Air Canada said the flag carrier would suspend most international flights by the end of March to stop the spread of the coronavirus after the US-Canadian border was partially closed.
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Volvo is recalling more than 736,000 vehicles worldwide because the automatic emergency braking system may not detect obstacles and stop the vehicles as designed.
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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-03-volvo-recalls-vehicles-automatic-malfunction.html
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The UK dramatically ramped up its response to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak today, with prime minister Boris Johnson calling on the country to stop all non-essential contact with other people
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237619-coronavirus-people-in-the-uk-must-avoid-unnecessary-social-contact/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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KANGAR: Some tabligh (Islamic movement) members from Perlis who attended a gathering at the Sri Petaling Mosque in Kuala Lumpur last month gave several excuses when they were asked to undergo health screening.
Perlis Mufti Associate Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin (pix) in a posting through his Facebook page said in fact, he was informed they have yet to go for the screening as they believe the disease is from Allah and if they are infected it is His will, so they will just have to accept it.
“Some also argued that a mosque is a sacred place and they will be protected, fear nothing but Allah or that they will die a martyr and many other excuses,“ he said.
As such, he urged them to undergo health check-ups to ensure the infection did not continue to spread.
Mohd Asri said it is unfair to burden the Health Ministry further in hunting down the tabligh members to get them screened.
“Give your cooperation, think of the other Muslims and non-Muslims. Do not go to mosques until you have been confirmed healthy,“ he added.
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/stop-giving-excuses-get-yourselves-screened-perlis-mufti-tells-tabligh-members-DC2127423
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Twitter has ordered all staff globally to work from home in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly new coronavirus epidemic.
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The EU is to act “very rapidly” to help airlines struggling from the new coronavirus outbreak by proposing a law to stop “ghost flights” to keep airport slots, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday.
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As of today’s reports, the global number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has surpassed 100 000. As we mark this sombre moment, the World Health Organization (WHO) reminds all countries and communities that the spread of this virus can be significantly slowed or even reversed through the implementation of robust containment and control activities.
China and other countries are demonstrating that spread of the virus can be slowed and impact reduced through the use of universally applicable actions, such as working across society to identify people who are sick, bringing them to care, following up on contacts, preparing hospitals and clinics to manage a surge in patients, and training health workers.
WHO calls on all countries to continue efforts that have been effective in limiting the number of cases and slowing the spread of the virus.
Every effort to contain the virus and slow the spread saves lives. These efforts give health systems and all of society much needed time to prepare, and researchers more time to identify effective treatments and develop vaccines.
Allowing uncontrolled spread should not be a choice of any government, as it will harm not only the citizens of that country but affect other countries as well.
We must stop, contain, control, delay and reduce the impact of this virus at every opportunity. Every person has the capacity to contribute, to protect themselves, to protect others, whether in the home, the community, the health care system, the work place or the transport system.
Leaders at all levels and in all walks of life must step forward to bring about this commitment across society.
WHO will continue to work with all countries, our partners and expert networks to coordinate the international response, develop guidance, distribute supplies, share knowledge and provide people with the information they need to protect themselves and others.
.tmb-1200v.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=84087804_2 "WHO statement on cases of COVID-19 surpassing 100 000 11")
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Remarks by Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, World Health Organization Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response
Good afternoon.
I hope that your busy week was interrupted, like mine, with a moment of joy on Tuesday.
That moment was the celebration of a woman being discharged from an Ebola treatment centre in Beni. Her name is Masiko.
She was the last person in the Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed to have Ebola.
Health workers and other responders sacrificed a lot to get to this point.
Since the outbreak was declared in August 2018 there have been 420 attacks on health facilities in DRC, resulting in 11 deaths and 86 injuries among health care workers and patients.
It’s been a huge amount of work. At the peak of the outbreak, more than 120 cases were being reported each week. 28 health zones were affected, with cases appearing 1200 kilometres apart. In response:
This work is continuing. The outbreak isn’t over. WHO recommends waiting two full incubation periods – that’s 42 days – after the last person tests negative a second time before declaring the end of the outbreak.
We must stay in active response mode to get us over that finish line.
We have to be prepared for other cases emerging. It’s is a very real risk.
Remember that during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa flare-ups of new cases occurred after the end of the outbreak.
There are four reasons why new cases may emerge during this 42-day period, or even after the end of the outbreak.
This is why it’s critical to maintain surveillance and rapid response capacities.
And that’s what we are doing. We’re still in full response mode.
In addition to the activities I already mentioned, I have to underline how critical it is to continue supporting the Survivor Programme, which provides follow-up care for almost all of the 1169 survivors in 26 health areas in North Kivu and Ituri. The programme also helps reduce the risks of re-introduction events.
We need to continue this work until the end of the outbreak, to keep the capacity in place to rapidly respond to flare-ups, to keep supporting survivors after the outbreak, and to transition the capacities built in this response toward building a stronger health system.
But to be very frank, right now the world risks dropping the baton at the finish line. WHO faces an immediate US $20 million funding gap. If no new resources are received, we will run out of money before the end of the outbreak.
We appreciate the generosity of donors who have supported the response since August 2018. Now we need to get over the finish line. WHO is calling on the international community to help us end this outbreak, and keep our promises to communities to build a stronger health system.
If we are forced to scale back operations because of a lack of funds, and then a new case emerges, we might not have the people and resources on the ground that we need to shut down transmission quickly. Just a single case could re-ignite the epidemic.
That would be a tragedy. An avoidable tragedy.
It is important that the global community doesn’t only focus efforts when there is an immediate threat, then walk away when the threat subsides.
The health system has to be strong to stop much more than Ebola. It has to stop malaria, measles, cholera, and now COVID-19.
There is a lot more work to do.
Thank you.
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-03-2020-end-in-sight-but-flare-ups-likely-in-the-ebola-outbreak-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo
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Political groups have been revving up their outreach efforts to reach voters and texting has been all the rage. But for some people, the bombardment of political texts has become as much of a nuisance as robocalls.
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