Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday asked people to self-quarantine for at least another 45 days as the country reported its third coronavirus death and the total number of confirmed cases rose to 464.
Air Canada plans to temporarily lay off more than 5,000 flight attendants, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, their union said on Friday.
YouTube has unveiled a fresh effort to stem the spread of coronavirus misinformation with a “news shelf” on its homepage promoting “authoritative content”. The move is the latest by technology platforms to curb the sharing of rumors and hoaxes about the pandemic, with Facebook having announced a similar action this week.
Paris police have detained two people on suspicion of hoarding face masks in defiance of a government decree ordering such products be turned over to authorities during the coronavirus outbreak, prosecutors said.
A Polish member of the European Parliament said he had tested positive for coronavirus, making him the first known MEP with the disease. “Folks, I got tested for COVID-19. It was positive. I’m in the hospital and I feel fine,” Adam Jarubas said on Twitter.
The Catholic Church granted forgiveness — under certain conditions — for the sins of the faithful struck by the novel coronavirus. A decree published by the Vatican also covers healthcare workers and those who pray for their wellbeing. Relatives who care for their sick family members may also be forgiven.
Britain’s Farnborough airshow, a showpiece event for the global aerospace sector battered by the coronavirus pandemic, has been cancelled for this year, organisers said on Friday. “It is with great regret that we announce the Farnborough International Airshow 2020, due to take place in July, is cancelled,” read a statement from the organisers of the biennial event.
Authorities in Moscow are detaining and deporting Chinese nationals for violating quarantine procedures the city Government mandated in response to the coronavirus, according to court filings and a lawyer working on at least 15 cases.
Nepal pledged nearly $1 million contribution to the SAARC Corona Emergency Fund, which was proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an initial offer of $10 million to help combat the viral pandemic in the region.
British doctors and health workers have raised the alarm about a lack of sufficient protective kit to treat potential coronavirus patients, potentially exposing themselves and putting vulnerable patients at risk.
Germany’s largest state Bavaria on Friday became the first region in the country to order a lockdown to prevent coronavirus infections. “From midnight tonight for a provisional period of two weeks, there will be fundamental restrictions on going out,” state premier Markus Soeder said.
Mexico and the US announced plans Friday to sharply limit travel over their busy shared border as part of efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus. President Donald Trump and Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the two governments agreed to prohibit recreational and tourist travel, similar to the restrictions put in place earlier this week along the US and Canadian border.
President Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act to get needed medical supplies on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, mobilising the federal Government to marshal the private sector to combat the pandemic. Trump had said earlier in the week he would tap the act as needed. He said he has put that “in gear.”
Netflix cuts streaming quality: As EU stares at Internet breakdown owing to more people who are currently home and are streaming various online services for both entertainment and work, Netflix has decided to cut streaming bits rate from HD to SD so that traffic can be reduced.
Saudi Arabia decided to suspend all domestic flights, buses, taxis and trains for a period 14 days to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading further in the country.
Layoffs, cost cuts and scrapped dividends...Companies scramble to adapt as the coronavirus emergency hits demand while draconian measures to contain it undercut production. With the economic impact of COVID-19 threatening the very survival of many firms, Governments have pledged hundreds of billions to help them limp along — or failing that, to bankroll rescues or outright nationalisation. Several industrial giants, in particular in the automobile industry, have reduced or even halted production.
Some 300 million children who depend on school meals are missing out due to closures triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the World Food Programme said. The WFP pointed out that more than 860 million children — roughly half the world’s student population — were having to stay away from schools and universities due to shutdowns aimed at halting the spread of COVID-19. In addition to missing out on learning, hundreds of thousands of children are now missing free school lunches, the UN agency said.