Category: NEWS

(Xinhua)13:32, November 30, 2020

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) — The United States may see surge upon a surge of COVID-19 cases in the weeks after Thanksgiving due to cold weather and travel, U.S. top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said Sunday.

We dont want to frighten people, but thats just the reality, Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABCs This Week, adding that he does not expect a relaxation of current public health restrictions or recommendations before Christmas.

We said that these things would happen, as we got into the cold weather and as we began traveling, and theyve happened. Its going to happen again, Fauci said.

Faucis warning came as more than 90,000 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized across the United States, with over 18,000 in intensive care units, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

The United States has recorded more than 13.37 million cases with over 266,800 related deaths as of Sunday night, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

(Xinhua)13:45, November 30, 2020

PARIS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) — Frances highest administrative court on Sunday ordered the government to rethink a 30-person attendance limit for religious services to contain the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The measure took effect this weekend, which faced opposition from places of worship and the faithful such as Catholic associations, describing the government rules as unnecessary, disproportionate and discriminatory.

The Council of State has ordered that French Prime Minister Jean Castex modify the measure within three days.

On Tuesday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the peak of the pandemics second wave had passed, allowing a gradual return to normalcy starting on Saturday.

French churches, mosques and synagogues started opening doors again to worshippers this weekend, but only a few of them.

The countrywide confinement in force since Oct. 30 will be lifted on Dec. 15 provided that new infections remain below 5,000 per day. Cinemas, theaters and museums will then be allowed to reopen under strict health protocols.

(Xinhua)13:47, November 30, 2020

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) — U.S. top health officials on Sunday called on Americans who had traveled for Thanksgiving to get tested for COVID-19 so as to contain the pandemic.

That may be, when you go back to where youve came from, if its possible to quarantine yourself for a period of time or even get tested to make sure that you are not bringing infection back to another place, be it another home or another family, Anthony Fauci, the countrys leading infectious disease expert told ABC.

If youre young and you gathered, you need to be tested about five to 10 days later, White House coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx told CBS.

A total of 1,070,967 people were screened at airports on the day before Thanksgiving, the largest number since the pandemic broke out in March, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

To date, the United States has recorded more than 13.37 million COVID-19 cases with over 266,838 related deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

(Xinhua)16:04, November 30, 2020

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — The United States on Sunday reported more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases for the 27th consecutive day, with over 135,000 cases counted by Johns Hopkins University from 0000 GMT Sunday to 0000 GMT Monday.

The United States has already recorded more than 13.37 million cases in total, with over 266,800 related deaths as of Sunday night, according to the real-time data published by the university.

Meanwhile, over 5 million COVID-19 patients have recovered across the country since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The hospitalization number of COVID-19 patients reached a record high of over 93,000 on Sunday, trumping Saturdays record-breaking 91,635, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

(Xinhua)17:03, November 30, 2020

MANILA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines on Monday reported 1,773 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection, bringing the total number in the country to 431,630.

The DOH said 44 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 398,658. The death toll climbed to 8,392 after 19 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH added.

The DOH reported 2,076 new cases on Sunday, breaking 19 straight days of less than 2,000.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque attributed the slight increase in the number of COVID-19 cases to the evacuation center crowding and the holiday rush.

Hundreds of Filipinos displaced by the cyclones that swept through the country this month are temporarily housed in government-run shelters.

Of course, the upcoming Christmas season, the number of people going out and mingling with others has increased, sometimes they forget to observe minimum health standards, Duque said in a virtual briefing.

Duque urged Filipinos to avoid travel and visit relatives in the provinces this holiday season, saying the health threat remains. He also urged Filipinos to limit their celebrations to low-risk activities to avoid transmission.

The 17 mayors of Metro Manila, one of the hotspots of the outbreak, have formally recommended extending the general community quarantine status in the capital until Dec. 31.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will announce later Monday the new quarantine measures in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

(Xinhua)17:12, November 30, 2020

NEW DELHI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — Local government in Indias western state of Rajasthan has decided to close schools, colleges, cinema and entertainment parks until Dec. 31 in wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, officials said Monday.

The move comes after a surge in COVID-19 cases was recorded in the state.

Previously the state home department extended the closure of educational institutions till Nov. 30. Now, after the recent announcement, schools and colleges in Rajasthan will remain shut until Dec. 31, an official said. Likewise cinemas and entertainment parks will remain closed during this period in order to minimise the rush of people.

On Sunday evening Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation across the state.

During the last 24 hours, the state recorded 18 COVID-19 deaths and 2,518 fresh cases.

Rajasthan is the eleventh worst-hit state in India. The state so far has witnessed 265,386 cases of COVID-19 and 2,292 related deaths.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan Kiran Maheshwari, who had tested positive for COVID-19 last month, passed away late Sunday night at a hospital. She is the second lawmaker in the state to die of the disease after Congress party lawmaker Kailash Trivedi.

On Monday morning the federal health ministry said the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 9,431,691 and the death toll has risen to 137,139.

India is the second worst-hit country due to COVID-19 after the United States.

(Xinhua)15:06, November 28, 2020

WELLINGTON, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) — Tens of thousands of people lined along Lambton Quay in Wellington, New Zealand to enjoy an array of family-friendly activities and performances on Saturday to celebrate Christmas in the southern hemisphere.

People of all ages and cultures enjoyed roaming Christmas characters, corgis, face painting, crafts and a photo booth, a foam cannon, ice skating, Big Air Gym, circus performers, Tape Art Labyrinth fun, food trucks and more.

In the celebration, two Chinese lion dances and two Chinese folk mask big-headed dolls sponsored by the China Culture Center in Wellington were particularly eye-catching. Several dance programs and two Chinese folk music performances were also provided by the China Culture Center in Wellington.

Guo Zongguang, director of the China Culture Center in Wellington, saw the performances as an opportunity to strengthen ties between both countries and promote the people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Spreading joy and happiness, the celebration decorated the capital with festive colors of red and white. The parade and performances brought people of all ages and cultures together in a colorful, creative, and vibrant display.

As one of the regional marquee events, the parade, which was usually held in the last weekend of November and attracts large crowds every year, was by far the largest gathering held in COVID-19 alert level 1 in Wellington.

New Zealand relaxed its restrictions by moving from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 1 on Sept. 21 after controlling the pandemic. At Alert Level 1, everyone can return to work, school, sports and domestic travel, without restrictions. However, border restrictions and good hygiene are required.

(Xinhua)08:23, November 27, 2020

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he would leave the White House if the Electoral College votes for Biden, claiming that the electors would make a mistake by doing so, and that its very hard for him to concede defeat.

(Xinhua)08:30, November 27, 2020

ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — The Ethiopian government on Thursday disclosed that it has embarked on the final phase of the military operation against the insurgent Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters in Ethiopias northern region.

The urgent call was made by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, in a statement issued on Thursday, as he emphasized that the 72-hour period granted to the criminal TPLF clique to surrender peacefully is now over and our law enforcement campaign has reached its final stage.

The last peaceful gate which had remained open for the TPLF clique to walk through have now been firmly closed as a result of TPLFs contempt for the people of Ethiopia, Ahmed emphasized.

He revealed that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) have now been directed to conclude the third and final phase of our rule of law operations. In this final phase, great care will be given to protect innocent civilians from harm.

Noting that within the past 72-hours ultimatum, thousands of Tigray Special Forces and militia members have surrendered to the National Defense Force, Ahmed said, many young people in Tigray, realizing the TPLFs evil intentions, have also refrained from engaging in TPLFs destructive ambitions.

Although this may have been a decision taken in the last hours, it is nevertheless a responsible decision that is expected of citizens, Ahmed said, as he emphasized that when the federal government issued the 72-hour surrender time, it had two objectives.

According to the Ethiopian premier, the 72-hours ultimatum was made to demonstrate that the intention of the military operations is to enforce the rule of law per the laws of the land.

If the criminal TPLF chose to peacefully surrender, the campaign would have been finalized with the least amount of damage, Ahmed said, adding that we have provided the opportunity for peaceful surrender on numerous occasions in the past weeks.

The second goal of the 72-hours ultimatum was to provide protection for those that finally understand the criminality of the TPLF clique and distance themselves for the group, it was noted.

All efforts will be made to ensure that the city of Mekelle, which was built through the hard work of our people, will not be severely damaged, Ahmed affirmed.

All precautions will be taken to ensure that heritage sites, places of worship, public facilities, development institutions and residential areas will not be targets, he added.

The Ethiopian Defense Forces are reportedly surrounding Mekelle city, capital of the Tigray regional state, where senior TPLF leaders are believed to be stationed.

The Ethiopian government as well as political analysis have been recently calling on TPLF fighters to disarm themselves and avoid clashes with defense forces in order to protect the safety of civilians.

We call on the people of Mekelle and its surroundings to disarm, stay at home and stay away from military targets, and take all necessary precautions, Ahmed said on Thursday.

We also call on the people of Mekelle to do their part in reducing damages to be sustained because of a handful of criminal TPLF elements, by exposing and handing over the criminal clique over to law enforcement agents, he added.

The Ethiopian government has been blaming the TPLF, which was one of the four coalition fronts of Ethiopias former ruling party the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), for masterminding various treasonous acts across different parts of the country with an overarching goal of destabilizing the country.

Since the early hours of Nov. 4, the Ethiopian government has been undertaking military operations against the TPLF, which rules over Ethiopias northernmost Tigray regional state.

The federal governments operation followed the TPLFs attack on the Northern command base of the Ethiopian Defense Force, a division stationed in the region for over two decades and based in Mekelle city, capital of Tigray region.

(Xinhua)09:02, November 27, 2020

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — Nearly 90,000 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals across the United States as of Thursday, the Thanksgiving day, reaching a new all-time high for the 16th consecutive day, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

Wednesdays death toll climbed to 2,284 cases, the highest since May 7, also the 7th highest daily death total to data.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicted that the number of newly reported COVID-19 deaths will likely increase over the next 4 weeks, with 10,600 to 21,400 new deaths likely to be reported in the week ending Dec. 19.

CDCs national ensemble predicted that a total of 294,000 to 321,000 COVID-19 deaths will be reported by Dec. 19.

The third wave of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities has continued, as cases increased at twice the rate of the nations total cases, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

States across the United States reported a 50 percent increase in new long-term care cases, 46,153 new COVID-19 cases this week alone.

Long-term care facilities recorded about 3,000 new deaths in one week, a marker last passed in early June. Nearly half of these deaths occurred in the Midwest, according to the tracking project.

While the Midwest remains the epicenter of long-term care facility outbreaks, accounting for 39 percent of new cases, the crisis stretches beyond the Midwest.

As COVID-19 continued to sweep the country, each region reported their largest increase of long-term care cases in the past four months, according to the tracking project.

With winter approaching and case numbers higher than ever before, existing safety measures will not adequately protect this vulnerable population, said a report of the project.

Public health officials have urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving only with members of the same household, or at least gather outdoors, to avoid further virus spread.

The CDC issued a new guidance last Friday urging Americans to stay home and not travel for Thanksgiving.

Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year, said the guidance.

The United States has recorded more than 12.86 million cases with over 263,200 related deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.