TOKYO: The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 307,200 people and killed more than 13,000.
Top of the hour News:
- Japan urges no nonessential travel to the United States.
- Singapore to fully shut its borders after recording its first two deaths.
- Colombia reports its first death from the coronavirus.
- Sri Lanka police detain nearly 300 for breaching curfew.
JAPAN - Japan has issued a travel warning for its nationals, urging not to make unessential trips to the United States because of the rapidly expanding coronavirus outbreak in that country, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Japan has taken similar steps to most European countries and banned trips to China, South Korea as well as Iceland, San Marino and parts of Italy, Switzerland and Spain.
As of Saturday, the US had 15,219 confirmed cases and 201 deaths, the ministry said, citing the US Centre for Disease Control.
The foreign ministry also said the decision came after the U.S. raised travel caution to Japan and four countries to level three, urging Americans not to make non-essential trips to Japan and requiring a 14-day self-imposed quarantine for Japanese nationals entering the U.S.
SINGAPORE - Singapore says it will fully shut its borders starting Tuesday after recording its first two deaths.
The city-state has banned visitors from several countries and requires all short-term visitors to observe a 14-day home quarantine. But the government says all short-term visitors beginning Tuesday will be barred from entering or transiting through the country.
It said in a statement Sunday that this will reduce the risk of imported cases and free up resources to focus on its citizens. It said Singapore citizens, permanent residents and foreigners with a long-term work pass can return but must undergo a 14-day self-quarantine.
The city-state of nearly 6 million people has recorded 432 cases so far. On Saturday, it reported that a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and an Indonesian visitor, 64, have succumbed to the virus.
COLOMBIA - Colombia is reporting its first death from the new coronavirus.
Officials said Saturday that he was a 58-year-old taxi driver who had driven tourists from Italy, which is one the countries worst hit by the virus.
Colombia’s Ministry of Health says the man had previous health issues, including untreated diabetes.
President Iván Duque has prohibited all non-resident foreigners from entering the country and has decreed a mandatory quarantine starting Tuesday.
Colombia has confirmed 210 cases of the coronavirus.
SRI LANKA - Police say they have detained 291 people for breaching a three-day curfew which has been imposed as part of strict measures designed to contain the spreading of the coronavirus in the Indian Ocean island nation.
Police said Sunday the detentions were made by police during patrols to ensure that people stay in their homes. The curfew was imposed on Friday and will end on Tuesday.
Some of them were arrested for boozing at a playground while some were loitering on streets during the curfew.
The government is urging people to stay at homes as the number of positive cases have risen to 77.
AUSTRALIA - Australia has unveiled a 66.4 billion Australian dollar (US$38.50bil) stimulus package in a bid to ward off a recession and safeguard employment from the coronavirus pandemic.
The package includes cash payments for eligible small businesses and welfare recipients. The total economic assistance packages so far total almost 10% of the country's GDP.
Australia has recorded more than 1,000 cases of the virus as fears heighten that it is headed for its first recession in nearly three decades.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says: "We want to help businesses keep going as best they can or to pause instead of falling apart. We want to ensure that when this crisis has passed Australia can bounce back."
He says more draconian social distancing measures would be considered during a Cabinet meeting Sunday.
Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach was closed on Saturday after thousands of people flouted regulations that prohibit more than 500 people gathering.
SOUTH KOREA - South Korea on Sunday reported 98 more cases of the new coronavirus, taking the total here to 8,897.
Fatalities in South Korea increased by two to 104, according to the state-run Korea Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
CHINA - The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global pandemic was first detected, went a fourth consecutive day on Sunday without reporting any new or suspected cases of the virus.
Elsewhere, the country reported 46 new cases over the previous 24 hours, 45 of them coming from overseas. The health ministry did not say where the domestic case was found. Another six deaths were also reported, one in Wuhan, four in the surrounding province of Hubei and one elsewhere.
China now recorded a total of 81,054 cases and 3,261 deaths. A total of 72,244 people have been declared cured and released from hospital.
Wuhan must go 14 straight days without a new case in order for draconian travel restrictions to be lifted and the city remains isolated from the rest of the province, which is itself closed off to the rest of the country. Even while social distancing and quarantines for new arrivals remain the norm, China is striving to restore activity in the world's second-largest economy.
Wuhan is a centre of China's crucial auto industry and a special train carrying more than 1,000 employees of Dongfeng Motor Corporation arrived Saturday afternoon in the city for the first time since the outbreak. All were sent directly by bus to factories or residential communities.
RUSSIA - The Russian Defense Ministry says it is ready to fly its mobile medical teams and disinfection equipment to Italy to help it deal with the new coronavirus.
The ministry’s statement followed Saturday’s phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in which the Russian leader offered to send military medical personnel and equipment to help Italy contain the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
The Russian Defense Ministry says its transport planes stand ready to airlift eight mobile medical teams along with various medical equipment and aerosol disinfection trucks to Italy.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had a call with his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini, who said Italy was ready to receive Russian planes with medical personnel and equipment starting Sunday. - AP
Top of the hour News:
- Japan urges no nonessential travel to the United States.
- Singapore to fully shut its borders after recording its first two deaths.
- Colombia reports its first death from the coronavirus.
- Sri Lanka police detain nearly 300 for breaching curfew.
JAPAN - Japan has issued a travel warning for its nationals, urging not to make unessential trips to the United States because of the rapidly expanding coronavirus outbreak in that country, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Japan has taken similar steps to most European countries and banned trips to China, South Korea as well as Iceland, San Marino and parts of Italy, Switzerland and Spain.
As of Saturday, the US had 15,219 confirmed cases and 201 deaths, the ministry said, citing the US Centre for Disease Control.
The foreign ministry also said the decision came after the U.S. raised travel caution to Japan and four countries to level three, urging Americans not to make non-essential trips to Japan and requiring a 14-day self-imposed quarantine for Japanese nationals entering the U.S.
SINGAPORE - Singapore says it will fully shut its borders starting Tuesday after recording its first two deaths.
The city-state has banned visitors from several countries and requires all short-term visitors to observe a 14-day home quarantine. But the government says all short-term visitors beginning Tuesday will be barred from entering or transiting through the country.
It said in a statement Sunday that this will reduce the risk of imported cases and free up resources to focus on its citizens. It said Singapore citizens, permanent residents and foreigners with a long-term work pass can return but must undergo a 14-day self-quarantine.
The city-state of nearly 6 million people has recorded 432 cases so far. On Saturday, it reported that a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and an Indonesian visitor, 64, have succumbed to the virus.
COLOMBIA - Colombia is reporting its first death from the new coronavirus.
Officials said Saturday that he was a 58-year-old taxi driver who had driven tourists from Italy, which is one the countries worst hit by the virus.
Colombia’s Ministry of Health says the man had previous health issues, including untreated diabetes.
President Iván Duque has prohibited all non-resident foreigners from entering the country and has decreed a mandatory quarantine starting Tuesday.
Colombia has confirmed 210 cases of the coronavirus.
SRI LANKA - Police say they have detained 291 people for breaching a three-day curfew which has been imposed as part of strict measures designed to contain the spreading of the coronavirus in the Indian Ocean island nation.
Police said Sunday the detentions were made by police during patrols to ensure that people stay in their homes. The curfew was imposed on Friday and will end on Tuesday.
Some of them were arrested for boozing at a playground while some were loitering on streets during the curfew.
The government is urging people to stay at homes as the number of positive cases have risen to 77.
AUSTRALIA - Australia has unveiled a 66.4 billion Australian dollar (US$38.50bil) stimulus package in a bid to ward off a recession and safeguard employment from the coronavirus pandemic.
The package includes cash payments for eligible small businesses and welfare recipients. The total economic assistance packages so far total almost 10% of the country's GDP.
Australia has recorded more than 1,000 cases of the virus as fears heighten that it is headed for its first recession in nearly three decades.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says: "We want to help businesses keep going as best they can or to pause instead of falling apart. We want to ensure that when this crisis has passed Australia can bounce back."
He says more draconian social distancing measures would be considered during a Cabinet meeting Sunday.
Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach was closed on Saturday after thousands of people flouted regulations that prohibit more than 500 people gathering.
SOUTH KOREA - South Korea on Sunday reported 98 more cases of the new coronavirus, taking the total here to 8,897.
Fatalities in South Korea increased by two to 104, according to the state-run Korea Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
CHINA - The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global pandemic was first detected, went a fourth consecutive day on Sunday without reporting any new or suspected cases of the virus.
Elsewhere, the country reported 46 new cases over the previous 24 hours, 45 of them coming from overseas. The health ministry did not say where the domestic case was found. Another six deaths were also reported, one in Wuhan, four in the surrounding province of Hubei and one elsewhere.
China now recorded a total of 81,054 cases and 3,261 deaths. A total of 72,244 people have been declared cured and released from hospital.
Wuhan must go 14 straight days without a new case in order for draconian travel restrictions to be lifted and the city remains isolated from the rest of the province, which is itself closed off to the rest of the country. Even while social distancing and quarantines for new arrivals remain the norm, China is striving to restore activity in the world's second-largest economy.
Wuhan is a centre of China's crucial auto industry and a special train carrying more than 1,000 employees of Dongfeng Motor Corporation arrived Saturday afternoon in the city for the first time since the outbreak. All were sent directly by bus to factories or residential communities.
RUSSIA - The Russian Defense Ministry says it is ready to fly its mobile medical teams and disinfection equipment to Italy to help it deal with the new coronavirus.
The ministry’s statement followed Saturday’s phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in which the Russian leader offered to send military medical personnel and equipment to help Italy contain the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
The Russian Defense Ministry says its transport planes stand ready to airlift eight mobile medical teams along with various medical equipment and aerosol disinfection trucks to Italy.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had a call with his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini, who said Italy was ready to receive Russian planes with medical personnel and equipment starting Sunday. - AP
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