Headline News

30, March 2020

Southern Cameroons prisoners of conscience and the threat of COVID-19 ⁰

Today, the world is faced with another global menace similar to the Spanish Flu of 1918 which killed almost 50 million people the world over between 1918 and 1919. This is the CoronaVirus or Covid-19 which originated in the Wuhan District of China in December 2019.

In a media briefing on March 11th, 2020, World Health Organization Director General, Dr Tedros A.G said the agency had characterized the Covid-19 as a pandemic. A pandemic, according to Britannica is an outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over a wide geographical area that affects a significant proportion of the world’s population, usually over the course of several months or years.

The new Corona Virus (Covid-19)is affecting 199 countries and territories around the world. It has so far infected more than 721,412 people across the world, killing 33,965 (March 30th, 2020 statistics from cnn.com). The geometrical patterns in the growth of Covid-19 is alarming as it has left so many health experts and scientists confused as to the way forward. It is a collective fight that needs every hand on deck. The number of infected cases and deaths around the world is expected to rise during the first quarter of April 2020 as speculated by health experts in the United Kingdom.

On March 6th, 2020, the Cameroun’s Minister of Public Health, Dr Manaouda, announced the first case of Covid-19 in Yaoundé. The measures taken by the government of Cameroun to contain the virus from spreading further were not stringent enough as the airports were left open for many people from infected Countries abroad to fly in undetected. The numbers of infected cases are now on a steady rise. In a recent tweet on March 29th, 2020, the Public Health Minister made known the number of Covid-19 infected cases in Cameroun; 139 and counting.

The same conditions and fears described by Human Rights Activist Jennifer Gonnerman in the article “Chesa Boudin on His Incarcerated Father and the Threat of the Coronavirus in Prisons” are very visible in the jails in Cameroun where more than 1000 Southern Cameroons Prisoners of Conscience have been held following the Southern Cameroons Conflict where President Paul Biya declared war on November 30th,2017.These prisons which span from Yaoundé, Douala, Buea, Baffoussam, Yoko etc are a breeding ground for the Covid-19 owing to it’s poor sanitation, lack of portable water, scanty or no medical aid,no testing device, prison warders from the outside world who mingle freely with the detainees and most important of all are the overcrowded nature of the prisons leaving thousands of detainees touching and mingling with each other at very close range.

It’s for these reasons that Human Rights Watch and the United Nations Human Rights Commission have picked on the situation of detainees in Cameroun and the world over respectively. Michelle Bachelet,in a statement at the Geneva UNHRC head office described in a few words the situation that these prisoners of conscience face as the global Covid-19 pandemic surges on.

“In many countries, detention facilities are overcrowded, in some cases dangerously so. People are often held in unhygienic conditions and health services are inadequate or even non-existent. Physical distancing and self-isolation in such conditions are practically impossible”

Prisons and jails are amplifiers of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, because the conditions that can keep diseases from spreading – such as social distancing – are nearly impossible to achieve in correctional facilities. The Yaoundé Central Prison where I’m currently serving a 12 year sentence on trumped up charges and politically motivated reasons fit squarely in this category.

The Prison built in 1968 to host 1000 inmates is home to about 5000 detainees (that’s five times the number) amongst who are more than 200 Southern Cameroons Prisoners of Conscience. This overcrowding influences the appropriation of space and the power structures within the prison, in a context where the prisoners are unevenly divided between the 14 quarters of the Kondengui Maximum Prison. These more than 5000 detainees share less than 20 filthy latrines doted in the various quarters from 1 to 14. In the event of the virus spreading inside the prison, no medical care will be possible and the death rate will be alarming. The prisoners are piled on top of each other; it’s impossible to keep any safe distance. The Yaoundé Central Prison is a volcano ready to explode if just a rumour of one positive case of Covid-19 is left to circulate within the prison walls.

Human rights organizations like the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR), Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), The Central African Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC) and a host of others who know the situations of these prisons very well should be pressing on for an amnesty to be given to these detainees before one of the detainee is infected with the Covid-19. It is their responsibility to do more before these overcrowded prisons are suddenly transformed into a mortuary.

The government of Cameroun recently took measures to curb the spread of the virus, including shutting down schools, closing borders, banning mass gatherings, and encouraging people to follow hygiene rules but these measures are not stringent enough to combat this global threat.

The Cameroun’s prisons, which are notably overcrowded, keeping social distance, practicing self-isolation, and taking basic measures such as hand washing are just not possible with hundreds of detainees crammed in the same small cell. The Prison administration under the leadership of Hamadou Madi recently took measures such as limiting the number of visitors into the inner court yard of the prison, obliging visitors to put on face masks and disinfecting the entire prison but these measures too are not enough to guarantee the safety of the detainees who still come in contact with the Prison Warders from the outside world on a minute by minute basis. The idea of social distancing or self isolation is farfetched in these prisons especially those in the town of Yaoundé which according to statistics from the Country’s Ministry of Public Health is the most infected town.

This fight against the Covid-19 is the fight of our lives and every hand is needed to stop it before it ravages humanity as we all know. The UN Human Rights Commissioner beckoned on state authorities to examine ways to release those particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, among them older detainees and those who are sick, as well as low-risk offenders because the detention facilities in many countries are severely overcrowded, making detainees and staff particularly vulnerable to catching the deadly new coronavirus. Amid fears that the coronavirus will carve a deadly path through prisons and jails, some countries are heeding to the Michelle Bachelet’s clarion call by releasing thousands of inmates. Ethiopia’s president, last week released over 4,000 prisoners in an effort to prevent overcrowding in prisons and contain the spread of the coronavirus.

By Penn Terence Khan

Yaounde Central Prison

30, March 2020

Global updates: Over 722,000 now infected with coronavirus, nearly 34,000 dead ⁰

The new coronavirus has now killed 33,997 people and infected 722,435 others worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Italy continues to be a prime hotspot for the viral infection. The pandemic has already brought the entire world to a standstill, with governments and people putting up fights to save more lives and reduce the costs of the malady.

The following is a glance at the latest developments related to the pandemic.

Italy’s deaths decrease

Italy says the number of deaths from the disease fell for the second consecutive day on Sunday.

According to the country’s Civil Protection department, 756 people died on Sunday, bringing the total to 10,779. The Sunday toll was 133 smaller than that of Saturday.

Still, the overall tally is more than a third of all the deaths from the virus worldwide.

The total number of confirmed cases in Italy also rose to 97,689 on Sunday, from a previous 92,472.

It was the lowest daily rise in new cases since Wednesday.

The country, however, is still bracing for the peak. And restrictions on all but essential activities that were due to expire on Friday will be officially extended.

“The measures that were due to expire on April 3 inevitably will be extended,” said Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia. “I think that it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to talk of re-opening (schools and production sites).”

According to Italian media, the restrictions could last for a further two weeks until about April 18.

Spain’s death toll passes 6,800

Spain, the second worst-hit nation in Europe, has approved a strengthening of measures to curb the spread of the outbreak, which killed 838 people on Sunday.

The total number of fatalities reached 6,803, and the confirmed cases 80,110.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday night that all non-essential workers had to stay home for two weeks. The measure would last from March 30 to April 9.

Spain has already been on near-total lockdown for three weeks.

Local German finance minister kills self over outbreak’s economic toll

In Germany, the finance minister of Hesse State, Thomas Schafer, who was a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, has killed himself, reportedly due to becoming “deeply worried” about the outbreak’s economic toll on the country.

Governor Volker Bouffier said Sunday that Schafer, 54, had become consumed with how to handle the fact that the coronavirus crisis was sending global markets into free fall.

He said the minister had been concerned about “whether it would be possible to succeed in fulfilling the population’s huge expectations, particularly of financial help.”

Schaefer had held his position for a decade.

Germany has had the lowest fatality toll from the coronavirus in the world, with a total number of 541 deaths; but it has the fifth-largest infection tally, with 62,435 confirmed cases.

China continues to see drop in cases, president urges firms to reopen

China reported a drop in new COVID-19 cases for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.

Officials said on Monday that 31 new coronavirus cases had been recorded on Sunday, including one locally transmitted infection, dropping from the 45 cases reported a day earlier.

With four new deaths on Sunday, the cumulative death toll in mainland China reached 3,304, and the infection figure now stands at 82,149.

This has prompted the government to urge businesses and factories to reopen for a recovery.

President Xi Jinping said that his government would adjust support policies for small and medium-sized firms promptly as the situation developed to protect them from the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

Chinese firms should actively resume operations and production even as coronavirus prevention efforts continue, Xi said on Sunday.

South Korea cases rise steadily

South Korea on Monday reported 78 new COVID-19 cases, indicating a fairly steady rate of infections.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the national tally stood at 9,661, while the death toll rose by six to 158.

President Moon Jae-in held an emergency meeting with economic policymakers to discuss financial support for the public. He is expected to announce details of the measures later on Monday.

Australia tightens measures

Australia has tightened physical distancing measures as the total number of infected cases reached 3,984 along with 18 deaths nationwide.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned that no more than two people should gather in any one spot outside households.

The government said it would use fines and the threat of jail to enforce the new rule.

Canada declares state of emergency

Canada on Sunday declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces and ordered people to stay home.

The number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 6,320 on Sunday, while the death toll climbed to 65.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday that his government was “prepared for all kinds of different situations” but was not planning for the moment to use troops to help combat the outbreak.

“We are not closing the door to any scenario,” he said, however.

Source: Presstv

30, March 2020

France steps up coronavirus evacuations from packed hospitals ⁰

France staged its largest evacuation of coronavirus patients to date from hospitals in the hard-hit east on Sunday, increasing efforts to free up intensive care units as officials warned of an influx of serious cases in the coming days.

Two specially equipped high-speed trains carried 36 patients from Mulhouse and Nancy to hospitals along France’s western coast, where the outbreak has been limited so far.

Dozens of hospital workers, flanked by police and soldiers standing guard, spent hours installing four patients in each wagon in an operation that began before dawn.

“We have to free up beds, it’s absolutely crucial…. We’re still seeing an increase in patient numbers,” said Francois Brun, head of emergency services at the regional hospital in nearby Metz.

The evacuations came as Germany sent a military plane for the first time to Strasbourg to transport two patients to a hospital in Ulm.

Around 80 French patients have been hospitalised in Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg, European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin told France Inter radio.

France has been evacuating dozens from the east over the past week, hoping to stay ahead of a crisis that Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has warned will only worsen over the next fortnight.

Overall, more than 4,600 coronavirus patients are in intensive care in France, many with severe respiratory problems requiring ventilators that officials worry could soon be in short supply.

Philippe said at the weekend the government was racing to have 14,000 intensive care beds available soon, compared with just 5,000 before the outbreak began in January.

On Sunday the national health service reported 292 new coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,606.

The daily toll was below the 319 deaths reported on Saturday, but the figures include only deaths reported in hospitals, and not at retirement homes or assisted-living facilities.

Also Sunday the housing ministry announced it would commandeer 5,000 hotel beds to house homeless people during the crisis.

– ‘Battle is only starting’ –

Officials fear the virus may spread quickly at the country’s roughly 7,000 retirement homes, and several have already announced dozens of deaths.

Those figures will start to be reported this week, the prime minister said on Sunday, warning that “the battle is only starting.”

“This war will probably be won on the basis of intensive care beds, and our ability to strategically use all our intensive care resources on the national level,” said Marie-Odile Saillard, director of the Metz regional hospital.

National health service chief Jerome Salomon said 359 more people were placed in intensive care on Sunday.

“This is the most important number to keep track of because it reflects the strength of the epidemic,” he said at his daily briefing.

The government has ordered a billion face masks, mainly from China, but warned that surging worldwide demand for protective equipment means they might not arrive soon enough for medical workers currently facing shortages.

A plane from China carrying 5.5 million masks and other equipment arrived in Paris on Sunday, though the government has admitted it needs 40 million masks each week for health workers alone as the outbreak rages.

“Our first Boeing 777 Cargo has just landed at #ParisCDG with close to 100 tonnes of medical equipment on board, including more than 5 million masks,” Air France tweeted.

France has been on lockdown since March 17 in a bid to limit the contagion, a situation it has extended until at least April 15.

Source: AFP

30, March 2020

3 Cameroon gov’t soldiers, 2 deputy mayors killed in Ambazonia attack that underlines growing insecurity in Southern Cameroons ⁰

Three soldiers serving with the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) and two deputy mayors including three councilors have been killed in an ambush by Ambazonia Restoration Forces in Oku in Bui County in Southern Cameroons.

The Eagle New Africa reported that Taal Timothy Babey and Babey Julius Ghoyume of Elak Council and three councilors from Oku were inside an armored vehicle returning to Kumbo after a political campaign when they came under an attack on the 28^th of March that emphasises the growing insecurity in the entire Southern Cameroons territory.

Cameroon Concord News is yet to verify the correctness of the Eagle New Africa report but if the death toll is confirmed, is the deadliest on Cameroon army soldiers ever since the regime in Yaoundé succeeded in getting two corrupt Ambazonian front lines leaders; Dr Ikome Sako and Ebenezer Akwanga to commit to a coronavirus cease fire.

We gathered that a PhD student from the University of Dschang identified as Kedia Kenneth Buji and eight other members of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate were killed in the attack.

The Cameroonian military has not released casualty figures, but a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that the army was tired and fed up with the war in Southern Cameroons. He added that the Ambazonian fighters first targeted the driver of the armored vehicle before over-running its occupants.

Since 2016, Southern Cameroons Self-Defense Forces have carried out attacks against Cameroon government military installations and security posts in Southern Cameroons. The Francophone dominated military have failed to stem the violence. This year has also seen Ambazonia groups increase their presence in border areas in Manyu and Bui County.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

30, March 2020

Archbishop Andrew Nkea announces drastic measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus ⁰

MORE DRASTIC MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS WITHIN THE DIOCESE OF MAMFE

On the 17th of March, 2020, I issued out some recommendations to help and curb the spread of the deadly Corona Virus (Covid-19) that is ravaging the world and has also hit our country.All the recommendations stated in that letter still hold good.

On the 26th of March 2020, I arrived Mamfe on a brief visit and I discovered to my greatest dismay, that either the people of Mamfe are not aware of the presence and danger of this deadly disease or they are not taking it seriously. I met the streets were all full, bars were open, even into the night, youth were playing various games on various pitches and choirs were rehearsing for Holy Week ceremonies. This saddened me, because knowing the havoc that this pandemic is wrecking around the world, if it gets to our Diocese then we would not be able to count our dead.

As Care-Taker Pastor of this Local Church of Mamfe, I feel bound in duty and in conscience to remind our people that this Covid-19 is real and therefore I am issuing the following decisions regarding the life of our church:

1. All the instructions issued by the Government of Cameroon against the spread of this virus must be respected to the letter.

2. All Masses and the celebrations of the sacraments are suspended in the Diocese of Mamfe as from the date of this letter.

3. All pastoral and home visitations by the priests and the Bishop must be suspended till further notice.

4. The celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Baptisms, sacrament of the sick and the celebration of marriages are also suspended. In case someone wants to go for confession, it suffices to stay at home, make a perfect Act of Contrition and feel the forgiveness of God. However, such penitents must confess their sins when these suspensions are lifted.

5. All external activities of the Diocesan Youth Federation are suspended with immediate effect. The youth are therefore advised to stay at home and not come to the mission compound for activities.

6. Playing of sports on all mission play grounds are suspended.

7. During the Holy Week, every Parish Priest must celebrate in his parish Church only and no mission stations to be visited. In accordance with the instructions from the Vatican, On Palm Sunday there shall be no procession with Palms, no washing of the feet during Holy Thursday and no procession with the Blessed Sacrament. On Good Friday, no veneration of the Cross in the usual style, but the Cross will simply be lifted and all bow where they are sitting. On Holy Saturday night, there will be no fire and no procession with the Easter Candle. There will be no Baptisms but there will be renewal of Baptismal vows.

8. If it is necessary for the Christ’s Faithful to be present during Holy Week ceremonies, they must not be more than 50 persons and must sit giving a distance of at least one meter from the next person. These 50 persons include altar boys, choir, readers and the celebrant himself. There must be provision at the entrance of the church to wash hands and sanitize them before entering the church.

9. All churches and chapels must be open during the day so that God’s people can go in and pray individually.

10. The Bishop’s Office will remain closed to the public until further notice.

11. All priests, Consecrated Men and Women, Christ’s Lay Faithful and people of goodwill are strongly advised to quarantine themselves as much as possible during the coming weeks to avoid contracting this virus or spreading it

Let us pray to God that he may spare us of this virus and help our scientists to get a cure as soon as possible. We implore the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick and Comforter of the Afflicted in this desperate situation.

I wish each one of you a very Happy Easter and may God bless you abundantly.

+Andrew NKEA,

Archbishop of Bamenda,

Apostolic Administrator of Mamfe.

29, March 2020

Coronavirus: France records 292 deaths in a day, total death toll of 2,606 ⁰

French health authorities reported 292 new deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday, up 13% on the previous day and taking the total to 2,606 since March 1, as the government raced to relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals in the east.

The number of known cases of coronavirus infection rose to 40,174 on Sunday from 37,575 a day earlier, France’s director general of health Jérôme Salomon told a press conference on Sunday.

Among the nearly 19,000 patients now hospitalised, 4,632 are in intensive care, Salomon said.

The toll over the past 24 hours was below the 319 deaths reported on Saturday, but the figures include only deaths reported in hospitals, and not at retirement homes or assisted-living facilities.

Authorities say they will be able to compile data on deaths in retirement homes from next week, which is likely to result in a big increase in registered fatalities.

France has been under virtual lockdown since March 17 and Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said on Friday that the unprecedented peacetime restrictions on public life would remain in place until at least April 15.

Public gatherings are banned, schools and universities are closed and all non-essential businesses have shut down, with people allowed out of their homes only to buy groceries, carry out essential work, exercise or seek medical care.

France’s Health Minister Olivier Véran announced on Saturday that the government has ordered more than a billion face masks – the overwhelming majority of them sourced from China – as the government scrambles to build up its supplies.

Véran noted that France has been using 40 million face masks weekly as it battles the pandemic and currently has three weeks worth of supplies.

Doctors, nursing home carers, the police and other frontline staff have decried a shortage of masks.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)

29, March 2020

Coronavirus Outbreak: Charter Flight Leaving Yaounde to Washington D.C. ⁰

U.S. Embassy Yaounde has arranged a special charter flight for U.S. citizens departing Yaounde NSI Airport on Tuesday, March 31 at 4 p.m. This flight will be direct to Washington, D.C. (Dulles International Airport), at an estimated cost of $2065 per passenger regardless of passenger age or seat location (the final cost will be announced as soon as it is confirmed). Passengers will not be paying beforehand, but rather borrowing the cost of the flight from the U.S. Government.

All passengers must agree to reimburse the U.S. Government by signing a promissory note (loan agreement) for approximately $2065. Only passengers who complete and sign the form will be allowed to board the plane. No cash or credit card payments will be accepted at the U.S. Embassy or the airport. Please fill out the attached form (DS-5528) and email the completed version to YaoundeACS@state.gov to register for the flight on a first-come, first-served basis.

You will be responsible for any arrangements and costs (lodging, connecting flights, or local transportation, etc.) beyond Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C.

No pets will be allowed on the flight and each passenger will only be allowed one carry-on bag and two checked bags with a maximum of 46kg. There will be no option to pay for extra services or excess baggage on the day of the flight.

The airline reserves the right to refuse boarding for any passenger. Passengers who are displaying COVID-19 symptoms or who have recently traveled to a high-risk country may be refused boarding.

If you want to depart on this flight, please email YaoundeACS@state.gov with full names (First, Middle, Last) as they appear in the U.S. passport, date of birth, and U.S. passport number for each traveler and the completed DS-5528 promissory note. You are required to do this even if you have previously sent us this information. The flights will be filled in the order that the emails are received. Please do not call the Embassy to confirm receipt of your email; we will contact you if you are confirmed for a seat on one of these flights.

After the flight is full, subsequent requests will be placed on a standby list. Legal Permanent Residents are also eligible to be placed on the standby list but will only be accommodated after all U.S. citizens have had an opportunity to take a seat.

Be assured that Embassy Yaounde will continue to make every effort to assist U.S. citizens who are not able to travel on this flight, but still wish to return home. However, encourage those interested to take advantage of this opportunity quickly.

Source: US Embassy Yaounde

29, March 2020

Biya regime arrests prostitutes offering sex at virus isolation centres ⁰

Authorities in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, have arrested prostitutes who have been visiting coronavirus isolation centres in some hotels and offering their services.

The prostitutes, who earn at least $30 a night, have been approaching travellers from Europe despite the risk of contracting the disease and spreading it.

Mr Jean Claude Tsila, the capital’s administrative officer, reported the arrests to state broadcaster Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) on Friday.

Mr Tsila did not give the number of those arrested but reliable sources close to his office said they were at least 50.

“We were reliably informed that some persons confined to some hotels in Yaounde due to the coronavirus pandemic were receiving prostitutes inside their rooms,” the administrative officer said.

Source: Daily Nation

29, March 2020

COVID-19: Cameroon’s confirmed cases rise to 113 ⁰

Cameroon reported on Sunday 14 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 113, Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie tweeted on Sunday morning.

“The majority of positive cases are people from countries at risk who hide in families”, he added.

On Friday, Manaouda tweeted that an “active and early case finding by generalized testing” has become part of Cameroon’s new response strategy to COVID-19. The country had 92 cases on Friday.

To ensure a generalized testing, Cameroon government invites people who entered the country since March 10 to contact the health authorities so as to be tested for novel coronavirus. A door-to-door search campaign will also be organized from April 2 to 7 in Douala, the country’s most populous city.

Source: Xinhuanet

29, March 2020

World’s coronavirus infections pass 660,000 ⁰

Cases of coronavirus infection in the world have surpassed 660,000, while the epidemic has yet to reach its peak in the worst-hit countries of Europe and has just begun in the world’s poorest continent, Africa.

Data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University also showed that the number of people who have died of the disease caused by the coronavirus had reached 30,883 as of Sunday — two-thirds of them having been reported in Europe.

The following is the latest on how the pandemic has been affecting the world in the past 24 hours:

New Zealand registers 1st death

New Zealand confirmed its first death from the virus on Saturday, according to Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, who said the victim had been a woman in her 70s.

The number of infected people in New Zealand also rose by 63 to a total of 514, Bloomfield said.

Over 2,600 confirmed infected in Africa

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that the COVID-19 disease had now spread to dozens of countries in Africa.

The number of confirmed cases has reached 2,650, along with 49 deaths in the region, according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He said that the WHO stood ready to support all countries in the combat against the pandemic.

Ghebreyesus said nations with weaker health systems had to act aggressively to contain the outbreak and prevent community transmissions.

Africa has become a main concern for the organization since the virus began to spread across the world due to the continent’s strained medical systems and lack of necessary infrastructure.

China reports 5 deaths

China, which was the first country to report the disease in December last year and the first epicenter of the virus, has now reported only five new deaths and 45 new confirmed infections in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday.

All the deaths were in Hubei Province, where the virus first emerged, according to the National Health Commission.

All but one of the new cases were people who were infected abroad, it added.

China has so far reported a total of 81,439 cases of COVID-19 along with 3,300 deaths.

The commission said some 477 people had been discharged from hospitals on Saturday. A total number of 75,448 people have recovered from the disease in China.

South Korea reports 105 more cases

South Korea reported another 105 cases, bringing the country’s total so far to 9,583, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It also confirmed eight more deaths, bringing the total fatalities to 152.

Japan in ‘critical stage,’ Abe vows ‘powerful’ aid package

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised an unprecedented aid package on Saturday as cases of COVID-19 in the country climbed to more than 1,500, with 52 deaths, according to the public broadcaster NHK.

The figure excludes those from a cruise ship quarantined in the country since last month.

“We are in a critical stage,” said the prime minister of the world’s third-biggest economy. “We need to be ready for a long-term battle.”

“The pandemic is inflicting extremely big damage to Japan’s economy,” Abe said. “We’ll deploy a huge, powerful package that will include a full range of fiscal, monetary, and tax measures.”

Though the details of the package have not been finalized, Abe said it “will exceed that [package] compiled in response to the global financial crisis of 2008, which was worth a total 528 billion dollars.”

He made the announcement as health officials confirmed a further 60 cases in the capital, Tokyo, on Saturday. They also announced 57 new cases at a center for the disabled in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, according to the NHK.

Canada enforces new travel restrictions

On the other side of the world, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new restrictions on Saturday.

He said that people who were showing symptoms of the disease would be blocked from domestic flights or inter-city passenger trains.

Trudeau said his government was giving new tools to airlines and railways to enforce the restrictions from Monday.

Trudeau’s wife has herself been infected and is receiving treatment.

The latest travel restrictions in Canada were announced as the country’s confirmed cases reached 5,153, and the deaths 55.

Italy’s death toll passes 10,000, peak approaching

Italy, the world’s worst-hit nation, is now reporting an overall death toll of over 10,000.

Officials announced on Saturday that 889 more people had died of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours.

The figure was the second highest daily tally since the epidemic emerged in Italy five weeks ago.

Italy’s total fatalities now stand at 10,023.

The number of people diagnosed with the new viral illness also rose by about 6,000 to 92,472, officials said Saturday.

Italy has imposed severe restrictions on movement, including a national lockdown.

“Without these measures, we would be seeing far worse numbers and our health service would be in a far more dramatic state,” said Angelo Borelli, the head of Italy’s Civil Protection Agency. “We would have been in an unsustainable situation.”

According to the Higher Health Institute (ISS), the peak of the epidemic in Italy is approaching.

“We have seen an apparent reduction in the infection curve since March 20 but we are not yet in a downward phase,” ISS President Silvio Brusaferro told the Italian press agency ANSA.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has approved a new package of 4.7 billion euros (5.24 billion dollars) to help those worst hit sections of the population.

He has also urged the European Union (EU) to launch a “recovery bond” to help fund the member states’ response to the outbreak, saying a failure to tackle the emergency would be a “tragic mistake” for the union.

Spain toughens lockdown

Spain, the second worst-hit nation in Europe, announced stricter lockdown measures on Saturday that will force all non-essential workers to stay at home for the next two weeks.

Health officials said Saturday that 832 people had died of the disease in the last 24 hours.

The new fatalities brought the overall number of the deaths in Spain to 5,982.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 also reached 73,235, officials said.

Health emergency chief Fernando Simon said the nation was short of intensive care unit beds as the epidemic appeared to be reaching its peak in some areas.

“We continue to have a major problem with ICU saturation,” said Simon.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the new restrictions would allow the country “to reduce the number of infected people to a much greater extent.”

Workers would receive their usual salaries but would have to make up lost hours at a later date, he added.

Sanchez also urged Brussels to act and called for a “united economic and social strategy.”

He said the EU should “issue reconstruction bonds to deal with coronavirus.”

“We do not understand why the eurozone, which shares a currency, does not share fiscal policy,” Sanchez said.

Germany’s cases pass 52,500

Germany’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have risen to 52,547, and 389 people have died of the disease as of Sunday, statistics from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed Sunday.

The number of infections rose by 3,965, while the death toll climbed by 64.

The institute said that the data did not represent the complete picture as it had not received any readings from the regional states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hesse, and Saarland.

Greece reports over 1,000 cases

Greek health authorities confirmed 95 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.

Greece’s updated total is now 1,061.

Thirty two people have so far died of the disease in Greece, according to Health Ministry official Sotiris Tsiodras.

Greece has imposed a curfew until early April and has closed its borders to non-EU nationals, as well as to people from Italy and Spain.

Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis said earlier on Saturday that the restrictions would be extended beyond April 6, without providing further details.

Source: Presstv