Health

Wellington, May 16 (AP) New Zealand's leader found out there are no exceptions when it comes to social distancing after she was initially turned away from a cafe because it was too full under coronavirus guidelines.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her fiance, Clarke Gayford, decided to get brunch Saturday at Olive, a restaurant in the capital, Wellington. That was two days after the country relaxed many of its lockdown rules, including reopening restaurants.

Ahmedabad, May 16 (PTI) The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday, with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad, which accounted for 14 of the total 19 deaths, a Health official said.

The total cases now stands at 10,989 while the number of fatalities rose to 625, the official said.

"Ten of the 19 deceased were suffering from comorbidities," said Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi.

Mumbai, May 17 (PTI) Maharashtra government on Sunday extended the lockdown in the state till May 31, an official said.

State Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta has issued an order notifying extension of the lockdown, the official said.

"The calibrated phase-wise relaxation/lifting of lockdown orders will be notified in due course," the order said.

The present lockdown was valid from May 2 to 17.

Kolkata, May 17 (PTI) The West Bengal government has released around 3,000 inmates on bail or parole to decongest correctional homes since the last week March in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, an official said on Sunday.

The department of correctional services has also taken several measures to check coronavirus infection inside the jails of the state.

The official said there are around 60 correctional homes in West Bengal, housing nearly 25,000 inmates and of them, close to 7,000 are convicts while others are undertrials.

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) Following are the highlights of the fifth and final tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore comprehensive economic package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to tide over the COVID-19 crisis:

KATHMANDU, May 17 (NNN-NEPALNEWA) – The Nepali government, on Saturday, confirmed the first death from COVID-19.

Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population said, a 29-year-old woman from Sindhupalchwok, in the country’s central region, died, while being brought to a hospital, in the outskirt of the capital, Kathmandu.

“A detailed investigation and a series of tests confirmed that this is the first death due to COVID-19 in the country,” read the statement.

RIYADH, May 17 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia’s COVID-19 cases reached 52,016 on Saturday, with the registration of 2,840 new infections, health authorities said.

The health ministry tweeted that, ten more died from the virus, raising the death toll to 302, and 1,797 individuals recovered, bringing the accumulated number of recoveries to 23,666.

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, recently said that, the virus would reshape the global commercial shape.

LONDON, May 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Another 468 COVID-19 patients died in Britain, as of Friday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 34,466, the Department of Health and Social Care said Saturday.

The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

As of Saturday morning, 240,161 people have tested positive for the virus in the country, said the department.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia urged China on Sunday to respond to its requests to discuss easing tensions between the two trading partners after Canberra called for an international enquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus.

China, accusing Australia of playing “petty tricks”, has recently suspended beef imports from four of Australia’s largest meat processors and is considering imposing hefty tariffs on imports of barley.

16 May 2020; MEMO: Turkish defense officials on Friday distributed protective health supplies to soldiers stationed at a NATO Allied Land Command based in Izmir, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense said it distributed the supplies to 320 allied staff of 23 NATO member countries as part of the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.