Health

BRAZZAVILLE, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Up to 190,000 people in Africa could die of coronavirus in the first year of the pandemic if containment measures fail, the World Health Organisation warned.

The UN health agency cited a new study by its regional office in Brazzaville which found that between 83,000 and 190,000 could die and 29 to 44 million be infected during the period.

The research is based on prediction modelling and covers 47 countries with a total population of one billion, the WHO said in a statement.

LONDON, May 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Another 626 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 31,241, Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said yrsterday (Friday).

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

Earlier in the day, the National Health Service (NHS) England, said, a six-week-old baby has become one of the latest to die, after testing positive for the COVID-19.

ROME, May 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – Italy posted a decrease in COVID-19 intensive care cases and hospitalisations, as the death toll pushed past the 30,000 mark, according to the latest number released by the country’s Civil Protection Department.

The nationwide total of active infections fell by 1,663 cases to 87,961, down from a total of 89,624 infections on Thursday.

Of those who tested positive for the virus, 1,168 are in intensive care (down by 143 patients compared with Thursday’s) and 14,636 are hospitalised with symptoms (down by 538 patients).

UNITED NATIONS, May 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – A Chinese envoy called for multi-lateralism on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

“Multi-lateralism is a collective choice made by humanity, at the cost of a world war. Thanks to multi-lateralism, mankind has enjoyed 75 years of peace and development. No country can make itself great in isolation,” said Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the UN.

DAMASCUS, May 9 (NNN-SANA) – Mosques in Syria reopened on Friday, for the first time since Mar, as part of the government’s plan, to ease the measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the mosques were opened for the Friday prayers only, not for Muslims’ five prayers per day.

Workers in masks and overalls stood at the gates of mosques and measured the temperature of the worshippers, who also have to observe social distancing inside the mosques ahead of the prayers.

Lucknow, May 8 (PTI) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday sent one lakh masks to be distributed among people of Uttar Pradesh, specially those in the red zone, a party leader said.

Party workers will start distributing the face covers to the needy from Saturday, said Lalan Kumar, the media coordinator of state Congress.

Visakhapatnam, May 7 (PTI) A technical glitch in the refrigeration unit attached to the two styrene tanks at a chemical plant near here caused the vapour leak that killed 11 people and affected around 1,000 on Thursday, a senior district official said quoting a preliminary report.

The leak at the LG Polymers Limited was so intense that a "only around 9.30 am could we understand what exactly it was as the thick fog that formed in the area cleared," District Collector V Vinay Chand said.

Jaipur, May 8 (PTI) A meagre stipend of little over Rs 230 per day has left MBBS interns in government medical colleges of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh fuming with the budding doctors launching a social media campaign demanding a hike in the allowance.

Despite facing a slew of hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic and working for more than 10 hours daily to screen and survey people in remote areas, the interns have launched the #WeDemandStipendIncrement and #Rajasthan_Intern_Stipend_Badhao campaigns on microblogging site Twitter.

LIMA, May 8 (NNN-Xinhua) — Peruvian Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Jorge Montenegro has tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the ministry reported.

“Yesterday, May 6, 2020, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Jorge Montenegro, received a positive result for the test that was carried out for COVID-19,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that the official, “after learning of his diagnosis, has been complying with social isolation and following the recommendations of the doctors for his speedy recovery.”

SYDNEY, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Australia’s government on Friday unveiled a three-stage plan to get the economy back to a new “COVID-safe” normal by the end of July.

Federal authorities have left details of the plan’s implementation up to the country’s diverse states and territories, meaning coronavirus restrictions will remain in place for weeks or months longer in areas hardest hit by the disease.