The number of coronavirus cases in Germany has risen sharply; official data shows infections have reached 129, compared with 66 on Saturday. More than half are in North Rhine-Westphalia. Follow the latest from DW here.
There are now more than 86,000 confirmed cases globally, with over 3,000 deaths
Coronavirus cases in Germany rise to 129
The US confirmed its first coronavirus death, as did Australia and Thailand
Italy pledged €3.6 billion to tackle COVID-19
All updates in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC/GMT).
22:45 A nursing home near Seattle in the US state of Washington is locked down after a resident and worker were found to have the coronavirus. Two other cases in the area were confirmed on Sunday.
19:10 France’s health authority has reported a rise in coronavirus infections. The head of the public health service, Jerome Salomon, said Sunday that Paris had 130 confirmed cases, raising the count from 100 a day earlier. The country also reported the first infection in its overseas territories, on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.
18:35 Britain said it was evacuating some non-essential staff and dependents from the British embassy in Iran’s capital, Tehran, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
“In the event that the situation deteriorates further, the ability of the British Embassy to provide assistance to British nationals from within Iran may be limited,” the British Foreign Office said on Sunday as part of a travel advisory posted online.
18:20 Residents of Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, clashed with police on Sunday as they tried to stop passengers disembarking from a cruise ship. The cruise liner had been turned away from nearby Madagascar over fears there may be coronavirus cases among those on board.
Police used tear gas on local Reunion Island residents who tried to stop passengers from a cruise ship disembarking.
18:16 Cases of coronavirus jumped in Italy on Sunday to 1,694, the head of the country’s Civil Protection Agency announced. This represented a 50% increase from the day before where the number of infections stood at 1,128. The death toll also rose to 34, up from 29 the previous day. Around 90% of all infections are in the northern regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna.
17:38 Germany’s center for disease control and prevention, the Robert Koch Institute, says nine of Germany’s 16 states now have cases of COVID-19, with Frankfurt, Hamburg and Bremen among the cities reporting their first infections. The number of people infected rose to 129 on Sunday, up from 66 on Saturday.
Out of these, a total of 74 cases have been confirmed in North Rhine-Westphalia — Germany’s most populous state — these account for nearly half of all cases in the country. The states with the next-highest number of infections are Bavaria with 23 cases and Baden-Württemberg, which reported a total of 15 confirmed infections.
17:00 Italy has announced an economic stimulus package worth €3.6 billion ($3.5 billion) to help businesses across all sectors cope with the fallout from coronavirus. The measures will be put in place by the end of next week, said Italy’s finance minister Roberto Gualtieri, speaking to newspaper La Repubblica.
16:43 Hungary has barred new asylum seekers from entering its “transit zone” camps over coronavirus fears. “We are suspending indefinitely new admissions of people into the transit zones,” said Gyorgy Bakondi, an adviser to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Entry into the camps will be halted “in the interests of protecting the 321 people waiting for decisions on their asylum applications” said Bakondi.
Hungary has no confirmed cases of the virus.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Does rinsing your nose with saline protect you?
According to the World Health Organization, there is no evidence to support claims that a saline solution will “kill” the virus and protect you.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Will gargling mouthwash prevent an infection?
Certain brands of mouthwash may eliminate particular microbes from your saliva for a few minutes, but, according to the WHO, this does not protect you from the new coronavirus.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Can eating garlic help?
This dubious claim has been spreading like wildfire across social media. Though it is possible that garlic may have some antimicrobial properties, there is no evidence to suggest from the current coronavirus outbreak that eating this bulb will protect people from the virus.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Can pets spread COVID-19?
There is no evidence to suggest pets, such as cats and dogs, can be infected or transmit the coronavirus. Regularly washing your hands with soap and water after touching your beloved moggy or pooch will help stop the spread of bacteria that they commonly carry, such as E. coli and salmonella.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Can the corona virus be transmitted via air mail?
People receiving parcels from China are not at risk of contracting the new coronavirus, as the virus does not survive long on objects. Due to the poor survivability of the coronavirus on surfaces, there is a very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Is there a vaccine yet?
The new coronavirus needs its own vaccine. Pneumonia vaccines such as the pneumococcal and the Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine will not protect you against the coronavirus.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Do bleach products protect you?
Bleach/chlorine-based disinfectants, solvents, 75% ethanol, peracetic acid and chloroform can kill the 2019-nCoV on hard surfaces; however, they have little or no impact if you put them on your skin.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Avoid direct contact!
To avoid a coronavirus infection, always cook raw foods thoroughly. It is also advisable to avoid direct contact with people who are sick.
Myths vs. facts: How true is coronavirus information on the web?
Keep your hands clean!
Frequently washing your hands with soap and water can help prevent an infection. You can also use an alcohol-based sanitizing gel instead. If you have to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow. If you have contracted the disease without knowing it, coughing or sneezing in this manner might help to reduce the spread.
Author: Jessie Wingard
15:58 “I estimate that the necessary vaccine will be available by the end of the year,” said Germany’s interior minister Horst Seehofer, speaking to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
“We need to break the chain of infections” added the interior minister.
15:37 In Switzerland, two high school classes have been quarantined after a student tested positive for COVID-19.
15:30 Japan has issued new travel warnings, urging its citizens not to take trips to South Korea’s Daegu and Cheongdo regions, as well as avoiding any non-urgent trips to three areas in northern Italy where the virus has hit.
15:15 Satellite images released by NASA and the European Space Agency show a dramatic decline in pollution levels across China. NASA reported Sunday that the reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels is “at least partly” due to an economic slowdown caused by the virus.
A dramatic decline in pollution levels over China is ‘at least partly’ due to the drop in economic activity caused by coronavirus
15:08 The Czech Republic reports its first three cases of coronavirus. Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech confirmed Sunday that two Czech nationals who had been in Italy, and an American who studied in the Czech Republic, had tested positive for COVID-19.
14:45 US President Donald Trump announced that anyone arriving from designated high-risk countries will be screened both prior to boarding and on arrival. The announcement came shortly after the first death from coronavirus was recorded in the country. Health authorities in the US plan to “radically” expand the number of testing kits for the virus in the coming weeks.
14:33 Saudi Arabia said it had prepared 25 hospitals with a total of 2,200 beds to cope with any cases that might be detected in the country. Authorities said this was a precautionary measure, which also included closing its borders to foreign pilgrims.
14:20 Health officials in the UK confirmed that there had been 12 new positive cases of coronavirus, bringing the country’s overall tall to 35. The country’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said one of new patients “had no relevant travel and it is not yet clear whether [the patient] contracted it directly or indirectly from an individual who had recently returned from abroad.”
14:21 Nigeria reports 100 people may have been exposed to the country’s first case of coronavirus, according to Abuja’s health commissioner.
14:15 Organizers of the Leipzig Book Fair announced Sunday on Twitter that they plan to go ahead with the event on March 12-15. The book show is Germany’s second biggest after the Frankfurt book fair. Over 286,000 visitors attended the fair last year, which took place in over 100 venues throughout the eastern Germany city.
14:05 In Bavaria, Germany, a total of four new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, including an employee at machine tool manufacturer DMG Mori. The company will remain shut on Monday and Tuesday, affecting a total of 1,600 staff at the Ostallgäu plant.
14:02 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has jumped to 117 from 66, the Robert Koch Institute for disease control said on Sunday. More than half the cases are the country’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Several schools and daycare centers will remain closed on Monday in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after several members of staff tested positive for the virus.
12:46 Armenia has confirmed its first COVID-19 case. Around 30 people who had been in contact with the patient had also been placed in isolation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Facebook.
12:21 “It is clear that the virus has not reached its peak,” viral infection and vaccine expert Muhammad Munir told DW.
“It is worrying that the disease has reached people who have no known contact with the virus,” he added. He explained that the fact that the virus has a relatively low fatality rate allows it to spread more quickly through communities.
11:58 Paris’s Louvre Museum will remain closed today owing to a staff meeting about coronavirus, causing long lines of tourists to be disgruntled.
11:25 Iran confirmed the death toll has jumped to 54, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 978.
Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said new cases were confirmed in a number of cities, including Mashhad.
09:43 The quarantine in the German district of Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia ended this morning, allowing hundreds of people to leave their houses.
09:32 The UK’s Health Minister Matt Hancock reported that the British government is planning in case the epidemic gets “much, much worse.”
UK Prime Minister Matt Hancock will chair an emergency response committee meeting on Monday. The UK has had 23 reported cases and one death.
09:28 COVID-19 has reached the small European nation of Luxembourg, the health minister reported.
08:58 Italy is to introduce measures to tackle coronavirus amounting to €3.6 billion ($3.9 billion), 0.2% of their GDP.
08:30 A reminder that the World Health Organization has warned against fake coronavirus information on the web.
08:23 South Korea has reported 586 new cases on Sunday, bringing their total to over 3,700. South Korea has by far the largest national total of any country except for China.
“The government is now waging all-out responses after raising the crisis alert to the highest level,” President Moon Jae-in said.
07:32 China will take measures to repatriate its citizens in countries seriously affected by the coronavirus if necessary, a foreign ministry official said on Sunday.
Cui Aiming, who made the comments at a news briefing, did not name any specific countries.
07:13 Stock markets in the Gulf states have plunged at the start of trading. The Saudi bourse, the largest in the region, was down 3.1%.
06:39 Mexico confirmed its fourth cases of coronavirus as the number of cases in the Americas continues to grow.
06:15 Japan has confirmed another death of COVID-19, a man in his 70s on Hokkaido. Authorities say he may have caught the disease in hospital.
Staff disinfect a train station in Daegu, South Korea
05:32 Some members of the “cult-like” church at the heart of South Korea’s coronavirus outbreak had visited Wuhan in China, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
04:45 Thailand registered its first coronavirus death. A 35-year-old man who also had dengue fever died from the virus.
04:00Armenia confirmed that a 29-year-old man, who had recently returned from a trip to Iran, was the country’s first case of coronavirus. Armenia’s president said the man was in good medical condition and that authorities planned to isolate all of those who had been in contact with him.
03:00 The Tokyo marathon went ahead as planned, but with just 200 elite competitors. Authorities scaled back the event in an effort to combat the outbreak. Various sporting events around the country have been cancelled or postponed.
03:30 Australia has confirmed its first COVID-19 death. The victim was a 78-year-old man who had been quarantined after being evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. He was among more than 150 Australians taken off the vessel.
03:10 US carrier American Airlines announced it would suspend all US flights to Milan, following a “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” advisory by the US State Department on the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto.
02:15 South Korea reported 376 new coronavirus cases, raising the country’s total number of infections to 3,526.
01:00 China has confirmed 573 new coronavirus cases, a rise of more than 100 from the day before.
00:20 Ireland has confirmed its first case of coronavirus. The infected person was linked to an affected area of northern Italy.
00:10 The United States is set to extend its travel restrictions on Iran as part of its containment strategy. Vice President Mike Pence said it would ban entry to foreign nationals who had been in Iran the past 14 days.
23:05 A state of emergency has been declared in the US state of Washington after a man died of COVID-19 and as more than 50 people in a nursing facility were being tested for the virus.
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
