China

28 March 2020; AFP: The Chinese city of 11 million people that was Ground Zero for what became the global coronavirus pandemic partly reopened on Saturday after more than two months of almost total isolation.

Wuhan was placed under lockdown in January with residents forbidden to leave, roadblocks ring-fencing the city's outskirts and drastic restrictions on daily life.

(AP) --- The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

TOP OF THE HOUR:

— China sends medical personnel and supplies to aid Pakistan

— Germany won’t loosen restrictions on public life before April 20

— Sri Lanka police arrest thousands for violating coronavirus curfew

— U.N. says 86 staffers around world have reported cases of virus

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BEIJING, Mar 28 (NNN-XINHUA) – Chinese health authority, today (Saturday), said that, no new domestically transmitted cases of the COVID-19 disease were reported, on the Chinese mainland on Friday.

The National Health Commission received reports of 67 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, on the Chinese mainland on Friday, all of which were imported.

BEIJING, March 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China and the United States should “unite to fight” the deadly coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the globe, said President Xi Jinping in a call with his US counterpart on Friday, according to state media.

The two countries have clashed in recent weeks over the virus, but Xi told President Donald Trump that China “wishes to continue sharing all information and experience with the US,” said state broadcaster CCTV.

BEIJING, March 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China has announced a temporary ban on all foreign visitors, even if they have visas or residence permits.

The country is also limiting Chinese and foreign airlines to one flight per week, and flights must not be more than 75% full.

Although China reported its first locally-transmitted coronavirus case for three days on Friday, almost all its new cases now come from abroad.

There were 55 new cases across China on Thursday – 54 of them from overseas.

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- China has provided assistance to 89 countries and four international organizations to fight against the novel coronavirus, the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) said Thursday.

A new round of aid implementation programs is currently being prepared, Deng Boqing, deputy head of the CIDCA, said at a press conference held in Beijing.

"China's anti-virus external assistance is the most intensive and wide-ranging emergency humanitarian operation since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949," Deng said.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks were mixed Thursday after Wall Street gained as U.S. lawmakers wrangled over a proposed $2 trillion virus aid package.

Market benchmarks in Tokyo and Shanghai declined. Australia and Southeast Asian markets gained. Jakarta jumped 10%.

New York futures were lower, with the contract for the S&P 500 down 0.7%, while that for the Dow fell 0.2%.

On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index rose 1.2% on Wednesday but is down nearly 27% from its peak a month ago.

BEIJING, March 25 (APP): China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has donated 380,000 medical masks to eight countries including Pakistan to help with the global fight against the novel coronavirus.

The masks were delivered to Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia and Algeria, according to local media here on Wednesday.

The regional government has organized local enterprises to increase production while Customs and China Post were coordinated to ensure the timely delivery of the materials.

24 March 2020; AFP: China announced Tuesday an end to travel curbs at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, as governments around the world tightened lockdowns in a desperate effort to slow the spread of the deadly disease.

Hubei, where the novel coronavirus emerged late last year, will allow healthy residents to leave the province from midnight, officials said, two months after they were ordered to stay indoors.

"We are celebrating today," a female doctor surnamed Wu told AFP.

HUBEI, Mar 24 (NNN-XINHUA) – Vice-Premier, Sun Chunlan, asked for the orderly, safe and smooth withdrawal of the medical staff supporting virus-hit Hubei province.

Leading a central government group, to guide the epidemic control work in Hubei, Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while seeing off the medics departing Hubei, at a former temporary hospital in Wuhan, capital city of the province.