Health

New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) Six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19, joining global efforts to find a quick preventive for the deadly infection spreading rapidly across the world, says a top Indian scientist.

Nearly 70 vaccine candidates' are being tested and at least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage, but a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be ready for mass use before 2021.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (NNN-BERNAMA) – China Global TV Network (CGTN) has listed Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah as one of the world’s top three doctors ‘born’ from public health officials in handling the COVID-19 outbreak, alongside America’s Dr Anthony Fauci and New Zealand’s Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

On its website Tuesday, CGTN said it has crowned Dr Noor Hisham as one of the top doctors in the world for his straightforward and calm approach in handling the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia.

PARIS, April 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nearly 700 sailors assigned to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s naval group have tested positive for the coronavirus, the armed forces ministry said.

The ministry said 1,767 mariners, nearly all from the Charles de Gaulle itself, had been tested and results showed at least 668 to be infected with the new coronavirus. Results are still not in from a third of the tests.

“Thirty-one personnel are today in hospital,” it said in a statement. “More tests are being carried out.”

MEXICO CITY, April 16 (NNN-Xinhua) — Latin American countries reported more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to nearly 80,000.

In PERU, a total of 1,172 new cases were reported, bringing the number of infections to 11,475 with 254 deaths, the Health Ministry said.

“We have tested 109,385 people for COVID-19, obtaining 11,475 positive results and 97,910 negative results,” the ministry said in a statement.

Seven legislators are among those who have tested positive, the statement added.

MEXICO CITY, April 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexico could force the closure of companies in non-essential sectors if they refuse to suspend operations during a state of emergency to curb spread of the coronavirus, a top health official said.

The announcement comes after a group representing US manufacturers told President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that an economic shutdown over the virus could weaken North America’s response to the pandemic.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, April 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Haiti will reopen its key textile industry next week, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said, suggesting the impoverished nation had escaped the worst of the global coronavirus pandemic by imposing early on a state of emergency.

The poorest country in the western hemisphere typically struggles to fight serious disease outbreaks due to its high population density, lack of water and sanitation infrastructure and inadequate health services.

PARIS, April 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US decision to freeze funding to the World Health Organization over what President Donald Trump said was its “mismanaging” of the global coronavirus pandemic triggered anger and concern.

Trump announced that the United States would halt payments to the UN body that amounted to $400 million last year.

WASHINGTON, April 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump says the US has “passed the peak” of new COVID-19 cases and predicted some states would reopen this month.

At the daily White House virus briefing, Trump said new reopening guidelines would be announced on Thursday after he speaks to governors.

“We’ll be the comeback kids, all of us,” the president said. “We want to get our country back.”

AMMAN, Apr 16 (NNN-PETRA) – Jordan said Wednesday, it will start reducing curfew restrictions in some areas, where no cases of the COVID-19 have been reported.

Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs, Amjad Adaileh, said, there will be fewer restrictions in certain governorates, according to a statement.

He added that, there will be measures to ensure the safety of citizens, and if these are not respected, the curfew will resume.

RAMALLAH, Apr 16 (NNN-WAFA) – The Palestinian government will borrow 400 million U.S. dollars from local banks, during the coming six months, to back its treasury amid the COVID-19 crisis, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Shukri Bishara, Palestinian finance minister, told a news briefing in Ramallah, that, the government agreed with the Palestinian Monetary Authority, to borrow 400 million dollars from local banks during the coming six months.