Health

Denmark taking steps to open up again

COPENHAGEN, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Denmark is about to make its first move to relax restrictions imposed to fight coronavirus.

From Wednesday, children aged 11 and younger return to schools and nurseries, after a month of closures.

It’s among the first European countries aiming to put the lockdown into gradual reverse, just as it was one of the first to impose restrictions.

“It’s important we don’t keep Denmark closed for longer than we need to,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, as she announced the move last week.

I owe my life to NHS staff – UK PM Boris Johnson

LONDON, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Boris Johnson has said he owes his life to the NHS staff treating him for coronavirus.

The prime minister, 55, thanked medics at St Thomas’ hospital in London, where he continues to recover after spending three nights in intensive care.

It comes as UK deaths from the virus are expected to pass 10,000 on Sunday.

On Saturday, the UK recorded 917 new coronavirus deaths, taking total hospital deaths to 9,875.

Poland mandates mask use after Easter

WARSAW, April 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — People in Poland will be obliged to cover their nose and mouth in public, starting on April 16, in order to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, Polish Minister of Health Lukasz Szumowski said.

“When there are more and more sick people in Poland, some of them asymptomatic, it would help protect not those who wear these masks but others. Therefore, from Thursday, such obligation will be introduced for everyone in public space,” he said at a press conference.

US could impose visa sanctions on countries not accepting deportees

WASHINGTON, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump said the US government could impose visa sanctions on countries that refuse or unreasonably delay accepting people returned from the United States.

In a memorandum to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the need to ensure “the repatriation of foreign nationals who violate the laws of the United States.”

Cuba hits out at ‘cruel’ US sanctions during pandemic

HAVANA, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cuba hit out at the United States over its nearly 60-year-old embargo against the island nation, which Havana described as “even more cruel” given the suffering caused by the new coronavirus pandemic.

The communist-run single-party island is finding it tough to source medical supplies and has already recorded 564 coronavirus cases and 15 deaths.

Pakistan’s Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Pass 5,000 Mark With 86 Deaths

ISLAMABAD, Apr 12 (NNN-APP) – Pakistan’s confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 5,011 with 86 deaths, according to the data, updated by the country’s health ministry on Saturday night.

The country’s eastern Punjab province, continued as the most affected area, with a total of 2,414 cases, followed by southern Sindh province, which has 1,318 confirmed cases.

At least 697 cases were registered in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 220 in southwest Balochistan province, and 215 in north Gilgit-Baltistan region, and 113 in the capital Islamabad.

Bangladesh: Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Rise To 482

DHAKA, Apr 12 (NNN-XINHUA) – Fifty-eight more COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours, as of 8:00 a.m. local time, bringing the total to 482, said Bangladesh Health Minister, Zahid Maleque, in an online press conference.

He said, officials also confirmed three more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country since last month to 30.

During the last 24 hours, the minister said, samples from 954 persons were tested across Bangladesh.

Lebanese Returning From Kuwait Praise Procedures Undertaken

BEIRUT, Apr 12 (NNN-NNA) – A Middle East Airlines flight, coming from the State of Kuwait, with 123 Lebanese citizens on board, accompanied by a medical team, affiliated to the Ministry of Public Health, and members of the Lebanese Public Security, landed at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, close to 4:00 p.m. yesterday.

Saudi Arabia Extends Curfew To Curb COVID-19 Spread

RIYADH, Apr 12 (NNN-WAM) – The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, has ordered the extension of the ongoing curfew until further notice, to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, SPA, the order was announced by an official source, at the Ministry of Interior, late Saturday.

IMF grants Tunisia $745m loan to combat coronavirus

TUNIS, April 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the approval of a 745-million-dollar loan to help Tunisia cope with the economic crisis arising from coronavirus pandemic.

According to the IMF, the North African country’s economy is expected to contract by 4.3 percent in 2020, in what is speculated to be the worst recession since the country’s independence in 1956.

This is the first IMF emergency financing to the Middle East and North Africa region.

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