"This is not a time for excuses," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as he asked countries to pull out all stops in controlling the spread of coronavirus.
Also Read: Bhutan Confirms First Case of Coronavirus
Globally, the rate of infection is almost about to touch 1 million. As of Thursday, the no of cases of coronavirus infection had surpassed 98,000.
Here are the top global updates:
- According to CNN, the death toll in Washington, US has risen to at least 13, with 11 of the deaths reported from a medical facility for old aged people.
- The occupied Palestinian territories have also been added to the list of confirmed locations with coronavirus.
- A man in his 30s, who had been infected with coronavirus, had attended a concert of the rock band Tool in Auckland with thousands of other people. The man's partner had also been confirmed to have Covid-19.
California Ship: Test Results of Passengers and Crew Out Today
Coronavirus test results were expected Friday for some passengers and crew aboard a cruise ship held off the California coast.
The Grand Princess lay at anchor near San Francisco on Thursday after a traveler from a previous voyage died of the disease and at least four others became infected. While the more than 3,500 aboard the 951-foot (290-meter) vessel were ordered to stay at sea as officials scrambled to keep the virus at bay, only 45 were identified for testing, Princess Cruises said in a statement.
“The ship will not come on shore until we appropriately assess the passengers,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
A Sacramento-area man who sailed on the ship in February later succumbed to the coronavirus. Two other passengers from that voyage have been hospitalized with the virus in Northern California, and two Canadians who recently sailed aboard the ship tested positive after returning home, officials said.
North Korea Releases 220 Foreigners from Quarantine
North Korea said Friday it has released about 220 foreigners from a quarantine imposed as part of its vigilant prevention efforts to avoid an outbreak of the coronavirus that has spread around the world.
The country has not publicly disclosed any cases of COVID-19, but outsiders are skeptical it escaped the virus that erupted in its neighbor and closest ally China and has infected more than 98,000 people globally.
South Korea Expresses Regret Over Japan's Quarantine
Seoul expressed “extreme regret” Friday over Japan’s ordering 14-day quarantines on all visitors from South Korea due to a surge in viral infections and warned of retaliation if Tokyo doesn’t withdraw the restrictions.
The response came a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the quarantine, which also applies to visitors from China.
“The Japanese government yesterday issued what’s realistically a full entry ban on our people,” South Korean Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun said during a government meeting on quarantine strategies. “(We) consider this as very regrettable and demand the excessive and irrational measure to be immediately withdrawn.”
(With inputs from AP)
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