Covid-19: African leaders back WHO head against Trump attacks

Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom KIGALI, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is the latest African leader to defend the World Health Organization (WHO) and its head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus against attacks by US President Donald Trump. Trump tweeted on Tuesday that the WHO…

Covid-19: South Africa’s minister who had lunch with friends sent on leave for flouting lockdown rules

PRETORIA, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South African President CyrilRamaphosa placed on special leave a minister seen lunching at afriend’s house in violation of the coronavirus lockdown. Ramaphosa has ordered a three-week national lockdown to try to brake thevirus, which has infected 1,749 people, killing 13 of them, according to anofficial…

Covid-19: ‘Now is not the time to relax measures’ – WHO Europe

COPENHAGEN, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Despite “positive signs” from some countries, it is too early to scale back measures aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus, the World Health Organization’s European office said. “Now is not the time to relax measures,” WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, told…

Covid-19: Global toll at 1100 GMT Wednesday

PARIS, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The worldwide number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus rose to 82,726 on Wednesday, according to a tally from official sources. More than 1,438,290 declared cases have been registered in 192 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. Of these…

Covid-19 cases recorded in Europe pass 750,000

PARIS, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 750,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded across Europe. That accounts for more than half of the cases identified worldwide so far, although the official figures probably reflect a fraction of the actual number. With at least 750,276 cases and 58,627 deaths recorded, Europe…

Covid-19: Kenya’s parliament cancels sitting after virus travel ban

Some MPs were in quarantine after returning from international trips last month NAIROBI, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A recall of Kenya’s parliament scheduled for Wednesday in the capital, Nairobi, has been cancelled. Lower house Speaker Justin Muturi told local media that the sitting was cancelled after President Uhuru Kenyatta imposed…

Covid-19: DR Congo frees 1,200 prisoners over virus fears

KINSHASA, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Democratic Republic of Congo’s justice ministry has freed 1,200 prisoners in new measures to decongest prisons and prevent the spread of coronavirus.Those released from prisons were minor offenders according to Justice Minister Celestin Tunda.The Makala Prison in the capital, Kinshasa, is among those decongested…

Covid-10: Switzerland drafts in army to fight virus

A sign of Hospital Battalion 2 of the Swiss army ZURICH, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In the Swiss Army’s biggest call-up since World War II, thousands of soldiers have been sent to support health workers in the fight against the coronavirus, but the mobilisation has not been without problems. Hundreds…

Covid-19: Germany fallen victim in mask fraud scheme

BERLIN, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Authorities in Germany have fallen victim to a multi-million-euro fraud involving masks much needed in the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors said. North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state and one of the hardest hit, paid 14.7 million euros for some 10 million masks in March only to…

Covid-19: Deprived of customers, British farmers throw away milk

LONDON, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Deprived of customers such as supermarkets, restaurants and schools due to the coronavirus outbreak and resulting lockdown, British farmers are throwing away thousands of litres of milk. Coffee shops and office blocks, also shut because of COVID-19, are no longer receiving their early morning deliveries, although…