KRAZY KATS

Welcome to Krazy Kats - a friendly informal online community discussing life issues that we care about. Open 24/7 for chat & chill. Come and join us!

    Coronavirus - 9th August

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 9th August Empty Coronavirus - 9th August

    Post by Kitkat Sun 09 Aug 2020, 14:47

    Summary Headlines for Sunday, 9th August
    Source: The Guardian - full reading on their website  arrow right HERE


    • The Australian state of New South Wales has ramped up its own travel restrictions and is forcing residents returning from coronavirus-hit Victoria into two weeks of hotel quarantine.
      Entry to NSW from Victoria is now restricted to flights landing at Sydney Airport, except for border community residents with permits.
    • Boris Johnson has insisted the nation has “a moral duty” to reopen schools next month, amid indications he would force pubs, restaurants and shops to close ahead of schools in the event of severe coronavirus flare-ups. The prime minister is understood to favour only closing schools as the last resort after scientific advisers warned more restrictions may be needed to reopen classrooms in England next month.
    • Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would extend enhanced coronavirus unemployment benefits and employment taxes into next year with executive orders, but cut the level of some of the support. Speaking at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump said he was taking action after Congress had failed to agree a deal, blaming “far left” Democrat demands in a campaign-style speech.
    • Belgian police have made several arrests after a brawl broke out on a beach between officers and young people they had told to leave for refusing to respect virus safety measures. The clashes took place at the resort of Blankenberge, which is about 15km north of Bruges. A group of young people became violent after police told them to leave the beach, the daily Het Laatste Niewus reported.
    • Cuba has placed Havana back on a strict lockdown following a rebound in coronavirus cases, ordering restaurants, bars and pools once more to close, suspending public transportation and banning access to the beach. Cuba, which has been hailed as a rare success story in Latin America for its textbook handling and containment of its coronavirus outbreak, had eased lockdown restrictions last month after cases dwindled to but a handful per day.
    • Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the streets near the official residence of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in central Jerusalem. Throughout the summer, thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets, calling for Netanyahu to resign, protesting his handling of the country’s coronavirus crisis and saying he should not remain in office while on trial for corruption charges.
    • Meat giant, Danish Crown announced Saturday it had closed a large slaughterhouse in Denmark after nearly 150 employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The abattoir in Ringsted, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the capital Copenhagen, employs nearly 900 people and slaughters tens of thousands of pigs every week.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 9th August Empty Re: Coronavirus - 9th August

    Post by Kitkat Sun 09 Aug 2020, 15:11

    More from The Guardian today:


    • AFP: Belgian police arrested several people Saturday after a brawl broke out on a beach between officers and youths they had told to leave for refusing to respect virus safety measures.
    • Australia: The current lockdown conditions in Melbourne, Victoria, are some of the strictest seen anywhere. Metropolitan Melbourne is under stage four lockdown measures including mandatory masks, an 8pm curfew, and a 5km travel limit, while the rest of the state is under stage three.
      It’s being heavily enforced by authorities, and police are releasing de-identified descriptions of some people who have been fined for breaching the rules.
    • Parisians and holidaymakers strolling along the banks of the River Seine or browsing open-air markets in Paris must wear a face mask from Monday after authorities imposed new measures to curb a rise in coronavirus infections, Reuters reports.
      The order, which applies to people aged 11 and over, covers busy outdoor areas in the French capital, although tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees boulevard were not listed.
      France recorded its highest daily case number this week, nearing 1,700 on Wednesday. More than 235,200 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 during the pandemic, at least 30,327 fatally, according to John Hopkins University.
    • In Australia, the premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, has rebuffed calls to extend an inquiry into the Ruby Princess cruise ship debacle to hear from federal officials who have refused to appear.
      The cruise ship was responsible for hundreds of Covid-19 cases and at least 22 deaths.
      Read the full story from Paul Karp here.



    • India: AP reports that seven coronavirus patients have died in a fire that broke out early on Sunday at a hotel being used as a Covid-19 facility, officials said, in the second such incident this month.
    • In Britain, only half the population definitely would accept being vaccinated against Covid-19. That is the shock conclusion of a group of scientists and pollsters who have found that only 53% of a test group of citizens said they would be certain or very likely to allow themselves to be given a vaccine against the disease if one becomes available.
      By contrast, one in six (16%) said they would definitely not or would be unlikely to accept a vaccine, according to research by King’s College London and Ipsos Mori. In addition, it was found that one in five (20%) said they would only be “fairly likely” to go ahead with inoculation.
    • Australia records 404 new cases nationally, with 10 in New South Wales and 394 in Victoria, where 17 people also died in the country’s deadliest day of the pandemic.
    • The US is nearing five million people diagnosed with Covid-19. More than 162,000 people have died.
    • In Brazil a former health minister has accused president Jair Bolsonaro of failing to offer any comfort to the families of the 100,000 Brazilians who have died from Covid-19.
    • New Zealand has marked 100 days of zero community transmission cases.
    • Mexico reported 6,495 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 695 additional fatalities on Saturday, bringing the total in the country to 475,902 cases and 52,006 deaths.
    • Australian state of Victoria announces $59.7m in additional mental health funding, focusing on the surge in demand for acute services, after stats reveal 33% increase in self harm presentations to hospital for people under 18.
    • In Britain, only half the population definitely would accept being vaccinated against Covid-19, and one in six (16%) said they would definitely not or would be unlikely to accept a vaccine, a study has found.
    • China has reported 23 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday. Eight cases were imported, and all 15 of the locally transmitted cases were in the region of Xinjiang.
    • Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would extend enhanced coronavirus unemployment benefits and employment taxes into next year with executive orders, but cut the level of some of the support
    • In Israel thousands of demonstrators gathered in the streets near the official residence of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in central Jerusalem, calling for Netanyahu to resign, protesting his handling of the country’s coronavirus crisis and saying he should not remain in office while on trial for corruption charges.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 9th August Empty Re: Coronavirus - 9th August

    Post by Kitkat Sun 09 Aug 2020, 15:15




    • The US health secretary has arrived in Taiwan to strengthen the ties between the two countries over their response to the coronavirus pandemic. The trip has been strongly condemned by China who claim Taiwan belongs to them.


    • Lebanon’s Information Minister, Manal Abdel Samad, has announced her resignation, citing the government’s failure to introduce reforms, and the enormous explosion that devastated Beirut this week. Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron will host political leaders today for a UN-backed video conference to raise emergency relief funds for Lebanon, following the devastating explosion in Beirut this week. The country was already struggling with mounting numbers of coronavirus cases, amid economic and political turmoil.


    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 9th August Empty Re: Coronavirus - 9th August

    Post by Kitkat Sun 09 Aug 2020, 18:24

    No new coronavirus deaths in Wales

    In Wales, there have been no further deaths recorded where people died after testing positive for Covid-19, Public Health Wales said.
    This means the total death toll remains at 1,579.
    The number of cases in Wales increased by 26, bringing the total confirmed to 17,451.

    A further 10 people have died in hospital in England, having either tested positive for coronavirus, or in cases where a positive test was not returned, but coronavirus was mentioned on their death certificate.
    This brings the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 29,411, NHS England said on Sunday.
    The patients were aged between 45 and 89 and all had known underlying health condition
    In two of the cases, the deceased had not tested positive for Covid-19, but Covid-19 was mentioned on their death certificate.
    All deaths are recorded against the date of death rather than the day the deaths were announced, NHS England said.
    Regional breakdown
    The region with the highest number of deaths was the Midlands with four.
    There were three deaths in the North East & Yorkshire, two in the East of England and one in London.
    There were no deaths reported in the North West, where local lockdown measures in place in Greater Manchester and parts of east Lancashire were extended on Friday to include Preston.

    India: death toll after fire at coronavirus facility rises to 10

    The death toll from a fire at a coronavirus treatment quarantine facility in India has increased to 10.
    The fire broke out at the facility in the southeastern Indian city of Vijaywada early on Sunday, officials said. The death toll was originally reported as being 7.

    US hits 5 million cases

    The US has just passed a grim milestone, with Johns Hopkins University data showing the country has recorded more than five million cases of Covid-19. More than 162,000 people have died.
    The US has more cases than any other country in the world, by a huge margin. The second highest number of cases is in Brazil, which has 2.96m cases so far, followed by India and Russia.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 9th August Empty Re: Coronavirus - 9th August

    Post by Kitkat Sun 09 Aug 2020, 18:33

    Saudi Arabia will soon begin Phase III clinical trials on around 5,000 people for a coronavirus vaccine.
    This stage of development will see a placebo being used alongside the vaccine, in the cities of of Riyadh, Dammam and Mecca.
    The vaccine, developed by China’s CanSino Biologics Inc, uses a cold virus known as adenovirus type-5 (Ad5) to carry genetic material from the coronavirus into the body.
    Researchers said last month that CanSino’s vaccine, co-developed with China’s military research unit, appeared to be safe and induced immune responses in most subjects.
    CanSino’s vaccine became the first in China to move into human testing in March, but other potential vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech and a unit of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) have already been approved for Phase III trials overseas.
    Despite international tourism facing its worst crisis since records began, Saudi Arabia has agreed with Europe’s biggest hotel group Accor for the group to expand and operate a resort at the $20 billion Al-Ula tourism project in the kingdom’s northwestern region, the Royal Commission for the project said on Sunday.
    Al-Ula, the site of an ancient civilisation in a remote northwestern corner of the country, is part of plans by the world’s top crude exporter to diversify its economy away from oil and open up after decades of seclusion, Reuters reports.
    The agreement will see Accor operate an expanded Ashar Resort under the Banyan Tree brand, with 47 new units bringing the resort’s total capacity to 82 high-end villas, along with a spa and several gourmet restaurants, a commission statement said.
    The project is located in the Ashar valley, 15 km (9 miles) from the Kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra.
    In April, Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister said the sector could see a 35-45% decline this year due to measures taken by the government to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

    UK's new daily infections surpass 1,000 for first time since June
    Britain’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 1,062 on Sunday, going over 1,000 for the first time since late June.
    As cases rise in the country, new local lockdowns are implemented in some areas and worries over a second wave of infections are rife.
    Official data showed Sunday’s reported cases are 304 higher than the 758 new cases reported on Saturday.

    Greece records highest single day rise in infections

    Greece has recorded 203 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday, its highest daily tally since the start of the outbreak in the country, a government official said.
    The latest jump in cases brings the total number of infections in the country to 5,623 since its first infection surfaced in late February, Reuters reports.

    Brazil registers 23,010 new infections and 572 new deaths
    Brazil has registered 23,010 new coronavirus infections to Sunday, taking the overall official tally in the country to 3,035,422.
    The health ministry also announced 572 new deaths, bringing the total Covid-19 death toll to 101,049.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 9th August Empty Re: Coronavirus - 9th August

    Post by Kitkat Sun 09 Aug 2020, 18:48

    THE IRISH government looks set to ban non-essential travel from countries like the US and Brazil with high rates of Covid-19.

    Jack Beresford - The Irish Post

    New proposals being put forward by the Department of Heatlh, would see visitors from coronavirus hotspots around the world put on a special “red list”.

    Speaking to the Sunday Independent, a spokesperson for the Minister for Health said Stephen Donnelly is proposing the change, which would not impact the current green list system in place. 
    The comments come a day after the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) reiterated its recommendation for the introduction of a mandatory quarantine for all passengers arriving in Ireland from overseas.
     
    In the letter, published by The Irish Times, the State’s public health team urged the Government to consider the implementation of a ban on non-essential travel from countries with high rates of Covid-19. 
    It said: “While this remains NPHET’s preferred recommendation, if this is deemed unworkable or disproportionate, the NPHET again recommends that consideration is given to the introduction of a travel ban on non-essential travel for those countries with particularly high incidence rates.” 
    Ireland currently has no travel bans in place.
    However, there have been growing calls for tighter restrictions following reports of US tourists flouting Ireland’s two-week quarantine rules in place for anyone arriving into the country.

    Last month, American tourists were reported in some of Ireland's most popular tourist spots-- several of which have said they did not self-isolate  upon arrival.

    Irish restauranteur JP McMahon wrote on Twitter that staff in his Galway restaurant Cava Bodega were left feeling "very uncomfortable" after  a group of people from Texas dined in their restaurant.
    "We have no way of knowing if they just arrived and should be self-quarantining," he wrote.
    "We need a decision on this, particularly if people are coming from places with high cases."
    Another popular Galway bar and restaurant, The King's Head, which usually welcomes tourists with open arms, said "we refused a group of Americans yesterday who admitted that they had just flown in".

    New Zealand has marked its 100th day without community transmission of Covid-19
    In a shining example to countries like Ireland, the achievement comes while other countries around the world are beginning to witness a resurgence in the virus. 
    It’s a success that has seen Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earn praise across the world. 
    Since the virus first struck New Zealand in March of this year, the country has reported just 1,569 cases of Covid-19 and 22 deaths. 
    Ireland, by comparison, has recorded 26,644 cases and 1,772 deaths, despite having a population similar to that of New Zealand. 
    While case numbers had been consistently dropping in Ireland since the end of May, recent weeks have seen several major clusters emerge in meat factories and shared accommodation. 
    The spike has prompted three counties -  Laois, Offaly and Kildare – to be placed back in lockdown for a minimum of two weeks.

    How can Ireland follow New Zealand's example?

    So how did New Zealand eliminate the virus – and how can Ireland do the same? 
    From the first known case, imported into New Zealand on February 26, to the last case of community transmission detected on May 1, Ardern eliminated the virus in the space of just 65 days using a three-pronged approach. 
    Firstly, New Zealand maintains strict border controls to stop Covid-19 from entering the country.  
    Secondly, it has used strict lockdown and physical distancing rules to halt community transmission – rules which, crucially, the public was careful to adhere to. 
    Finally, cases were controlled using an effective mix of testing, contact tracing and quarantine. 
    These measures have proven more effective than the suppression strategy witnessed in much of Europe and North America. 
    What separates New Zealand from other regions where containment or elimination has been applied is the fact it set out a clear strategy early on and did not waver from it. 
    With experts now calling for Ireland to focus more on elimination rather than suppression of Covid-19, a similar approach could be forthcoming in the Emerald Isle.  
    However, it may already be too late and too drastic a change to make.

      Current date/time is Fri 29 Mar 2024, 08:01