Health

SOFIA, March 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Bulgarian parliament voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency until April 13 to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Bulgaria had 23 confirmed cases, including one fatality, according to the Health Ministry.

The state of emergency will allow for travel bans to and from countries with large coronavirus outbreaks, the closing of schools and universities, and permit police to intervene when imposed isolation of infected people is not observed.

OTTAWA, March 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in isolation for two weeks after his wife, Sophie, tested positive for coronavirus.

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau recently returned from London and experienced flu-like symptoms, so she was tested for the coronavirus, the prime minister’s office said. The test came back positive.

SEOUL, Mar 14 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea confirmed 107 more cases of the COVID-19, compared to 24 hours ago, as of midnight Saturday local time, raising the total number of infections to 8,086.

The new cases remained below 200 for the third consecutive day, after recording 110 on Friday and 114 on Thursday.

Five more deaths were reported, lifting the death toll to 72. The total fatality rate stood at 0.84 percent.

A total of 204 more patients were discharged from quarantine, after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 714.

TOKYO, Mar 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – Japan’s health ministry and local governments said, the number of COVID-19 infections rose by 21 to 697 cases in Japan, as of 6:30 p.m. local time here.

The death toll currently stands at 26, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship, that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.

Of the 697 confirmed cases, the majority are in Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which has confirmed 136 cases and previously declared a state of emergency over the situation.

RIYADH, Mar 14 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia will suspend international travel for two weeks from tomorrow, Sunday, in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of Saudis and residents.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior said, the ban that starts at 11 am is to be considered an exceptional official holiday for citizens and residents, who will be unable to return to the kingdom due to suspension.

RAMALLAH, Mar 14 (NNN-WAFA) – Spokesman for the Palestinian government, Ibrahim Milhem, said that, the health of the 35 patients of COVID-19 in Palestine, remain in good health, so far.

Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah, the occupied West Bank, Milhem said, in addition to the 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19, another 35 samples are currently under laboratory examination, and whose results will be announced later in the upcoming night.

NAIROBI, March 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Guinea all confirmed their first cases of the new coronavirus on Friday, giving the disease a foothold in 18 countries on the African continent.

Africa had so far largely been spared the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has infected at least 127,000 and killed 4,700 worldwide.

Most of Africa’s reported cases were foreigners or people who had travelled abroad. Rapid testing and quarantines have been put in place to limit transmission.

LIEGE, Belgium, Mar 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – A plane carrying Chinese medical supplies for Europe, to assist its battle against the COVID-19 landed in Liege, Belgium on Friday night.

The supplies were donated by two charities — Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation and comprise half a million face masks, which will be sent to Italy.

The two charities are donating in total two million masks and other crucial supplies, such as test kits.

13 Mar 2020; MEMO: Iran, asked today, Thursday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for immediate financial assistance to tackle the novel Coronavirus, in conjunction with the authorities’ announcement of 75 new deaths, in the highest daily death toll since the virus began spreading in the country. Thus, the number of casualties officially exceeded 10,000.

Sydney, Mar 13 (PTI) Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson has been tested for the novel coronavirus after he reported illness and will miss the first ODI against New Zealand on Friday.

The right-arm pacer, who returned with the Australian team from South Africa earlier this week, informed the medical staff of a sore throat on Thursday and was tested for the virus, though the results of the test are awaited.