Geneva, Switzeraland/London, UK
Reuters
The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating, the World Health Organization said on Monday, with more than 300,000 cases now recorded and infections reported from nearly every country.
Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO’s top emergencies expert, said it had advised Olympic and Japanese officials about public health risks and expected a decision “very soon” on the Tokyo 2020 Games, scheduled to open in July, amid growing calls for postponement.
Director General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus (COVID-2019), in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28th February. PICTURE: Reuters/Denis Balibouse
While it took 67 days from the first reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus, it took only 11 days for the second 100,000 cases, and just four days for the third 100,000 cases, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.
“We’re not helpless bystanders. We can change the trajectory of this pandemic,” Tedros told an online briefing for more than 300 journalists.
He called for global political commitment to change the trajectory of the pandemic, urging countries to take both defensive and attacking measures.
“Asking people to stay at home and other social distancing measures are an important way of slowing down the spread of the virus and buying time, but they are defensive measures,” he said.
“To win we need to attack the virus with aggressive and targeted tactics: testing every suspect case, isolating and caring for every confirmed case and tracing and quarantining every close contact.”
Tedros, citing “alarming reports” of large numbers of infections among health workers around the world, said he would urge leaders of the Group of 20 countries this week to boost production of protective gear and avoid export bans.
The Group of 20, is a forum for the world’s 19 largest advanced and emerging economies, including the European Union, which Tedros said accounted for more than 80 percent of global gross domestic product. It is presided over by Saudi Arabia this year.
Ryan, asked about the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, said the WHO was feeding into deliberations by the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government and the Tokyo 2020 Committee.
Australia and Canada have already said they are withdrawing from the 2020 Games and organisers are facing increasing pressure to postpone them for the first time in their 124-year modern history.
“I believe a decision will be made very soon,” Ryan said.
He said any decision to postpone the Games would be made by Japan and the IOC, adding: “We have every confidence that the Japanese Government and the IOC will not proceed with any Games should they be dangerous to athletes or spectators.”
Minutes later, Switzerland’s top sports body called for the Games to be postponed.
India on Monday announced a halt to domestic flights and said the majority of the country was under complete lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. India has reported 471 cases but health experts have warned a big jump could be imminent, which would overwhelm the underfunded and crumbling public health infrastructure.
“The future of this pandemic to a greater extent will be determined by what happens with very large, densely populated countries,” Ryan said.
“So it’s really, really important that India continues to take aggressive action at the public health level and at the level of society to contain, control and suppress this disease and to save lives.”
CORONAVIRUS LATEST
DEATHS, INFECTIONS
• More than 351,300 people have been infected across the world and over 15,300 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
EUROPE
• The death toll in Italy rose to 6,077 but recorded the smallest increase in four days, while the number of new cases also slowed.
• Unions in Italy’s Lombardy region announced strikes on Monday for tougher shutdown measures to protect the health of workers.
• Spain has nearly 4,000 health workers infected, more than one in 10 of total confirmed cases, officials said on Monday.
• The number of cases in Germany has risen to 22,672 with 86 deaths.
• Angela Merkel’s initial test for coronavirus came back negative but she will undergo further tests.
• The Dutch Government on Monday said it would strengthen an existing ban on public gatherings and extend it until 1st June.
• Austria is mobilising military reservists for the first time since World War II to help with food supplies, medical support and police operations, the defence minister said.
• Russia is developing a system to track people at risk of contracting the coronavirus using mobile phone geolocation data.
• Polish prisoners will be given the possibility to serve their sentences at home, under a justice ministry proposal that could benefit up to 20,000 convicts.
• Montenegro reported its first death on Monday.
AMERICAS
• A far-reaching coronavirus economic stimulus package failed to advance in the US Senate as Democrats said it contained too little money for states and hospitals and not enough restrictions on a fund to help big businesses.
• The US Surgeon General issued his starkest warning to date, telling Americans the crisis was “going to get bad” this week, as nearly one-third of Americans awoke to “stay at home orders”.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said people defying advice to isolate themselves to fight the outbreak should “go home and stay home” or face sanctions.
• Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro appeared to be losing the battle of public opinion in his clash with state governors taking a much tougher line on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
• Mexican beaches will lie largely empty during “spring break” as restrictions spur widespread cancellations.
• At least two cargoes of Venezuelan crude have been delayed due to health inspections aboard tankers.
• Cuba said it dispatched a brigade of doctors and nurses to Italy for the first time this weekend at the request of the worst-affected region, Lombardy.
ASIA-PACIFIC
• Australia shut down pubs, clubs, gyms and houses of worship as cases topped 1,600 and authorities denied entry to a cruise ship carrying hundreds complaining of respiratory illnesses.
• New Zealand said on Monday it would move to its highest alert level, imposing self-isolation.
• Mainland China reported a drop in its daily tally of new cases, reversing four straight days of increases, as Beijing ramped up measures to contain imported infections.
• South Korea reported its lowest number of new cases since Feb. 29, with the extended downward trend boosting hopes that the outbreak may be abating.
• Japan called on G20 finance leaders to take timely policy steps to tackle global economic risks posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
• India announced a halt to domestic flights and said most of the country was under complete lockdown. So far, the virus has caused nine deaths and 471 infections.
• The Pakistani army said on Monday it would help to impose nationwide restrictions.
• South-East Asian countries considered more emergency powers as the biggest daily jump in cases in Malaysia took the number of infections in the region above 4,000.
• Tens of thousands of migrant workers left Thailand for neighbouring countries as the country prepared to close many land border crossings late on Monday.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
• Iran’s President said on Monday the United States should lift sanctions if it wants to help the country, which has had around 1,800 deaths and over 23,000 cases.
• Turkey will hire 32,000 more medical staff and stop exporting locally-made face masks.
• Saudi Arabia imposed a nationwide curfew after reporting a jump of almost a quarter in coronavirus cases, while the United Arab Emirates will suspend all passenger flights starting Wednesday.
• South Africa will impose a nationwide lockdown for 21 days from midnight on Thursday, as the number of cases jumped by 128 to 402.
• Congo imposed a two-day lockdown in a mining province.
• Nigeria confirmed its first death on Monday.
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
• Global equities slid further and safe-haven assets rose on Monday after a massive array of new programs from the US Federal Reserve underscored the “severe” disruptions the coronavirus pandemic poses to a fast-weakening world economy.
• The United Nations will create a fund to prevent the spread of coronavirus and support the treatment of patients worldwide, Norway said.
• Widening curbs on travel led airlines to ramp up in flight cancellations.
• Several automakers said they would halt production in India, following last week’s closures in Europe, the United States, Canada and Mexico.
EVENTS
• The International Olympic Committee has decided to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games, according to IOC member Dick Pound.
• Pope Francis’s trip to Malta, scheduled to take place on 31st May, has been postponed indefinitely.
• Formula One expects to run a shortened season of 15-18 grands prix once racing can resume after the coronavirus pandemic.
• This season’s Champions League, Europa League and women’s Champions League finals scheduled for May have been formally postponed.
