic companions.”
“Even in instances of worldwide disaster there needs to be no wild west strategies,” Geisel stated.
He added he needs the German authorities to demand the US adhere to worldwide guidelines.
The U.S. embassy in Berlin did not instantly remark.
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BRUSSELS — European Union overseas ministers have agreed to attempt to funnel extra support to Africa to assist fragile nations there deal with the unfold of the brand new coronavirus.
After chairing a ministerial video-conference,
EU overseas coverage chief Josep Borrell says Africa is of explicit concern as a result of he fears the pandemic there might quickly lose management.
“Their issues shall be additionally our issues,”
Borrell informed reporters that Europe’s issues “won’t be solved if it isn’t solved all over the place as a result of it might probably backlash at any second.”
He warned of the added fallout from the illness in nations the place heavy preventing is occurring, like in Libya, but in addition in Syria and Yemen. He says these nations are in “two conflicts on the similar time.”
EU growth ministers are attributable to maintain talks subsequent Wednesday to debate support for fragile nations.
The arrival of tens of 1000’s of migrants from Africa and conflict-torn nations sparked one in all Europe’s greatest political crises. Some member nations nonetheless bicker over learn how to handle their entry.
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GENEVA — Switzerland’s overseas minister says the nation is in talks with Italy’s authorities about probably accepting Italians contaminated by the coronavirus in Swiss hospitals.
Ignazio Cassis is the pinnacle of the overseas affairs division. He famous that Switzerland has already made a gesture of solidarity by welcoming in some 40 French residents for hospitalization.
He says related talks at the moment are ongoing with Italy as a result of “a variety of issues linked to COVID can solely be resolved via cross-border cooperation.”
Cassis is a educated medical physician and stated Switzerland can also be in talks with its EU neighbors about letting their residents who work in Swiss well being care to proceed crossing the border to get to their jobs.
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BRUSSELS — The European Fee will quickly waive customs duties and VAT on the import of protecting medical tools and medical gadgets getting into the bloc to make them extra inexpensive throughout the brand new coronavirus epidemics.
The fee stated the measure applies retroactively from Jan. 30 for an preliminary interval of six months. It covers masks and protecting gear, in addition to testing kits, ventilators and different medical tools.
European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen stated customs duties of 12% and a price added tax of 22% is levied in Italy on some facemasks or protecting clothes which are imported. She says the waiver will make the provides one third cheaper.
The common worth added to ventilators in tax charge is 20%. Hospitals will lower your expenses and have the ability to purchase extra ventilators with the tax break.
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LONDON — Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II has recorded an deal with to the nation and the Commonwealth concerning the coronavirus pandemic.
The palace says the message was recorded at Windsor Citadel and shall be broadcast on Sunday.
The 93-year-old British head of state has been at her citadel house west of London. She relocated from Buckingham Palace due to the outbreak.
Aside from her annual Christmas Day message, the queen has made solely a handful of particular broadcasts at crucial moments of her 68-year-reign. She made particular broadcasts throughout the 1991 Gulf Struggle and after the demise of Princess Diana in 1997.
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MOSCOW — The Russian army is sending planeloads of medical specialists and tools to Serbia to assist it combat the coronavirus epidemic.
Russia has maintained shut political and financial ties with Serbia and offered it with weapons prior to now. The Russian Protection Ministry stated 11 army cargo planes will ship eight medical groups full with tools, disinfection specialists and equipment.
The transfer follows final month’s deployment of an analogous Russian coronavirus job power to Italy and the supply of medical provides to the US on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Russia’s transfer as “very good.”
The Russian International Ministry stated the U.S. paid for half of the medical provides. The opposite half of the fee was sponsored by Russia’s state funding fund.
Russian officers have angrily rejected claims that the Kremlin was looking for political good points by offering medical support to Italy and different nations.
Russia in February offered medical support to China and later dispatched help to Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and varied ex-Soviet nations.
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ATHENS, Greece — Greek police have issued fines for greater than 17,000 violations of Greece’s lockdown measures since they got here into impact almost two weeks in the past.
Police say they’ve issued 17,358 fines for folks breaking the brand new restrictions on leaving house, because the lockdown started on March 23.
Underneath the rules, persons are allowed out just for particular causes. A self-declaration both on paper or despatched through cellphone textual content message is required as proof of the explanation for leaving house. Violations are punishable by a 150 euro ($163) high quality.
Authorities officers have stated they’re contemplating additional tightening restrictions to probably impose distance or time restrictions.
Authorities are notably involved that many individuals may attempt to head to the countryside or collect in giant teams as Easter approaches and the climate improves.
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VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has prolonged its containment measures till April 13 to be consistent with the Italian authorities’s nationwide lockdown.
The unbiased Vatican Metropolis State has stated it has seven confirmed circumstances of COVID-19 amongst residents within the walled unbiased nation. Not one of the contaminated had contact with Pope Francis or his closest aides.
April 13th is domestically referred to as “Little Easter, and is each an official Italian and Vatican vacation. Hundreds of individuals usually would go to St. Peter’s Sq. to obtain the pope’s blessing that day.
However Vatican Metropolis, the sq. and its museums have already been shut to the general public attributable to virus-containment measures. The Italian authorities and well being authorities have stated any easing of the lockdown measures after April 13 can be gradual and sure stretch out over weeks.
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MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin says regional authorities throughout the nation needs to be given freedom to resolve what steps should be taken to counter the unfold of the brand new coronavirus.
Putin on Thursday ordered most Russians off work till the tip of the month as a part of a partial financial shutdown to curb the unfold of the coronavirus. Putin stated important industries ought to maintain working.
Putin on a convention name with presidential Safety Council members stated extensively various situations throughout Russia warrant particular person responses within the areas. He emphasised the financial scenario is troublesome so directives mustn’t undermine financial actions.
Putin pointed on the Altai area in southeastern Siberia and another areas that thus far haven’t reported any coronavirus circumstances. He stated it is unnecessary at this level to order a nationwide shutdown. The Russian chief has additionally changed a number of provincial governors.
Russia reported four,149 circumstances of the brand new coronavirus on Friday.
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