Re: Coronavirus Updates

[The Invisible]

84,029 new cases world wide higher than previous 24 hours
7,895 more deaths higher than previous 24 hours.

The world wide trend is reversing again and showing an increase day by day.

USA leading the fatalities for yesterday 2,482 more deaths beating the highest recorded day before yesterday. They also recorded 30,206 new cases raising the total number of cases to 644,089. President Trump is still adamant on his intentions to resume normal cause of business while the citizens are dying in excess of 2000 per day.

n France there was a surge in fatalities having cross the 1000 mark once again recording 1,438 more deaths with 4,560 new cases identified.

UK continue to report 700+ deaths raising the total fatalities to 12,868. Their total number of cases rise to 98,476 just below 100,000 mark.

Spain & Italy had 500+ more fatalities during the last 24 hours.

[The Invisible]

Coronavirus latest news: Donald Trump says US has passed peak as he readies plan to lift lockdown

Donald Trump has claimed that the United States has passed the peak of new coronavirus cases as he ramps up plans to re-open his country's economy.

The US president told reporters at the daily White House briefing: "The battle continues but the data suggests nationwide we have passed the peak of new cases". However, a few hours later Johns Hopkins University said the US had posted 2,569 deaths in the past 24 hours, a new global record.

Mr Trump also said that he will on Thursday announce guidelines for lifting the US lockdown, calling it "a very big day".

"It is clear that our aggressive strategy is working," he said. "These encouraging developments have put us in a very strong position to finalise guidelines for states on reopening the country."

[The Invisible]

As of now...

Coronavirus Cases:
2,182,197

Deaths:
145,521

Recovered:
547,295

[The Invisible]

99,149 new cases world wide higher than previous 24 hours and just short of the highest recorded per day so far

10,918 more deaths higher than previous 24 hours and the highest reported per day so far

The world wide trend is gradually becoming worse of day by day despite some countries mulls of resuming to normal course of business.

The US once again had 2,000+ deaths having 2,174 new deaths. They have now 677, 570 total infections with 34,617 total fatalities.

UK crossed the 100,000 mark in terms of total infections having 103,093 cases with 13,729 total fatalities having 861 more deaths during last 24 hours.

France had 17, 164 new cases identified and suffered with another 753 fatalities.

Italy and Spain continue to have 500+ fatalities while Belgium recorded its highest number of deaths per day with a count of 417.

[The Invisible]

What Sri Lanka and Vietnam are doing to keep Coronavirus down, and what can happen next

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka and Vietnam are among the most successful countries in the world in keeping Coronavirus at bay with contact tracing, combined with restrictions against arrivals from China that started at a time when the World Health Organization was advising against such controls.

As of April 15, 2020, Sri Lanka had confirmed 238 Coronavirus cases, 68 had recovered and 7 persons had died. Vietnam has found 266 patients 91 had recovered.

Up to April 16 none had died in Vietnam, though at least two are fighting for their lives. Several old patients had been pulled back from the brink of death at hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City using ECMO therapy.

The virus that causes the disease has been labeled SARS-Cov-2 and the genome decoded by researchers from a virus collected on December 24. Its incubation period is believe to be 2-14 days but may be higher based on initial finding in both Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Intelligence and health officials of both countries are using epidemiological detective work to find contacts of confirmed patients.

https://economynext.com/what-sri-lanka-and-vietnam-are-doing-to-keep-coronavirus-down-and-what-can-happen-next-66268/

[The Invisible]

As of now...

Coronavirus Cases:
2,250,757

Deaths:
154,262

Recovered:
571,145

[The Invisible]

68,560 new cases world wide significantly lower than previous 24 hours

8,741 more deaths lower than previous 24 hours

USA had its highest fatalities per day since the start of the pandemic having 2,535 deaths for last 24 hours making the total death count 37,154. USA surpass 700,000 total infections with identifying 32,165 new cases during the last 24 hours. USA now has 709,735 total cases.

Meanwhile UK continue to have higher deaths reporting 847 more deaths while France & Spain have 761 & 687 deaths.

[කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor]

Skip the politicians' speeches and listen to the professionals.

[The Invisible]

Three women COVID 19 patients found at Punani Centre

ECONOMYNEXT -Yesterday a total of 508 PCR tests were carried out and no-one was detected as having COVID 19, but today three women patients have been found in the Punani Quarantine centre, Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said.

In a video release sent to media, Jasinghe said the woman patient confirmed as having COVID 19 had returned to the country on March 12 from India.

She has told health officials that the passenger seated next to her on the aircraft had been coughing heavily and she had asked for a change of seat.

Jasinghe says she had developed symptoms around the 27th of March, but because she was an Asthma sufferer, the family had not taken her to hospital. However when her condition had got worse she had been admitted to the National hospital in Colombo and diagnosed with COVID 19.



Jasinghe added that in the next few days more areas will be released from the 24-hour curfew and hospitals will see an increase in patients coming to clinics.



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He says the authorities plan to open more clinics for children and is urging patients to maintain social distancing.

He said that it would be better if one parent, preferably the mother only, accompany the child into the clinic to prevent over-crowding. ( Colombo, 17, April 2020)

[The Invisible]

Withdrawal symptoms drive Sri Lanka Coronavirus contacts to flee, Covid-19 count 244

ECONOMYNEXT – Withdrawal symptoms has made five inmates of a quarantine camp in Sri Lanka to flee, forcing military authorities to bring doctors and to help them cope and help them kick the habit a top official said.

Epidemiological sleuths in Sri Lanka’s military found several contacts of a case in Suduwella, Ja-Ela, north of Ja-Ela.

Later more contacts and were located in an underserved area close to Colombo where one person was infected, leading to dozens living nearby to be taken for quarantine and the area locked down.

“We took a group to the Kandakadu quarantine centre,” Sri Lanka’s military chief Shavendra Silva said Saturday.

“Yesterday five people tried to flee. Some ran away saying they could not live without the substance,” he explained.

“Some ran away leaving their clothes. So we sent doctors and psychologists from Colombo to help them overcome this dependence on the substance.

“So with the quarantine we have to try to help them get over this dependence as well.”

Sri Lanka had confirmed 244 coronavirus patients so far and a new index case was discovered two days earlier.

Six patients reported up to 2200 hour s on April 17 related to two contacts of two patients, health official said. (Colombo/Apr18/2020)

[The Invisible]

Sri Lanka to relax COVID-19 curfew starting Monday

ECONOMYNEXT – Barring some select areas, the curfew imposed islandwide to contain the COVID-19 pandemic will be relaxed from Monday, April 20, the government of Sri Lanka announced a short while ago.

Curfew will be lifted at 5am and reimposed at 8pm in all districts except Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam, Kandy, Kegalle and Ampara. Until further notice, curfew will be imposed in these districts (excluding the aforementioned) from 8pm to 5am.

Curfew in the Alawathugoda, Akurana, Warakapola and Akkaraipattu police divisions in the Kandy, Kegalle and Ampara districts will continue to be imposed, while curfew on all other police divisions in these districts will be lifted from 5am to 8pm.

In the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam, curfew will be lifted at 5am and reimposed at 8pm from Wednesday April 22 in all police divisions except the following:

Colombo district: Kotahena, Grandpass, Bambalapitiya, Keselwatte, Maradana, Gothatuwa, Mulleriyawa, Wellampitiya, Mount Lavinia, Dehiwala and Kohuwala

Gampaha district: Ja-Ela, Kochchikade, Seeduwa

Puttalam district: Puttalam, Marawila, Wennappuwa

Kalutara district: Bandaragama, Payagala, Beruwala, Aluthgama

To reiterate, curfew will not be lifted in the Kotahena, Grandpass, Bambalapitiya, Keselwatte, Maradana, Gothatuwa, Mulleriyawa, Wellampitiya, Mount Lavinia, Dehiwala, Kohuwala, Ja-Ela, Kochchikade, Seeduwa, Puttalam, Marawila, Wennappuwa, Bandaragama, Payagala, Beruwala, Aluthgama, Alawathugoda, Akurana, Warakapola and Akkaraipattu police divisions.

The announced relaxations notwithstanding, in the event a curfew-lifted area is identified as being at risk, curfew may be reimposed in those areas until further notice. Travelling to and from isolated areas will be strictly prohibited, the government said.

In police divisions where curfew will continue to be imposed, the statement said, transport on main roads will be permitted for essential services only. In areas where curfew is to be relaxed, main roads may only used for commuting to work or other essential activities. Travel between districts will only be permitted for purposes of employment or essential needs.

Schools, universities, private tuition centres and other educational institutes and movie theatres are to remain shut till further notice.

Once curfew is relaxed, government departments and state corporations and banks will resume their routine operations.

Within the Colombo district, one-third of all state sector employees must report to work, the government said, while in other districts 50% of government workers are required to do the same. All employees in government institutions who do not commute to work have been ordered to work from home.

The private sector, meanwhile, has been directed to open their workplaces at 10am. Those who need to report to work and those who can work from home will be at the discretion of the employer.

Both state and private sector workplaces have been ordered to follow health officials’ instructions to the letter, the government said.

[The Invisible]

Sri Lanka has controlled Covid-19, but risks not over Jasinghe says; count up 4 to 248

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka is controlling the spread of Coronavirus through several measures but the risks of the disease spreading is not fully over, and contact tracing would continue even if curfews are relaxed, the head of the island’s health service Anil Jasinghe said.

Sri Lanka quarantined then blocked foreign arrivals and then traced contacts of all infected cases that had come before quarantine whenever they were found.

“There is no wide community transmission in this country,” Jasinghe said in a video statement. “At the moment the disease is limited to clusters, through various measures we have taken.”

“We cannot say the risks of the disease had gone away.”

Sri Lanka is planning to relax curfews, at least outside high-risk areas after April 19. Sri Lanka closed the country for arrivals on March 19.

Epidiomiological sleuths in Sri Lanka health and defence ministries had been aggressively tracing contacts of all discovered patients.

“Even if we open the country, the work carried out by the health and defence ministries would continue,” he said.

“At a future date we will be able to say that the risk has gone away.”

However there may be asymptomatic cases on the loose. Sri Lanka however does not yet have a random or voluntary testing program.

This week a new Coronavirus index patient turned up, who had landed in Sri Lanka from India on March 12, raising questions about the incubation period.

The fellow passenger in her plane has had a cough and she had requested for different seat. Jasinghe said on March 27 she had coughed but since she was an asthma patient, the family had not suspected Coronavirus.

This week she had got worse and was admitted to hospital. Her husband and child had also contracted the disease.

Sri Lanka does not have a voluntary testing program yet for foreign returnees to get a test if they do not have symptoms as the state has controlled the testing system.

On April 18, four new patients were confirmed among those in quarantine taking the total confirmed to 248. Three were in the Oluvil quarantine centre and the fourth was under home quarantine.

Sri Lanka is also readying quarantine centres to bring back citizens abroad, who are trapped in foreign countries. (Colombo/Apr18/2020)

[The Invisible]

As of now...

Coronavirus Cases:
2,330,937

Deaths:
160,755

Recovered:
596,537

[The Invisible]

80,180 new cases world wide significantly higher than previous 24 hours

6,493 more deaths notably lower than previous 24 hours

USA still have the highest deaths with 1,867 more deaths totaling to 39,014 fatalities. UK continue to have 800+ more deaths per day totaling to 15,464 deaths. France & Spain had 600+ more fatalities while Italy had new fatalities below 500.

USA continue to find more new cases and now have 738,792 total cases with 29,057 new cases identified yesterday. Spain now has 194,416 total cases while Italy has 175,925 cases. UKs total cases growing rapidly to 114,217 with the 5,525 new cases identified yesterday the second highest after USA.

[BackstageTop contributor]

The most informative discussion I have come across about the virus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwoNP9QWr4Y

[The Invisible]

Asia virus latest: China infections rise, oil rally fizzles

AFP – Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:

– China infections rise –

China reported 108 new virus cases, 98 of which were imported from overseas, its highest figure since early March.

The country where the disease first emerged has largely brought its domestic outbreak under control, but it faces a fresh battle against imported infections, mostly Chinese nationals returning home.

Oil rally fizzles –



An oil price rally sparked by an international deal to slash production fizzled out, with traders doubtful the agreement would provide much support to steady coronavirus-ravaged energy markets.

Asian stock markets mostly fell.

– Jakarta train stations crowded despite lockdown –

Hundreds of passengers flocked to train stations on commuter lines in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, despite a partial lockdown announced by authorities last week.

People were seen waiting in long queues, struggling to board trains. The transport ministry is now considering allowing motorbike taxis to take passengers again, after they were banned from doing so as part of the curbs.

– Virus scares at Vietnam factories –

Dozens of workers at a Samsung factory in northern Vietnam have been ordered into quarantine after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.

The announcement came as a factory in the south owned by one of the world’s largest sports shoe manufacturers prepared to close for two days, according to local media.

Tens of thousands of workers at Pou Yuen Vietnam have a high risk of contracting the virus, said Ho Chi Minh City authorities, who will close the factory from midnight.

There are more than 70,000 workers at Pou Yuen Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh, according to local media, with the factory producing trainers for Nike and Adidas among others.

– South Korea to ship coronavirus tests to US –

South Korean firms will make their first shipment of coronavirus tests to the United States this week after a request by US President Donald Trump, Yonhap news agency reported.

The US has more confirmed COVID-19 cases than anywhere else in the world and also has the highest toll, with more than 22,000 deaths.

In contrast South Korea was once the hardest-hit country outside China, but appears to have brought its outbreak under control with a huge “trace, test and treat” strategy.

– Sri Lanka extends restrictions –

Sri Lanka extended restrictions under which people must work from home by one week, to April 20, while an indefinite curfew remains in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The reopening of schools, which was scheduled for April 20, has been postponed until May 11.

– China football squad ‘anxious, homesick’ –

China coach Li Tie has revealed the psychological toll coronavirus took on the national football squad during a five-week training camp prolonged by the pandemic.

Li’s men spent much of March in Dubai, where many Chinese Super League (CSL) teams also took refuge, before returning home when the outbreak began to subside in China.

– ‘Medibot’ to do rounds on Malaysian wards –

Malaysian scientists have created a barrel-shaped robot on wheels that they hope will make the rounds on hospital wards to check on coronavirus patients, reducing health workers’ risk of infection.

“Medibot” is a 1.5 metre (five-foot) tall white robot that is mounted with a camera and screen via which patients can communicate remotely with medics.

– Papua problems –

The virus has sharpened distrust between Indonesia’s central government in Jakarta and its eastern-most province of Papua, while intensifying locals’ feelings of victimisation, according to a report from think-tank the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict.

The pandemic, combined with a worsening in a long-running separatist insurgency, has increased the number of vulnerable people in the province, according to the Jakarta-based think-tank.

– Japan PM video sparks online mockery –

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has appeared in a video playing with his dog and watching TV as part of efforts to encourage Japanese people to stay at home, but was attacked online with many using the hashtag “Who do you think you are?”.

In the video posted online Sunday, Abe cuddled a miniature dachshund, sipped a drink from a mug, read a book and watched TV with a message saying “You cannot see your friends. You cannot go drinking. But such actions by everyone are definitely saving many lives”.

[The Invisible]

Sri Lanka finds 15 Coronavirus patients from quarantine, Covid-count 269

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka confirmed 15 new novel coronavirus patients by late afternoon April 19, taking the total count to 269, from contacts traced and quarantined, the state information office said.

All the patients were placed in quarantine from the Colombo area due to closely associating with infected persons, the statement quoted the head of Sri Lanka’s health service Dr. Anil Jasinghe as saying.

The government found a new patient in Kotahena earlier this week, who had returned from India on March 12, long before the island closed for foreign arrivals on March 19.

A day earlier Sri Lanka also found additional contacts from a person in Suduwella Ja-Ela, who had no known link to a foreigner.

The longer a patient remains undiscovered the longer he has to meet contacts and his contacts to meet more contacts.

Sri Lanka slapped curfews to stop any infected persons who were outside of the discovered clusters to develop the disease or recover.

Sri Lanka is relaxing curfews next week except at night in risk areas where more persons had been found.

On April 18, 10 persons were confirmed.

Three were from the Suduwella cluster. The fourth was a lady who was a contact of an employee of the Colombo airport.

Another six were found among the people taken to a Navy quarantine camp in Welisara from Colombo, who were also connected to the Suduwella cluster.

“This Suduwella person was dependent on a substance. So we took some people from Bandaranaike Mawatha in Kotahena. The six were from that group. That is 10 persons.

We have taken people from the third level.” (Colombo/Apr20/2020-sb)

[The Invisible]

As of now...

Coronavirus Cases:
2,407,341

Deaths:
165,069

Recovered:
625,128

[The Invisible]

76,404 new cases world wide significantly lower than previous 24 hours

4,314 more deaths significantly lower than previous 24 hours

USA & UK who had significant counts deaths have reported lower fatalities during the past 24 hours having 1,561 & 596 fatalities respectively. Spain & Italy have 400+ more deaths lower than previous day while France's death count was just below 400.

[කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor]

බාලගිරි දෝසේට කරන කෙම කොරෝනා වලට අවවලංගුද?
කරලා බලමු.
කොරෝනා රටින් පන්නමු.

[nihal123Top contributor]

තවත් කොරෝනා අසාදිතයින් 24 ක් සොයාගනී


කොරෝනා ආසාදිත යැයි තහවුරු කළ රෝගීන් 24 දෙනකු අද (20 ) වාර්තා වී ඇතැයි සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍ය අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා කියයි.

ඒ අනුව මේ වන විට කොරෝනා අසාදිතයින් ගණන 295 දක්වා ඉහළ ගොස් ඇත.

අද වාර්තා වූ මෙම සියලු අසාදිතයින් කොළඹ 12 බණ්ඩාරනායකපුර ප්‍රදේශයේ නිරෝධායනයට ලක් වෙමින් සිටි පිරිස අතරෙන් හමු වී ඇතැයිද අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා කියයි.

[කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor]

කෑදරකම වැඩිවි නැවත වරක් ඉල්ලන් කෑමට සූදානම්.  

තවත් කොරෝනා අසාදිතයින් 24 ක් සොයාගනී
කොරෝනා ආසාදිත යැයි  තහවුරු කළ රෝගීන් 24 දෙනකු අද (20 ) වාර්තා වී ඇතැයි සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍ය අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා කියයි.

ඒ අනුව මේ වන විට  කොරෝනා අසාදිතයින් ගණන 295 දක්වා ඉහළ ගොස්  ඇත.

අද වාර්තා වූ මෙම සියලු අසාදිතයින් කොළඹ 12 බණ්ඩාරනායකපුර ප්‍රදේශයේ  නිරෝධායනයට ලක් වෙමින් සිටි පිරිස අතරෙන් හමු වී ඇතැයිද  අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා කියයි.

[nihal123Top contributor]

මෙහෙම ගියොත් 2/3 නෙවෙයි, 1/2 ත් නැතිකරගන්නවා

කෑදරකම වැඩිවි නැවත වරක් ඉල්ලන් කෑමට සූදානම්.  

තවත් කොරෝනා අසාදිතයින් 24 ක් සොයාගනී
කොරෝනා ආසාදිත යැයි  තහවුරු කළ රෝගීන් 24 දෙනකු අද (20 ) වාර්තා වී ඇතැයි සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍ය අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා කියයි.

ඒ අනුව මේ වන විට  කොරෝනා අසාදිතයින් ගණන 295 දක්වා ඉහළ ගොස්  ඇත.

අද වාර්තා වූ මෙම සියලු අසාදිතයින් කොළඹ 12 බණ්ඩාරනායකපුර ප්‍රදේශයේ  නිරෝධායනයට ලක් වෙමින් සිටි පිරිස අතරෙන් හමු වී ඇතැයිද  අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා කියයි.

[The Invisible]

Its the irresponsibility of the people also. We can't give everything to government and say you control this while we are living our normal life.

[The Invisible]

Asia virus latest: India curbs foreign takeovers; Japanese tulips snipped

AFP – Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:

– India curbs ‘opportunistic takeovers’ of firms –

India has increased restrictions on direct foreign investment to curb “opportunistic” takeovers and acquisitions of Indian companies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade ministry said.

Under the new policy released Saturday, foreign investors that share land borders with India — including China — will only be allowed to invest in the country with government approval.

The previous policy restricted the need for government approval for investments from Bangladesh and Pakistan

The nations that share a land border with India apart from Bangladesh and Pakistan are China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Afghanistan.

– Sri Lankan bans some imports –

Sri Lanka banned a wide range of imports Sunday as the local currency is hammered by a month-long lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The three-month ban on imports will apply to essential raw materials used by local industries, as well as luxury goods — including cosmetics, chocolates and foreign liquor — a government notice said Sunday.

The Sri Lanka rupee has lost nearly 10 percent of its value against the US dollar in the past two months as tourism — a key foreign exchange earner for the country — has collapsed, and a sharp fall in expatriate worker remittances.

In March, the government banned the import of cars and luxury vehicles for three months as part of efforts to save foreign reserves, as authorities urged international lenders for a debt repayment moratorium.

– Sri Lanka eases lockdown –

Sri Lanka will lift a month-long curfew from Monday, easing a lockdown that had helped contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The 24-hour indefinite curfew in 19 out of the 25 districts will be removed at dawn on Monday, replaced by a nine-hour night curfew (8.00 pm to 5.00 am), President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office said Saturday.

“The curfews could be eased because of the progress in containing the spread of the virus,” the statement said.

Six districts, including Colombo, will see lockdown measures relaxed from Wednesday, but night curfews will be imposed until further notice.

A ban on public meetings, religious gatherings and processions will remain, with schools and universities still closed until further notice.

– South Korea baseball resumes –

No-spectator matches for outdoor sports such as baseball will resume, South Korea said Sunday, as the country sees a steady decline in new coronavirus cases.

The outbreak had forced sports leagues to either suspend play or delay the start of their seasons.

But the Korea Baseball Organisation has scheduled 20 pre-season games beginning next Tuesday, when it is expected to announce dates for the regular season sometime in early May.

“For outdoor facilities like professional baseball where close contact is possible, limited permission will be granted to operate without spectators to prevent contact,” said health minister Park Neung-hoo.





South Korea reported eight new virus cases Saturday, taking the national total to 10,661, according to authorities.

– Tulips felled to prevent crowds –

Authorities snipped almost one million blooming tulips in eastern Japan to stop crowds gathering at a cancelled annual flower festival.

Concerns over the spread of the coronavirus prompted officials to cancel Chiba prefecture’s annual Sakura Tulip Festa — which usually draws hundreds of thousands.

But crowds still gathered to see the flowers, Sakura City Tourism Association said, leading to them beheading roughly 800,000 flowers.

Japan expanded a state of emergency nationwide to stem the growing spread of the disease, but the measures have no legal force and are weakly enforced compared to elsewhere in the world.