TIG Post

Tag: Coronavirus

  • New Zealand finally removes its final Covid limitations

    New Zealand finally removes its final Covid limitations

    Tuesday, New Zealand lifted the last of its Covid restrictions, putting an end to one of the tightest pandemic regulations in history. The government noted that the country had a much lower fatality rate than many other countries.

    According to the health minister, Ayesha Verrall, the island nation would no longer require masks in medical institutions or the final seven days of required isolation for those who test positive for the coronavirus.

    When the coronavirus first appeared in 2020, New Zealand served as something of a model for how countries may effectively fend it off by implementing early lockdowns and stringent border controls.

    The coronavirus outbreak’s initial effects were greatly diminished by the early zero-Covid approach, sparing New Zealand the widespread mortality and overburdened healthcare systems observed in many parts of the world, notably the United States.

    However, as the restrictions dragged on and had a negative impact on the economy, it also kept the island nation isolated globally and made it more and more unpopular.

    Verrall said in a statement on Monday that it had been a long road, but New Zealand’s COVID-19 method had transitioned from an emergency response to sustainable long-term management.

    The health minister continued, “While our case counts will continue to fluctuate, we have not observed the spectacular peaks that characterised COVID-19 rates last year.

    According to the government, Covid has significantly lessened the strain on the healthcare system this winter in New Zealand, with cases making up just 2.2% of recent hospital admissions.

    According to Cabinet and I, we are in a position to safely remove the remaining COVID-19 criteria because of this and the population’s immunity levels, Verrall stated.

    She added, however, that anyone who are “ill” or “have tested positive for Covid-19” should stay at home for five days.

    She also emphasised that using face masks is still an effective way to stop the spread of respiratory infections in hospitals and centres for people with disabilities.

    The action was referred to as a “significant milestone” by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

    During a press conference on Monday, he added, “The unity of the Kiwi response, and the sacrifices that were all commonplace all contributed to the many thousands of lives that were saved.”

    5.1 million people in New Zealand, according to Hipkins, were affected by the coronavirus, resulting in 3,249 deaths.

    “We would be reporting about 15,000 deaths from Covid if New Zealand had had a similar rate of Covid-19 mortality as the United States,” he asserted.

    The Labour Party, which is currently in power in New Zealand, paid a political price for the severe rules.

    His predecessor, Jacinda Ardern, was responsible for the initial success. However, as the stringent limitations persisted, the people grew increasingly frustrated with their effects, which included the months-long separation of families and the exclusion of almost all foreigners.

    Last March, during a time when the country was experiencing economic unrest and rising living expenses, protesters camped out in front of the Parliament for weeks and set fire to tents, mattresses, and chairs. This was a result of the protracted Covid lockdowns and mandates.

    Support for Ardern and the Labour Party plummeted in 2022, just before she abruptly announced her resignation in January, citing a lack of energy.

    Hipkins had a strong connection to the zero-Covid regulations because he served as health minister for a large portion of the epidemic.

    The center-right opposition National Party is posing a serious threat to Labour in New Zealand’s next elections.

    Gradually throughout 2022, the nation’s borders were reopened, restoring the strict controls put in place in March 2020 to keep immigrants at away and restrict places for citizens to return.

    It implemented a five-step plan, allowing locals to return home before welcoming a large-scale tourism recovery.

    It has shared hosting duties for the 2023 Women’s World Cup with Australia for the past three weeks.

  • Hug your children, shake their hands – Akufo-Addo reviews COVID safety protocols

    Hug your children, shake their hands – Akufo-Addo reviews COVID safety protocols

    President Akufo-Addo has stated that Ghanaians can now embrace and shake hands with one other in public with ease.

    The review of COVID-19 safety measures comes at a time when the World Health Organisation has stated that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency.

    The president revealed the ease with COVID restrictions when he addressed the country on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in his last update on the country’s preparedness towards the fight against COVID-19.

    “That culturally defining Ghanaian symbol, the handshake, was prohibited and frowned upon and we were advised not to hug our children and our loved ones…

    “… Fellow Ghanaians, throughout these trying times, I kept urging all of you to believe that this, too, shall pass. Dare I say that this too has passed? The emergency is over, and we can safely lift many of the oppressive restrictions we have had to endure, we can shake hands, we can hug, we can visit, and we no longer have to wear masks,” he said.

    The president, however, urged that such practices as the “regular hand washing and other personal hygiene measures” be maintained “so they become entrenched national habits.”

    In 2020, Ghana sternly enforced safety protocol measures such as social distancing, no public gatherings, use of sanitizer and washing of hands regularly with soap.

  • Caroline Crouch’s murderer husband receives bags of love letters in prison

    Caroline Crouch’s murderer husband receives bags of love letters in prison

    ‘Bags of love notes’ are reportedly being sent to the murderous husband of Caroline Crouch, who strangled her before staging a robbery.

    Babis Anagnostopoulos, 34, has received a reported ‘astounded’ number of letters from ‘fans’ since being sentenced to 27 years in prison.

    The 19-year-old was killed by the helicopter pilot, who then tied himself up and killed their dog Roxy to make it appear as though thieves were responsible for the attack in May 2021.

    He also abandoned their infant Lydia, who was found in Attica, Greece, next to her mother’s decomposing remains.

    Now in prison in remote Malandrino, Anagnostopoulos apparently has ‘bags’ of fan mail.

    A guard at the high-security jail told The Sun: ‘We read, as is protocol, all the mail and have been left astounded.

    ‘They are written by women, Greek women, who say they are in love with him.

    ‘They believe he is innocent, that Caroline’s murder was premeditated and everything happened in the heat of the moment.’

    Caroline suffered a 'long and agonising death' after Anagnostopoulos suffocated her with a pillow (Picture: REX)
    Caroline suffered a ‘long and agonising death’ after Anagnostopoulos suffocated her with a pillow (Picture: REX)

    A state coroner said Caroline suffered ‘a long and agonising death’.

    She was pinned down as she slept while Anagnostopoulos held a pillow over her face for five minutes.

    After police analysed his smart watch it became clear he was the killer.

    He is trying to overturn the sentence by arguing there were ‘mitigating circumstances’ around the brutal murder.

    An appeal was due to take place yesterday, but this was postponed as his lawyer fell ill.

    Caroline’s dad, David Crouch, from Liverpool, has said his priority is now raising Lydia.

    He told local TV station Mega: ‘I am determined that the monster who killed her mother, as well as those two ridiculous people who are his parents, will never see my granddaughter again.’

    The now three-year-old girl lives in the Philippines with the family of Caroline’s half-sister.

    Anagnostopoulos’ parents are only allowed to speak to her for only one hour a week via Skype or other electronic means, according to a court order.

  • 1,500-year-old Bible chapter resurfaces

    1,500-year-old Bible chapter resurfaces

    After 1,500 years, a lost Bible chapter has finally been discovered.

    The Secret poems chapter was discovered in a third-century manuscript at the Vatican Library.

    It includes a new translation of Matthew‘s Gospel chapters 11 through 12.

    Only after employing ultraviolet photography inside Matthew’s Gospel were researchers able to find the ancient Syriac text.

    When Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, his followers became hungry and started to gather the grain’s heads to eat, according to Matthew, a disciple of Jesus.

    The newly found version, however, reads as follows: “At that time, Jesus proceeded through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and his disciples became hungry and began to ask him for food.

    But the newly discovered translation reads: ‘At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.’

    A scribe apparently erased the chapter whilst it was being written.

    Only one segment of the recovered text has been released to the public so far.

    Reading Holy Bible
    Only one segment has been released to the public so far (Picture: Getty Images)

    Grigory Kessel, who made the discovery, told DailyMail.com: ‘The Gospel text found in this reused manuscript contains the so-called Old Syriac translations of the Gospels. 

    ‘This Old Syriac translation quite often attests the Gospel text that is different from the standard Gospel text as we know it today.’

    The Gospel of Matthew forms the core of the 27 books of the New Testament.

    Matthew’s section begins describing the birth of Jesus and also includes early correspondence between Church leaders and Christians.

  • The top 5 causes of death in England and Wales no longer include COVID

    The top 5 causes of death in England and Wales no longer include COVID

    According to new statistics, the coronavirus is no longer among the top five killers in England and Wales.

    Following the outbreak of the global pandemic that first put the UK on lockdown in March 2020, COVID-19 was the main cause of death in both 2020 and 2021.

    According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), five additional diseases surpassed the virus in 2022, with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease leading the list and accounting for close to 66,000 deaths, or 11% of all deaths, according to the ONS.

    As a result of new versions, the expected number of weekly infections for Covid-19 rose to 4.4 million at the end of last March, setting new records for infection levels in 2022.

    But this increase in infections did not result in an increase in deaths caused by the virus, most likely thanks to the success of the vaccination roll-out.

    Sarah Caul, head of mortality analysis at the ONS, said the figures represent a ‘significant change’ in England and Wales’ leading causes of death.

    In both 2020 and 2021 Covid-19 was the leading cause of death, with 73,766 deaths (12.1% of the total) and 67,350 (11.5%) respectively.

    By 2022 coronavirus was recorded as the main cause of death for 22,454 people, or 3.9% of all deaths registered.

    After dementia and Alzheimer’s disease the other leading causes of death in England and Wales last year were ischaemic heart diseases (59,356 deaths and 10.3% of the total); chronic lower respiratory diseases (29,815 deaths, 5.2%); cerebrovascular diseases such as strokes and aneurysms (29,274 deaths, 5.1%); and trachea, bronchus and lung cancer (28,571 deaths, 5.0%).

    Vaccinations against Covid-19 were first rolled out to key workers and the clinically vulnerable in early 2021, with booster jabs introduced during the winter months.

    The total number of deaths registered in England and Wales last year was lower than in 2021 and 2020 – but still 6.2% above the five-year average.

    The ONS says 33,747 deaths in 2022 were considered to be ‘excess’ deaths, but they believe Covid-19 only played a minor role in last year’s figures.

    Instead they believe seasonal viruses like flue, the impact of the summer heatwave, pressures on the NHS, and access to medical services, would have contributed to last year’s excess deaths.

  • Massive queues for ferries at the Port of Dover as the Easter weekend rush begins

    Massive queues for ferries at the Port of Dover as the Easter weekend rush begins

    A new set of delays at the Port of Dover have already ruined Easter vacations.

    Ferry operators warned travelers that the bank holiday check-in and border crossing processes could take two to three hours.

    Despite organized efforts to prevent the pandemonium that occurred last weekend, when thousands of people were delayed by up to 14 hours, long lines had already started to form early on Good Friday.

    Port officials insisted they had carried out an ‘urgent review’ with ferry operators and French officials, whose ‘lengthy border processes’ were blamed for failing to cope with the Easter rush.

    Coach companies were urged to ‘spread’ services booked for Friday over to Thursday and Saturday, but few are thought to have made amendments.

    Whereas last weekend’s delays mainly affected coaches, cars are now taking much longer than usual to process as well.

    Irish Ferries, one of three main operators sailing out of Dover, warned passengers check-in could take up to three hours on Friday morning.

    The other two, DFDS and P&O Ferries, said the wait to board their vessels was two hours and one hour respectively.

    P&O said the roads in and around Dover are ‘extremely busy’ but insisted all of its departures in the first half of the day are set to leave on time.

    People travelling within France are set to face further disruption over the weekend due to protests and strikes over plans to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64.

    Several major motorways in and around Paris, other major cities and the French Alps were blocked or closed, while a number of regional TER and cross-country TGV train lines have been suspended.

    Flights to other European destinations have also been severely affected due to French air traffic controllers walking out.

    At least 20 BA services due to fly on Thursday were axed as they needed to use French airspace.

    Protesters also blocked a road from Terminal 1 of Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, forcing travellers to make part of their journey on foot.

    Motorists making trips within central and southwest England are also likely to experience severe congestion on Friday, according to the RAC.

    Traffic is expected to crawl at just 12mph during the busiest times on the A303 westbound, the M5 south from Bristol and the M25 anticlockwise between Hertfordshire and Surrey.

    Some two million people are set to travel from Britain overseas during the long weekend, according to The Travel Association, with other popular destinations including Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Greece.

  • The year ahead

    The year ahead

    Note: The numbers in the graphs may not add up to 100 per cent because figures have been rounded up/down. The survey also highlighted significant regional divergence in growth expectations within a general pattern of weakened expectations relative to the last survey.

    The situation in Europe and the US is now stark, with 100 per cent of chief economists expecting weak or very weak growth this year in the former and 91 per cent expecting weak or very weak growth in the latter. This marks a significant deterioration in recent months: at the time of the last survey, the corresponding figures were 86 per cent for Europe and 64 per cent for the US.

    The extent of the deterioration in the European outlook is also reflected in the latest round of IMF forecasts: while global growth for 2023 was trimmed by 0.2 percentage points, the forecast for the Eurozone slumped from 1.2 per cent to 0.5 per cent.

    In the US, the pace and extent of monetary tightening will exert a significant drag on economic activity this year.

    The survey results for the 2023 outlook in China are polarized, with almost half of respondents now expecting weak or very weak growth in China, with the other half expecting moderate or even strong growth.

    Recent moves to unwind the country’s highly restrictive zero-COVID policy are expected to deliver a boost to growth. However, it remains to be seen how disruptive the policy shift will be, particularly in terms of the health impacts of COVID-19’s expected rapid spread through the population. A number of additional factors are likely to weigh on China’s growth in 2023, such as weak consumer confidence, missing the 5 per cent growth target for 2022 and continued strain in financial markets and the real-estate sector.

    The two strongest regions in 2023 according to the survey are the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and South Asia. In South Asia, 85 per cent of respondents expect moderate (70 per cent) or strong (15 per cent) growth, a modest improvement since the September edition.

    In MENA, two-thirds of respondents(70 per cent) expect moderate or strong growth in 2023. While this overall proportion has slightly dipped since the September edition, expectations of strong growth have increased from 12 per cent to 15 per cent. Energy exporters in the region continue to benefit from tight commodity markets, but oil prices have fallen by almost 25 per cent since June 2022 and these countries will be vulnerable to the impacts of any slowdown in global growth in 2023.

    In the East Asia and Pacific region, 37 per cent of chief economists expect weak growth in 2023, and 63 per cent expect moderate or strong growth, similar to September.

    However, that broad pattern masks a shift in expectations from strong to moderate growth since the last survey.

    During that period, the region has seen negative terms-of-trade developments, as well as policy tightening moves that placed increased pressure on households and businesses.

    Challenging global financial conditions are also weighing on the economic outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean, and for Sub-Saharan Africa. For both regions, 68 per cent of respondents expect weak growth in 2023.

    This is a slight improvement for Sub-Saharan African but points to a worsening of conditions for Latin America and the Caribbean.

    Inflation moderates, but slowly Inflation over the last year was stubbornly high and broad-based, but a number of modestly encouraging data releases in the final quarter of 2022 provide some room for optimism over the medium-term inflation outlook in 2023.

    A range of factors have contributed to a slight easing of the rate of inflation, including rapid and synchronized monetary tightening, stabilization of supply conditions and commodity prices, and an easing of demand pressures.

    The latest IMF forecast is that global inflation will dip to 6.5 per cent this year from 8.8 per cent in 2022.

    Outlook

    For Europe, this is likely to reflect the deepening impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as the effects of sharp Increases in interest rates. The combination of high energy prices, elevated borrowing costs and sluggish demand has even led to instances of industrial capacity being left idle. With about half of the EU steel plants at a standstill as of November 2022 and fertilizer production capacity reduced by70 per cent, the European industrial sector is facing a challenging year ahead.

    Some economies in the region, including Bangladesh and India, may benefit from global trends such as a diversification of manufacturing supply chains away from

    Although no regions are slated for very high inflation, expectations of high inflation range from 57 per centof respondents for Europe to just 5 per centof respondents for China.

    The direction of changes in responses since the last edition differs from region to region. For example, the proportion of respondents expecting high inflation in Europe has increased from 47 per cent to 57 per cent since September, while for the US, it has declined sharply from 43 per cent to 24 per cent.

    The expectation is for moderate inflation throughout 2023 in several regions: SubSaharan Africa (61 per cent), East Asia and Pacific (58 per cent), MENA region (53 per cent) and South Asia (47 per cent).

    By contrast, in Latin America and the Caribbean and Central Asia, relatively high shares of respondents expect high inflation (45 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively).

    This is likely to reflect a combination of supply chain disruptions from the war in Ukraine as well as the continuing impact of spikes in food and fuel prices during 2022.

    China is an outlier in the other direction, with almost half of respondents (48 per cent) expecting low inflation (up from 28 per cent in September). As noted above, however, the short-term outlook for the Chinese economy is clouded by uncertainty surrounding the speed of the country’s removal of pandemic restrictions.

    If a full re-opening leads to a sharp recovery in economic activity, it would be likely to push Chinese prices significantly higher than previously seemed likely, as well as adding new impetus to global inflationary pressures.

    Policy-makers face trade-offs

    The global backdrop of weak growth and persistently high (albeit moderating) inflation presents policy-makers with challenges of historic proportions at the start of 2023.

    Chief among these will be the need to bring inflation much closer to the 2 per cent target without choking off growth, but the challenges run deeper.

    Accumulated societal strains from the last years as well as climate mitigation and adaptation present pressing investment needs in numerous countries.

    In the immediate term, central banks are the key economic decision-makers. Following a year of sharp and coordinated tightening, the chief economists surveyed expect the monetary policy stance to remain constant in most of the world this year.

    In Europe and the US, a majority of respondents (59 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively) expect further tightening in 2023. The Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank have both indicated that such additional tightening is on the way, but it is notable that the two banks’ most recent rate increases in December were smaller, at 50 basis points, than previous 75 basis point hikes in the current tightening cycle.

    Nonetheless, a quarter of respondents expect looser monetary policy in the US and Europe by the end of 2023.

  • At an interest rate of 35.9%, the government receives GH1.67 billion from the T-bill auction

    At an interest rate of 35.9%, the government receives GH1.67 billion from the T-bill auction

    Treasury bills exceeded the objective for the year’s first auction, conducted on January 6, 2023, according to data from the Bank of Ghana

    ‘s weekly auction.

    According to the results of the weekly auction, interest rates were largely constant.

    The 182-day bill was offered at a rate of 35.94%, but the interest rate for the 91-day bills was 35.65%.

    Treasury bills were oversubscribed by GH184 million, according to data from the Bank of Ghana.

    The 182-day bill accepted GH270.32 and the 91-day bill received bids totaling GH1405.70 million.

    For the 91-day, 182-day, and 365-day bills, a total of GH¢3971.28 million was accepted.

    Treasury bills have witnessed oversubscriptions since the announcement of the debt exchange programme by the government.

    Meanwhile, the government expects to raise GH¢1.49 billion in its next auction.

  • The Central Regional Minister hosts a three-day “Bronya Farmers Market” for locals

    The Central regional capital, Cape Coast, has hosted a three-day market session titled the “Bronya Farmers Market.”

    Minister Justine Marigold Assan of the Central Regional is the one who started it.

    It was developed so that locals may buy for holiday food at a discount.

    The trading day lasted from Wednesday, December 21, 2022, until Friday, December 23, 2022.

    At Adisadel College in Cape Coast, farmers from all over the area congregated to sell a variety of delicacies, including plantains, yams, coconuts, and poultry, among other items.

    Addressing the media, the minister stressed the important role farmers play in society and the country as a whole.

    She said: “I don’t take farmers for granted. Most of the time, we hear various professionals embarking on strike action; however, farmers never go on strike. So, they are very dear to my heart.”

    She, however, bemoaned the little earnings farmers make after harvesting and selling their farm produce.

    “What’s painful about it is, when they put in so much to cultivate their crops and they harvest and want to sell to take care of their kids in school, and buy food, it becomes difficult. We go to buy from them and sometimes, they don’t make a lot of profit. They even struggle to sell them,” she observed.

    The Central Regional Minister stressed that the initiative has not only afforded farmers the opportunity to sell but also residents of the region the chance to purchase foodstuffs at cheap prices.

    “So, we’ve brought all of them together here at the Bronya Farmers Market. You can see all the things here are fresh. We’re doing this so that the farmers can reap the benefit of their rewards.”

    “The upside about it, too, is what they are selling is like buying directly from the farm, so, it’s cheaper. We all know the times Ghana finds herself in,” the Regional Minister added.

  • Aliko Dangote’s fortunes decline in December, causing him to lose $200 million – Report

    According to information gathered from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa, has seen his net worth decrease by $200 million so far in December.

    In addition to being the richest Black person in the world, Dangote also has an 86 percent share in Dangote Cement, which is currently valued at $8.49 billion.
    His closely owned fertilizer plant, which has the ability to produce up to 2.8 million metric tonnes of urea annually, is responsible for an additional $5.15 billion of his wealth.

    Dangote’s wealth figures are largely made up of his stake in Dangote Group, a conglomerate with interests in a variety of sectors, including cement, sugar, flour, and salt. Dangote Group is the largest contributor to Dangote’s wealth and a major player in the African business landscape.

    The recent decline in Dangote’s net worth can be attributed to the decline in the market value of his flagship company, Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement company.

    The slump in the company’s shares comes after the cement manufacturer received shareholder approval to buy back up to 10 percent of its outstanding shares for N406 billion ($917 million).

    The shareholders who participated in the voting at the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting in Lagos gave their unanimous approval, with many of them praising the process and describing it as beneficial to all parties involved.

    Recently, Dangote has committed more than $700 million to expand the operation of his sugar company, Dangote Sugar Refinery, by increasing the refining capacity of one of its plants, DSR Numan, from 3,000 tonnes of cane per day (tcd) to 6,000 tcd, 9,800 tcd, and 15,000 tcd.

    The leading billionaire announced that the investment will create at least 300,000 jobs in Nigeria as he continues to strategically invest in his sugar business in accordance with the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan requirements.

    Despite the recent decline in his net worth, Dangote remains the richest man in Africa, a formidable force in the business world, and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. His diversified portfolio and unwavering dedication to success will likely continue to propel him to new heights.

  • TUC calls a halt to the walkout

    The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has changed its mind on going on statewide strike beginning on December 27, 2022.

    The union wanted to use the planned walkout to express its opposition to earlier government intentions to incorporate pension money in the debt exchange program.

    The union has additionally advised the government against making any additional preparations in that direction.

    The planned industrial action followed a one-week ultimatum given by Organised Labour for the government to ditch its decision to rope in pension funds in the debt exchange programme.

    However, following the government’s decision to exclude pension funds from the programme, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, at a news conference, said the planned industrial action was effectively cancelled.

  • China’s quarantine bus crash kills 27 people, sparks anger against zero-Covid policy

    Anger and criticism over China’s unrelenting zero-Covid policy has erupted after a bus transporting resident to a coronavirus quarantine facility crashed on Sunday, killing 27 people.

    According to authorities, the bus was carrying 47 people from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, to a remote county 155 miles (249 kilometers) away, when it overturned on a mountainous stretch of highway and rolled into a ditch at around 2:40 a.m.

    It is unclear why a quarantine bus would take people on winding mountain roads after midnight. China’s transport regulation prohibits long-distance coaches from operating between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.

    A photo widely circulated on social media shows the bus driving at night, with the driver wearing a full hazmat suit that left only his eyes uncovered. Other photos and videos show the bus being towed by a truck, its top crushed, and a hazmat suited worker spraying disinfectant on it. While CNN cannot independently verify the photos and videos, the bus license plate in the images matches the plate number reported by authorities.

    Survivors of the crash are now receiving treatment in hospital, according to authorities.

    News about the deaths sparked a huge outcry on Chinese social media, with many questioning the increasingly over-the-top implementation of China’s zero-Covid policy, which relies on snap lockdowns, mass testing and extensive quarantining measures to curb outbreaks.

    Stringent and prolonged lockdowns have recently sparked outcries in cities ranging from Guiyang, Chengdu to Jinan, as well as the regions of Xinjiang and Tibet.

    “What makes you think that you won’t be on that late-night bus one day?” read a viral comment, which garnered more than 250,000 likes before it was censored.

    “We’re all on the bus. We just haven’t crashed yet,” another comment said.

    Chinese censors rushed to cover the outrage. Many state media postings about the accident have closed the comment section, and search results appeared to be filtered. A related hashtag attracted more than 450 million views as of Sunday evening, but only posts from official government and media accounts were shown.

    A Guizhou resident who said her friend was killed on the bus took to Weibo to demand the Guiyang government to be held accountable. Her posts were widely shared, drawing an outpouring of anger and sympathy. The user declined CNN’s interview requests and later hid her posts.

    Guizhou officials are under huge pressure to contain even small-scale Covid outbreaks in the lead up to the 20th Party Congress, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to secure a norm-breaking third term in power.

    Guizhou reported 712 infections for Saturday, accounting for 70% of new cases nationwide. Nine local officials in Guiyang have already been suspended this month for failing to implement Covid policies properly.

    On Saturday, Guiyang officials vowed to “fight a decisive battle” to eliminate community transmission. In zero-Covid China, a solution commonly used by local authorities is to bus entire buildings or communities of residents out of the city to quarantine elsewhere.

    In Guiyang, which was placed under a lockdown earlier this month, authorities prepared 20 buses and 40 drivers to transport close contacts of Covid cases to other cities, the state-run Guiyang Evening Paper reported. As of Saturday, more than 7,000 people had been transferred, and nearly 3,000 were waiting to be bused out.

    According to government data, only two people have died of Covid in Guizhou, a province of 38 million people, since the beginning of the pandemic.

    Source: CNN

  • Queen cancels virtual engagements as she is still experiencing mild Covid symptoms

    London (CNN) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II canceled her planned virtual engagements on Tuesday as she continues to suffer from mild Covid-19 symptoms, Buckingham Palace has said.

    The palace announced Sunday that the 95-year-old monarch had contracted the virus.

    “As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold-like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties,” the palace said. 

    Light duties likely refer to her head of state responsibilities such as reading and answering documents and letters, which she receives daily in her famous red despatch boxes.

    A source close to the palace told CNN that the Queen’s further engagements over the coming week will be decided upon nearer the time.Concern for the Queen’s health has been renewed given her advanced age and health issues late last year. However, she has continued to work since Sunday despite testing positive for the coronavirus, issuing a message of condolence to the people of Brazil over flooding in the country on Monday. 

    The Queen’s diagnosis is the latest Covid case to hit the royal household. Her eldest son and heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, contracted the virus for a second time on February 10, and had seen his mother “recently.” Days later, his wife, Camilla, also tested positive. 

    Additionally, a royal source told CNN Sunday that there had recently been “a number of cases … diagnosed in the Windsor Castle team.” 

    UK media have reported that the Queen is fully vaccinated. Buckingham Palace previously confirmed both the monarch and her late husband, Prince Philip, had received their first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in January 2021. The palace has declined to reveal any information regarding subsequent vaccinations, citing medical privacy.

    The Queen met with incoming Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar and his predecessor on February 16. The Queen — who reached the milestone of 70 years as British monarch on February 6 — had only recently resumed in-person engagements after taking a step back on advice from doctors to rest following an overnight hospital stay in October for an undisclosed reason.

    She has used a walking stick at several engagements in recent months and referenced her mobility at an event last week. While holding an audience with two military secretaries in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle, she quipped: “Well, as you can see, I can’t move,” while gesturing to her leg. A royal source told CNN at the time that she was believed to have been feeling slightly stiff rather than injured or unwell.

    She also has made plans to appear at a number of major engagements next month: a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on March 2, the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14; and a service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip at the same venue on March 29.

    Nationwide celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee are set to take place in June.

    Source: edition.cnn.com

  • Botswana’s Omicron variant was ‘detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin’ – Ex-MP alleges

    A former Member of Parliament in Botswana, Alfred Rabashemi Madigele has alleged that the first cases of the new COVID-19 variant the southern African country recorded last week ‘was detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin.’

    Madigele made the claim in a November 28 Facebook post protesting the fact that Botswana and South Africa were among the first countries – along with others in the southern Africa region – to be slapped with flight bans by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States over the new variant.

    His post stressed that the two countries had rather served the world well by detecting and raising alarm relative to the Omicron variant of the virus known as SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529.

    His gripe includes that Botswana had failed to disclose that the variant was found in diplomats and quizzed further how and why Ghana and other African countries are not subjected to a similar ban.

    There has been a strong demand for information by Ghanaians commenting on his post asking that he gives further and better particulars on his classification of “diplomats of Ghanaian origin.”

    Among those making the information request are Professor Kweku Azar, Dr. Kwame Sarpong Asiedu of CDD-Ghana and former presidential press secretary Ben Dotse-Malor.

    The Botswanan medic has yet to respond to any of the inquiries at the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, his government explained the status of the country relative to the new variant in a press conference on Sunday.

    Read full post of the ex-MP below:

    Why are we not telling the world that Botswana has sophisticated scientists who managed to do and identify genetic sequencing of the new variant named Omicron ahead of all countries?

    Are we and RSA being punished for our brilliance? Why are we not telling the world that this variant was detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin? Why are we not telling the world to not only target us, but target Ghana and other western African countries?

    Omicron variant is possibly one of the several variants in circulation we will keep getting new variants of Covid-19 time and again. It’s the way that we respond to these that will define us, that will define the course of epidemic response for generations to come.

    What WHO said about the new COVID-19 variant

    The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) is an independent group of experts that periodically monitors and evaluates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and assesses if specific mutations and combinations of mutations alter the behaviour of the virus. The TAG-VE was convened on 26 November 2021 to assess the SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529.

    The B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021. The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterized by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant.

    In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant. The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021.

    This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs.

    The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa. Current SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics continue to detect this variant.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Fully-vaccinated people travelling to France will no longer need PCR tests done Statement

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced for the attention of the public that anyone travelling from Ghana to France and has fully vaccinated will no longer have to do any PCR test in addition.

    By that, all persons who have been vaccinated by vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are thereby eligible to benefit from this new arrangement.

    “The Republic of France has issued the following guidelines for travelers to and from France. Fully vaccinated travelers can now travel to France with no other health-related restrictions. No PCR Test is required prior to departure or on arrival.

    “All vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are accepted: Pfizer (Comirnaty), Moderna, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), AstraZeneca (Covishield),” a statement said.

    Also, the statement said listed out other requirements needed for eligible travellers.

    “Vaccine certificates must have QR codes and are considered valid for travel: 7 days after the second shot for two-shot vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca (Vaxevria and Covishield)); 4 weeks after the shot for one-shot vaccine (Johnson & Johnson); 7 days after the shot for vaccines administered to people who have already contracted COVID-19 (Only one dose is necessary),” it said.

    The statement, signed by the Director/Information and Public Affairs Unit, Worwornyo Agyeman (Mrs.), on behalf of the minister, however, clarified, “Non-vaccinated travelers must have a compelling reason to travel (health, business or family emergency) and must provide a less than 72 hours negative PCR test. Based on proof of this compelling reason, the French Immigration will issue a laisser-passer and the traveler must pledge to self-isolate for 7 days,” it said.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • World balance indicates over 4 million dead since the coronavirus pandemic began

    The new coronavirus pandemic has caused at least 4,227,765 deaths worldwide since the WHO detected the disease in China at the end of 2019, according to the AFP balance based on official data.

    More than 198,247,050 cases of infection have been officially diagnosed since the start of the pandemic.

    The values ​​are based on the balances communicated daily by the health authorities of each country but exclude revisions carried out later by some statistical bodies.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, due to direct and indirect mortality, related to Covid-19, this balance maybe two or three times higher than what is officially released.

    A significant proportion of less severe or asymptomatic cases remain undetected despite the increase in screening methods in many countries.

    On Sunday, the 1st of August, 7,236 more died of SARS-CoV-2 and there were 455,312 new cases globally.

    The countries with the highest number of deaths in the most recent reports are Indonesia with an additional 1,568 deaths, Russia (785), and Brazil (464).

    The United States is the most affected country in terms of the number of deaths and cases, with 613,228 deaths and 35,003,546 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University count.

    After the United States, the most affected countries are Brazil with 556,834 deaths and 19,938,358 cases, India with 424,773 deaths (31,695,958 cases), Mexico with 241,034 deaths (2,854,992 cases) and Peru with 196,438 deaths (2,113,201 cases).

    Among the hardest-hit countries, Peru has the highest number of deaths in relation to population, with 596 deaths per 100,000 population, followed by Hungary (311), Bosnia (295), Czech Republic (284), and Northern Macedonia (264).

    Latin America and the Caribbean totaled, as of 10:00 am today, 1,375,285 deaths and 40,901,761 cases, Europe 1,203,546 deaths (58,536,165 cases), Asia 675,820 deaths (44,999,056 cases), United States and Canada 639,828 deaths (36,434,778 cases), Africa 170,998 deaths (6,746,432 cases), Middle East 160,907 deaths (10,543,800 cases) and Oceania 1,381 deaths (85,064 cases).

    This assessment was based on data collected by France Presse delegations from national authorities and information from WHO.

  • Coronavirus: Active caseload drops marginally

    The number of COVID-19 cases in Ghana has dropped marginally from 1,589 to 1,580, the latest figures of the Ghana Health Service indicate.

    Of that number 24 are 24 and six critical.

    Some 48 new cases have been detected in the last few days.

    The death toll stands at 779.

    So far, Ghana has recorded a total of 92,683 cases since mid-March 2020 with 90,324 recoveries.

    Regional breakdown:

    Greater Accra Region – 51,054

    Ashanti Region – 15,517

    Western Region – 5,804

    Eastern Region – 4,177

    Central Region – 3,383

    Volta Region – 2,463

    Northern Region – 1,654

    Bono East Region – 1,426

    Bono Region – 1,397

    Upper East Region – 1,318

    Western North Region – 872

    Ahafo Region – 711

    Upper West Region – 496

    Oti Region – 422

    North East Region – 228

    Savannah Region – 122

    Source: Class FM

  • Ghana’s coronavirus deaths rise to 713, active cases drop to 3,343

    Ghana’s COVID-19 deaths have risen to 713 following the confirmation of eight more fatalities by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

    The latest update from the GHS further indicated that 40 people were in severe condition with 17 others in critical condition.

    However, the country’s active cases have declined to 3,343 from a previous 3,621 despite the confirmation of 363 new infections across the nation since the last update on Thursday, March 18, 2021.

    The new infections were from tests conducted as of March 15, 2021.

    The country has also recorded an additional 857 recoveries, pushing its total recoveries and discharges to 84,952 from a previous 84,095.

    The remaining active cases the GHS said were being managed at treatment sites and isolation centres across the country, with some under home management.

    Ghana has recorded a total of 89,008 cases of the virus since it confirmed its first two cases in March 2020.

    Out of the total confirmed cases, 31,013 were from the General Surveillance; 56,712 from the Enhanced Contact Tracing, and 1,283 from international travellers disembarking at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) since it was re-opened on September 1, 2020.

    Also, 961,744 tests were conducted out of which 292,312 were from routine surveillance, 479,393 from contact tracing, and 190,039 from international travelers arriving through the KIA.

    The positivity rate is 9.3 percent.

    Currently, all 16 regions have an active case.

    The Greater Accra Region remains the hotspot, accounting for almost 50 percent (1,663) of active cases, with a cumulative case count of 49,370

    The Ashanti Region has 293 active cases with a case count of 15,177, followed by the Western Region with 166 active cases and a cumulative of 5,602.

    Others are: Eastern Region, 139 active cases and 4,036 cumulative; Central Region 328 active and 3,190 cumulative; Volta Region, 176 active and 2,256 cumulative; Bono East Region 61 active and 1,316 cumulative, Northern Region 46 active and 1,576 cumulative, and Upper East Region 54 active and 1,277 cumulative.

    The rest are: Western North Region, 20 active cases, 839 cumulative, Bono Region, 114 active, 1,262 cumulative, Ahafo Region, 11 active and 686 cumulative, Oti Region, 27 active and 376 cumulative, Upper West, 91 active and 456 cumulative, Savannah Region, 15 active and 112 cumulative, and North East, 36 active and 194 cumulative.

    There are also 103 active cases from international travelers at the KIA.

    Ghana began her mass vaccination exercise on March 2, this year after taking delivery of some 600,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines on February 24.

    So far, a total of 405,000 people have been vaccinated against the virus as of Thursday, March 18, 2021 in the first phase in the country.

    Government said it hoped to vaccinate about 20 million of the population to stem the spread of the virus.

    Source: GNA

  • Japan finds COVID-19 variant in three people with no record of travel to UK

    Japanese doctors have detected a fast-spreading variant of the new coronavirus first discovered in Britain in three people who had not travelled there, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

    The three, aged from their 20s to their 60s and living in Shizuoka prefecture, about 200 km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, first had symptoms in early January, the ministry said.

    A health ministry official said that the authorities are looking into how the three became infected but that there was no proof yet that the variant first detected in Britain was spreading in Shizuoka now.

    Japan has so far detected 45 cases of new variants of the virus that were first spotted in Britain, South Africa and Brazil, he said.

    Japan earlier this month expanded a state of emergency declared in the Tokyo area to seven more prefectures to curb COVID-19 cases.

    The country has recorded about 335,000 cases of infection so far, including 4,500 deaths, public broadcaster NHK said.

    Source: reuters.com

  • Man City confirm three new positive coronavirus tests just hours before Man Utd clash

    Manchester City have confirmed that two more players, and one additional staff member, have tested positive for Covid-19 following the club’s latest round of testing.

    Goalkeeper Scott Carson and 18-year-old midfielder Cole Palmer are the two members of the playing staff that have tested positive, while an unnamed member of the non-playing staff has also delivered a positive test.

    The coronavirus crisis continues to worsen in the United Kingdom and globally, with 40 new cases among Premier League players and staff recorded in the past week – a new high for England’s top flight.

    Manchester City have been one of the worst-affected clubs in the Premier League in terms of the number of positive coronavirus tests, with a total of eight players having now tested positive for Covid-19.

    That includes first-team stars such as Eric Garcia, Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker, who all missed City’s 3-1 win over Chelsea in their last fixture on January 3.

    Despite that fixture at Stamford Bridge going ahead, City have already had one of their matches postponed in the 2020-21 campaign due to the coronavirus situation, with the Premier League meeting against Everton, that was due to be played on December 28, having been called off.

    And the news regarding the positive tests for Carson, Palmer and the unnamed staff member represents a worrying latest development, with Covid-19 continuing to spread within the Premier League club.

    The bigger picture

    The latest news will come as a concern to head coach Pep Guardiola, who has already seen his options limited in terms of squad selection over the past month.

    While the latest two players to have tested positive for Covid-19 are not essential members of the Catalan’s starting XI, the continuing spread of the virus offers a bleak outlook with there the obvious potential for more players and staff to test positive.

    Despite the absence of several key players, City have coped well on the pitch, beating Newcastle United 2-0 on Boxing Day before Sunday’s impressive 3-1 win over Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.

    What’s been said?

    The statement from City regarding the latest positive coronavirus tests reads, in full: “Manchester City FC can confirm that Scott Carson, Cole Palmer and one member of staff have tested positive for Covid-19.

    “Both personnel will now observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK Government protocol on quarantine.

    “Everyone at the club wishes Scott, Cole and all of our other colleagues a speedy recovery ahead of their return to work, training and competition.”

    Guardiola, meanwhile, has insisted that City “don’t have many players” ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final meeting with rivals Manchester United, and is concerned that his side will struggle to meet the demands of the fixture list with an ever-depleting squad.

    Source: goal.com

  • Germany reports 9,847 coronavirus cases in 24 hours

    German health officials said on Monday that the country had registered 9,847 new coronavirus infections and 302 deaths in the last 24 hours.

    The country’s infectious disease agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) noted that diminished counting at the tail end of the New Year’s holiday might be distorting the data.

    Overall, the country has recorded 1,775,513 cases, with 34,574 deaths and 1,401,200 people who have recovered.

    Meanwhile, nationwide restrictions designed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus appear all but certain to continue. Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet the 16 state premiers on Tuesday to discuss the next steps.

    Germany enacted sweeping closures and restrictions across the country in mid-December, tightening a partial lockdown initiated in early November that failed to reverse the country’s rising trend in infections.

    The tougher lockdown is to stay in place until at least January 10.

    Source: GNA

  • Akufo-Addo prays for a Coronavirus-free, prosperous 2021 for Ghana

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is upbeat that Ghana would surmount the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic as she mitigates its impact on the economy in the new year.

    In a short interaction with the media on Friday after he joined congregants of the Accra Ridge Church to usher in year 2021, he prayed that “we have a good year, that this disease is brought finally under control in our country, and we begin to rebuild our economy and secure the peace and stability of our nation…that is my wish for the people of Ghana.”

    The President was accompanied by his wife Rebecca, some senior government officials and family members to the service.

    The watch-night service was marked with joyful songs of praise to God and thanksgiving for seeing the country through the difficulties the COVID-19 presented in 2020, and intercessory prayers for Ghana, the government, the legislature, Judiciary, the security services, and for all health workers and affiliates.

    Prayers were also raised for good counsel for President from his appointees, and for God to imbue him with the spirit of discernment, and for divine guidance to steer the affairs of the country successfully.

    The congregants of the Church prayed also for God’s protection and shield around the country, as the coronavirus pandemic continued its raging run around the world.

    A minister of the Church, Reverend Andrew Odjawo, in an exhortation, said God had been good to Ghana and indeed the people of Africa.

    He noted that projections made that huge numbers of Africans would die from the COVID-19 disease did not materialise, saying, “Though many lost their lives, God has been gracious to us, and spared our country the wrath of the disease…and we should indeed be grateful to Him.”

    “We thank God for our country, and for the leadership in our country,” he said.

    Taking his sermon for the night from the second chapter of the book of Collossians.

    In which the Apostle Paul cautioned the Collassians against false teachings, Rev. Odjawo warned of the danger of spiritual deceit in the Church.

    He said the body of Christ was now abound with “con artists” who “swindle” the brethren with wrong philosophy and doctrines.

    The Rev. Minister implored the congregation to shun with vehemence, any philosophy that did not follow Christ’s teaching, and make Him the centre of their lives because Christ was the fullness of the God head.

    “As we move into 2021, Christ must be the centre of our lives, because in Him, there was the fullness of God head.

    “Let us make Christ the centre of our lives. He is all we need in 2021, whether coronavirus or not. Whatever comes, Jesus should reign in our lives. Nothing else matters when we place Christ at the centre.. Let everything resolve around Him,” he said.

    Rev. Odjawo prayed that the people of Ghana recovered what the lost in 2020.

    “As we move into 2021, let us be assured that God would lead us to recover all our losses of 2020. He will bring us back to the pasture where there will be increase. 2021 is our year of recovery,” he added.

    Source: GNA

  • Agric sector records positive gains despite coronavirus – GAWU calls for more attention

    The General Secretary of the Ghana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Kareweh has stated that the agriculture sector continues to be robust despite the existence of COVID-19.

    Speaking to Graphic Business, he said the growth in agriculture is an indication that it would remain the most resilient in the near future.

    According to him, the sector was able to withstand the shocks of the pandemic since it is largely insulated from external factors.

    “If you look at the general agriculture production in the country, 80 percent of domestic production is in the hands of smallholder farmers, and these farmers are not largely exposed to the global economy directly. Their production is not dependent on the occurrence or non-occurrence of certain factors in the global economy.

    “They have their own seed and have control over it, have control over their production needs, and depend largely on themselves to consume and market their produce. Agriculture is largely insulated from external factors,” he explained.

    Data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) showed that the agriculture sector has for the second consecutive quarter emerged as the only sector which recorded positive GDP growth in the country.

    The sector in the third quarter of 2020 recorded a GDP growth of 8.3 per cent. This comes after it recorded a GDP growth of 2.5 per cent in the second quarter.

    The industry sector on the other hand contracted by 5.7 per cent in the second quarter and contracted by 5.1 per cent in the third quarter, while the services sector also contracted by 2.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent in the second and third quarters respectively.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Intelligent connected machines to be a major part of life by 2030 – Consumers predict

    Consumers expect connected technology to become more flexible and interactive going forward and see devices enabling more pro-active, and even creative choices in a wide range of everyday life situations by 2030.

    The tenth edition of the Ericsson ConsumerLab 10 Hot Consumer Trends report highlights consumer predictions about the various roles that connected intelligent machines could take on going forward. Each of these roles could be seen as new service areas, opening a range of opportunities for 5G service providers to gradually extend intelligent networks to their customers.

    At Ericsson Research, our vision is that advances in AI and cellular communications technology will enable connected intelligent machines to securely communicate across the networks of tomorrow. In the process, they could make the world more responsive to consumer needs than ever before, given that consumers predict intelligent connectivity to enable services that go way beyond the mobile broadband experiences of today.

    Based on long-standing global trend research, the ConsumerLab 10 Hot Consumer Trends 2030 report represents the expectations and predictions of 50 million early technology adopters across 15 major cities.

    In this study, respondents rated 112 connected intelligent machine concepts, ranging from a human-centered to a more rational perspective. The result is an overview of the 10 roles consumers expect connected intelligent machines to take in everyday life by 2030. Each trend in the report depicts a specific role that such machines could take.

    Dr. Michael Björn, Head of Research Agenda, Ericsson Consumer & IndustryLab, and author of the report, says: “I was surprised to see that consumer expectations on smarter connectivity are higher than for any other connected intelligent machine type. The Connectivity Gofers trend includes predictions that devices will intelligently adapt to any signal, with use of cellular, Wi-Fi and fixed connectivity being seamless, as well as smart signal locators that guide users to spots with optimal coverage even in crowded areas.”

    “This points to opportunities for 5G service providers to gradually extend intelligent networks to cover a whole range of new services for their customers, and each of the machine roles we present in this report could be seen as a whole new service area.”

    “The Community Bots trend, for example, highlights the role machine intelligence could take in providing much needed community services. The Explainers puts forward the idea that all connected devices need to be able to explain themselves to users, and Sustainability bots focuses on the increased need for localized intelligent climate advice going forward.”

    “What all of these potential services have in common is that they rely on intelligently communicating across devices and thus puts the networking aspect even more in the front seat than today.”

    The 10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2030

    01. Body bots: Get a power-up 76 percent of consumers predict there will be intelligent posture-supporting suits.

    02. Guardian angels: Three-quarters believe that privacy guardians will help fool surveillance cameras and block electronic snooping.

    03. Community bots: Seventy-eight percent believe electronic watchdog services will alert neighborhood allies to any trespassers.

    04. Sustainability bots: Future weather will be extreme 82 percent believe devices will share data and warn about local rain torrents or heat blasts.

    05. Home officers: WFH uninterrupted 79 percent say smart speakers will project noise-canceling walls around the home office space.

    06. Explainers: Over 8 in 10 predict automated financial management systems that explain how your investments are handled.

    07. Connectivity gofers: Smart signal locators will be able to guide you to optimal connectivity spots, say 83 percent of consumers.

    08. Baddie bots: A baddie bot that can be trained to carry out burglaries or attack other people is wanted by 37 percent of AR/VR users.

    09. Media creators: Machines will curate content. Sixty-two percent think game consoles will make original games based on their game play.

    10. Bossy bots: Around 7 in 10 believe that social network AIs will understand your personality and build up a circle of friends that is good for your mental and physical wellbeing.

    Source: africanews.com

  • Chilean president handed $3,500 fine for mask-less selfie with stranger

    Chilean President Sebastian Pinera was slapped with a $3,500 fine on Friday after posing for a selfie on the beach with a bystander without wearing a mask as required during the Coronavirus pandemic, health authorities said.

    Chile has strict rules on mask-wearing in all public places and violations are punishable with sanctions that include fines and even jail terms.

    Pinera apologized then turned himself in shortly after the selfie surfaced on social media in early December.

    The president explained he had been walking alone along the beach near his home in the posh Chilean seaside town of Cachagua when a woman recognized him and asked for a photo together.

    The selfie shows the president and the woman standing very near to one another on a sunny day, neither wearing masks.

    The gaffe-prone Pinera was previously photographed at a pizza party on the night protests over inequality broke out in Santiago last year. He was later seen posing for pictures at the square that had been the hub of the demonstrations after the pandemic forced protesters to stay at home.

    The virus peaked in Chile in May and June, during the southern hemisphere winter, then subsided through November. Cases are on the rise again, however, prompting new restrictions and quarantines.

    Source: edition.cnn.com

  • Police broke into a Ghanaian church in Germany over violation of coronavirus protocols

    Police break up church service with 86 people in Essen-Germany.

    In a private church building of the original Ghanaian congregation “The Church of Pentecost”, the members celebrated Sunday mass.

    In a private church building of the originally Ghanaian congregation “The Church of Pentecost”, the members celebrated Sunday mass.

    Police had to stop a church service in Essen-Kray on Sunday because of Corona violations.

    At around 1.50 pm on Sunday, officers broke up a service of the Ghanaian “Church of Pentecost”, a free church Pentecostal congregation originating in Ghana.

    The officers found 56 adults and 30 children celebrating mass on the premises of the street “Schwelmhöfe”. Charges were filed against the adults.

    Source: Francis Tawiah, Contributor

  • Coronavirus: Global tourism falls by more than 70% due to pandemic – UNWTO

    According to the latest tourism data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), destinations welcomed 900 million fewer international tourists between January and October when compared with the same period of 2019.

    This translates into a loss of US$935 billion in export revenues from international tourism, more than 10 times the loss in 2009 under the impact of the global economic crisis.

    UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Since the start of this crisis, UNWTO has provided governments and businesses with trusted data showing the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism.

    Even as the news of a vaccine boosts traveller confidence, there is still a long road to recovery. We thus need to step up our efforts to safely open borders while supporting tourism jobs and businesses. It is ever clearer that tourism is one of the most affected sectors by this unprecedented crisis.”

    Based on the current evidence, UNWTO expects international arrivals to decline by 70% to 75%for the whole of 2020.

    In this case, global tourism will have returned to levels of 30 years ago, with 1 billion fewer arrivals and a loss of some US$ 1.1 trillion in international tourism receipts.

    This massive drop in tourism due to the pandemic could result in an economic loss of US$ 2 trillion in world GDP.

    Travel restrictions continue to weigh on the recovery

    Asia and the Pacific, the first region to suffer the impact of the pandemic and the one with the highest level of travel restrictions to date, saw an 82% decrease in arrivals in the first ten months of 2020.

    The Middle East recorded a 73% decline, while Africa saw a 69% drop. International arrivals in both Europe and the Americas declined by 68%.

    Europe recorded smaller decreases of 72% and 76% in September and October compared to other world regions, following the slight though short-lived recovery in the summer peak months of July and August.

    The resurgence of the virus across the region has led to the reintroduction of some forms of travel restrictions. However, Europe is the region in which more destinations (91% as of 1 November 2020) have eased such restrictions, mainly among Schengen Member States.

    At the other end of the spectrum, Asia and the Pacific continued to record declines of nearly 100% in September and October, reflecting the ongoing closure of borders in China and other major destinations in the region.

    The Americas has seen a gradual improvement since June with comparatively lower decreases in international arrivals through October. This reflects the reopening of many destinations in the region, including small island developing states in the Caribbean.

    Secretary-General Pololikashvili adds: “A coordinated approach to easing and lifting restrictions on travel whenever is it safe to do so l is essential. This will not only open destinations up to tourism again, but clear and consistent rules between countries will go a long way towards building back trust in international travel and boosting consumer confidence.”

    Demand remains weak overall despite a slight improvement in some markets
    Data on international tourism expenditure continues to reflect very weak demand for outbound travel. However, some large markets such as the United States, Germany and France have shown some signs of recovery in the recent months. Furthermore, demand for domestic tourism continues to grow in some markets, including both China and Russia.

    Looking ahead, the announcement of a vaccine and the start of vaccination are expected to gradually increase consumer confidence. At the same time, a growing number of destinations are easing or lifting restrictions on travel.

    According to the latest research from UNWTO, the proportion of closed destinations has dropped from 82% in late April 2020 to 18% in early November (expressed in percentage of international arrivals).

    The extended scenarios for 2021-2024 presented by the United Nations specialized agency for tourism point to a rebound by the second half of 2021. Nonetheless, a return to 2019 levels in terms of international arrivals could take between two-and-a-half and four years.

    Source: untwo.org

  • Western Region has 18 active coronavirus cases

    Gifty Eugenia Kusi, Deputy Western Regional Minister has hinted that the Western Region recently recorded eighteen active COVID-19 cases.

    She in this regard called for a coordinated approach by all stakeholders to ensure that the health and safety protocols were adhered to by all as they inched closer to the Christmas and the New Year festivities.

    Mrs Kusi gave the hint at a joint meeting of Heads of Department (HODs) of the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) and Heads of other Public Sector Institutions in Takoradi.

    “Let us all remind ourselves that COVID-19 is still around and we are not yet out of the woods”, she emphasized.

    According to her, there was no doubt that the COVID-19 global pandemic disrupted planned activities for the year however, modest successes have been chalked in the various fields of endeavours.

    She, therefore, advised that the success stories should be shared whiles, innovative means to overcome the challenges are deployed.

    The Deputy Regional Minister used the occasion to commend the Electoral Commission (EC) and all its stakeholders especially, the security agencies for their professionalism and vigilance in delivering incident-free 2020 elections.

    She also commended the people of the Region for the civility and the peaceful manner they exercised their franchise and cautioned that they should not lose their guard and continue to monitor the activities of aggrieved parties to forestall post-elections violence.

    Source: GNA

  • 2021 New Year School focuses on global health crises

    The 72nd Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) was on Thursday launched in Accra with a focus on, “Building Ghana in the face of Global Health Crises.”

    The conference is slated for January 19-20, 2021 at the University of Ghana, Legon.

    It is being organised by School of Continuing and Distance Education, College of Education, University of Ghana.

    Unveiling the event Thursday, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Minister of Health, said the ministry would adhere to its mandate of championing the course of a healthy population to contribute to socio-economic growth of the country.

    “Health is not expenditure, but an investment that yields dividends, especially when the population becomes healthy and productive,” he said.

    He said since the outbreak of COVID-19 on March 12, 2020, government had rolled out pragmatic measures to respond to the pandemic.

    These included; the closure of boarders, effective contact tracing, and imposition of restrictions in parts of the country and intra city movements.

    The minister said government had established Coronavirus Alleviation Programme to support Micro, Small and Medium-size businesses to minimise job losses and expand industrial output for domestic consumption and exports.

    Through the programme, he said the Ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Local Government and the Rural Development as well as other stakeholders provided food to individuals and homes in the affected areas of restrictions.

    He stated that government in collaboration with the National Board for Small Scale Industries, the Business and Trade Associations and selected Commercial and Rural Banks, rolled out a soft loan scheme of GH¢ 600 million with a one year moratorium and two year repayment period for Micro, Small and Medium Scale businesses to reduce harsh economic effects on some business owners.

    Mr Agyemang-Manu said government would continue to strengthen the capacity of health systems and public health to identify cases, isolate and treat them.

    He added that it would continue to trace and quarantine contacts, stressing that the country’s policies would be driven by data and science.
    Mr Agyemang-Manu said the pandemic had helped the country to build the necessary alliances and partnership in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, alluding to benefits of the roadmap to Universal Health Coverage of leaving no one behind.

    Professor Michael Tagoe, the Acting Provost, College of Education, University of Ghana, said though the spread of COVID-19 had not been as virulent as in the Western world, African countries had struggled to improve health care for their citizens with non-communicable diseases on the rise.
    In Ghana, records show that hypertension, stroke, diabetes and cancers are responsible for 43 per cent of all deaths.

    Prof Tagoe said education in the era of global health crises was the best approach to dealing with the pandemic and reducing non-communicable diseases in the country.

    He called for the need to ensure that more health facilities were built and investments made in health sector workforce for sustainable healthcare growth.

    Dr John Boateng, Director, 72nd ANYSC, urged institutions and agencies to engage in strong collaborations and partnerships.

    That, he said was crucial in finding common solutions to national problems and building resilience against global health crises.

    The Annual New Year School and Conference was introduced in 1948 and attracts people from all walks of life to deliberate on topical issues of national and international interests.

    Source: GNA

  • US tops daily record for coronavirus deaths, hospitalisations

    The latest numbers of newly reported coronavirus deaths and hospitalisations shattered records in the United States on Wednesday.

    There were 3,054 reported deaths, the highest single-day total to date and nearly 300 deaths higher than the previous record set in May, according to the organization, data from the Covid Tracking Project showed.

    The highest-ever number of people – 106,688 – are hospitalised with Covid-19, according to the organization, the latest in a weeks-long streak of record-setting daily figures.

    According to Johns Hopkins University data released on Wednesday, the country logged a record 215,860 new infections a day earlier.

    New cases per day have rocketed to more than 200,000 on average.

    While vaccines are within sight, health experts expect the upcoming Christmas holidays to further fuel the widespread surge.

    The US, which has a population of around 330 million, has recorded 15.4 million infections since the start of the pandemic and is approaching 300,000 deaths – far more than any other nation.

    Source: GNA

  • Covid-19 dominates Google searches this year

    In a year dominated by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s not a surprise that the top searches on Google in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria have been dominated, according to the company’s review, by inquiries about the virus.

    In South Africa, the hardest-hit country on the continent, people searched for details about the imposed lockdowns and news about cigarettes and alcohol which were banned from sale.

    In Kenya, some of the questions people searched for in relation to the pandemic included: how to make sanitisers and how to boost immunity.

    Searches about misleading content like the role 5G in the spread of coronavirus was among topics people looked for in South Africa.

    There was also interest in the US elections in the three countries with users searching for details about president-elect Joe Biden and the incoming vice-president Kamala Harris.

    Nigerians, just like users in the other two countries, searched for local celebrity news.

    News about the English Premier League was popular in Kenya.

    In Nigeria, Fem, a song by Afrobeats star Davido was the most searched.

    Recipes for porn star martini – a popular South African cocktail made with passion fruit – was also among the top searches in Nigeria.

    Source: bbc.com

  • EPL: Fans back into stadiums Dec 2, but 7 clubs still not permitted to admit any

    Football fans will be back in stadiums next Wednesday — but thousands are still going to be locked out.

    Culture Secretary Oliver  Dowden yesterday  confirmed the lifting of the national ban from December 2.

    How many fans each Premier League club will be allowed based on October tiers

    Source: The sun

  • WHO predicts spike in COVID-19 cases ahead of Christmas

    The World Health Organisation has predicted a spike in COVID-19 cases ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities which will witness an increase in social gatherings.

    The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said this during a webinar attended by select African journalists on Thursday.

    Moeti urged countries to be on high alert for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases even as nearly 20 countries in the region experience an uptick in cases.

    She said, “As we near the time of year when people get on the move to spend their holidays together, there is a bigger risk of COVID-19 transmission.”

    “New clusters of cases can emerge in places that have so far been unaffected as people travel or gather for festivities. But we can lower the risks by wearing masks, limiting the numbers of people who come together, observing physical distancing and practising good hand hygiene. We can celebrate yet do so safely,” said Moeti.

    According to the WHO director, after reporting a downward trend then a plateau, Africa has been experiencing a rise in cases since early October.

    She said unlike the first wave of cases which was triggered by hotspots in southern Africa, the latest increase is driven by the North African region, where temperatures are beginning to fall.

    According to her, in the 47 countries in the WHO African Region, 19 countries have reported over a 20 per cent increase in new cases in the past 28 days compared with the previous four weeks.

    However, 17 countries are also reporting a more than 20 per cent drop in the number of new cases over the past 28 days, compared with the previous four weeks. There have also been increased reports of health worker infections and deaths, particularly among more experienced health workers.

    The WHO urged member states to conduct risk assessments at the sub-national level and identify areas of high risk.

    Based on this analysis, local governments can adjust their public health measures accordingly and be agile in their decision-making.

    Moeti said WHO is helping to prepare for a potential rise in hospital admission by training additional contact tracers and clinicians to better handle cases, ensuring crucial supplies are on hand and boosting screening at border crossing points.

    The WHO identified a worrying trend of disregarding safety measures among populations.

    The health body also launched the “Mask Up, Not Down” campaign which aims to reach over 40 million young people in Africa with positive messages on the correct use of masks through social media, and to combat complacency, fatigue and misunderstanding around COVID-19 prevention measures.

    “In the face of COVID-19, complacency can be dangerous. At this critical moment as Africa begins to see an uptick in cases, we need to re-energize and recommit to wearing masks. I know many are finding the public health measures cumbersome, but without action from everyone, Africa risks a new surge in COVID-19 cases,” Moeti said.

    Source: punchng.com

  • Police break up large Berlin protests as Germany passes tougher coronavirus laws

    Several thousand people gathered in central Berlin, banging pans and blowing whistles, to protest Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German government’s push to better enforce coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday.

    Some 190 protesters were arrested and nine police officers were hurt in the clashes that ensued, Berlin police said.

    “Police calling on demonstrators to leave. Lots of booing. Demonstrators want to access cordoned-off area around parliament where new additions to infection law are being debated [at the moment,],” DW’s Nina Haase reported from the scene.

    A tense standoff ensued, as police tried to convince the crowd to disperse amid cries of “We are the people!” and as some protesters started singing the national anthem.

    Police officers in riot gear lined up to stop demonstrators from getting too close to the parliament building, seeking to avoid scenes from August when a similar protest reached the Reichstag parliament building. Back then, during a weekend demo, politicians were not in session.

    Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer defended the police action, saying that the top government bodies were able “to work without restrictions today.”

    “The democratic constitutional state is alive and the police are its protective shield,” he added.

    “The conservative politician thanked the emergency forces “for this very important service in our country.”

    What do the new rules entail?

    Germany’s lower and upper houses passed changes to Germany’s existing infection protection law, catering more specifically to the coronavirus pandemic. The new measures will enable the government to impose restrictions on social contact, rules on mask-wearing, drinking alcohol in public, shutting shops and stopping sports events.

    Advocates say the bill provides a more solid legal basis for various anti-pandemic measures. It also covers rules on school and daycare closures, and restrictions on educational institutions.

    Dubbed the Infection Protection Act, the law passed in the German Bundestag with a 415 majority of lawmakers backing it, 236 voting against it and eight abstaining. It then went to the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, where it passed with a clear majority. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier then signed it into law.

    Some 17,561 new coronavirus cases were reported in Germany on Wednesday, bringing its total number of infections to 833,307.

    The latest infection figures are a slight drop from the same day last week, when Germany reported 18,487 cases, and daily case numbers have plateaued somewhat in recent days. But infection levels are still far higher than the government deems acceptable in most of the country, and more than four times the government’s own limit in Berlin itself.

    Hitler’s enabling act invoked by sceptics

    Demonstrators who took part in the Wednesday protests did not actively wear masks or socially distance. But one participant wore a face mask with the words “Merkel-Muzzle,” while others held banners with slogans such as “For Enlightenment. Peace and Freedom.”

    Critics say the coronavirus laws would give the government too much power and endanger citizens’ civil rights.

    The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) has even gone as far comparing the proposed measures with the Enabling Act of 1933 that paved the way towards Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship, particularly in its social media postings. A senior AfD member, Bernd Baumann, drew the same parallel in the Bundestag.

    Social Democrat MP Helge Lindh told DW that the right to protest must be respected, but a comparison to the Nazi regime was too far.

    “It must be possible to demonstrate and to criticize,” Lindh told DW by telephone. “But tolerance can not go so far to accept that the infection protection law is being equated with the beginning of the Nazi dictatorship, with the Enabling Act of 1933.”

    “This is blindness towards the lessons of history,” said Lindh. “And it is a complete trivialization of National Socialism.”

    Andreas Wirsching, director of the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich, told DW the analogy was “complete nonsense.”

    A bid by the AfD, Germany’s largest opposition party in the current parliament, to halt proceedings in the Bundestag failed early Wednesday.

    According to Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel, several lawmakers accused their AfD colleagues of allowing some demonstrators to enter the parliament building without permission.

    One of these activists was filmed berating CDU politician and Economy Minister Peter Altmeier as he was waiting to take the elevator. Lawmakers reported being harassed by the anti-coronavirus demonstrators that allegedly snuck into the building.

    Source: dw.com

  • Sudanese in Israel fear being returned after normalisation

    Sudanese asylum seekers living in Israel fear being kicked out once ties are normalized between the two countries, though some hope their presence will be seen as an advantage.

    Technically at war with Israel for decades, Sudan on Friday became the third Arab country this year to announce it is normalizing ties with the Jewish state, following the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in August.

    But since the announcement, members of the Sudanese community in Israel have been “very afraid” of being sent back, said 26-year-old Barik Saleh, a Sudanese asylum seeker who lives in a suburb of Tel Aviv.

    Israel counts a Sudanese population of around 6,000, mostly asylum seekers.

    Thousands of others left or were forced to return after Sudan split in 2011 when South Sudan won its independence — only for the fledgling country to plunge into civil war.

    Some of the Sudanese — often labeled as “infiltrators” for crossing illegally into Israeli territory before being granted permission to stay — were minors when they arrived.

    They are not always allowed to work, and they cannot gain Israeli citizenship.

    Saleh, who grew up in West Darfur, was just nine when his family fled the war to neighboring Chad.

    “My parents are in a refugee camp,” said the young man, who arrived after journeying through Libya and Egypt, and has lived in Israel for 13 years.

    “I will be the first one for normalization,” he said.

    “But if I will be deported from here, then I will be in 100 percent danger,” he added.

    ‘Not safe to go back’ – Former president Omar al-Bashir oversaw Sudan’s civil war in the Darfur region from 2003. Some 300,000 people died in the conflict and 2.5 million were forced from their homes.

    Bashir, in detention in Khartoum, is wanted by the International Criminal Court over charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

    “We are here because it is not safe to go back to Sudan yet,” said 31-year-old Monim Haroon, who comes from a stronghold region of Darfuri rebel leader Abdelwahid Nour’s Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) faction.

    “The reason why we are here in Israel is not because of the lack of a diplomatic relationship between Sudan and Israel, but because of the genocide and ethnic cleansing that we went through,” Haroon said.

    Sudan’s transitional government, in place after the fall of Bashir in 2019, signed a landmark peace deal with an alliance of rebel groups earlier this month.

    But Nour’s rebel faction was not one of them.

    Some of those in power in Sudan today were also in control under Bashir.

    They include Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, vice president of Sudan’s ruling transitional sovereign council.

    He heads the feared Rapid Support Forces, long accused by human rights groups of committing widespread abuses in Sudan’s Darfur provinces.

    “For me it is very dangerous,” said Haroon, who was previously head of Nour’s office in Israel.

    “Unless Abdelwahid signs a peace agreement, I cannot go back.”

    – ‘Second home’ – In Neve Shaanan, a suburb of Tel Aviv known for its asylum seeker community, stalls and restaurants offer Sudanese food, including a version of the popular bean dish “foul”, served with grated cheese.

    Usumain Baraka, a smartly dressed 26-year-old who works nearby, has finished a master’s degree in public policy at a university in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv.

    Like Saleh, he too was nine when he fled Darfur for Chad, where his mother still lives in a refugee camp.

    “They (militiamen) killed my dad and my big brother, and they took everything we had in the village,” Baraka said.

    “At one point I had two options: to go back to Darfur to fight for a rebel group, or leave the camp and try to have a normal life.”

    While the young men who AFP spoke to expressed fear that their presence in Israel would be at risk under the normalization agreement, some said they would like the Jewish state to see it as an asset rather than a burden.

    Haroon said Sudanese in Israel could be a “bridge” between the countries, not only in the private sector but to also to help build understanding between the two peoples.

    “I hope the Israeli government will see this potential asset, the important role that we can bring promoting the interest of the two countries,” he said.

    Both Sudan and Israel have said in recent days that migration would be one of the issues on the agenda during upcoming meetings on bilateral cooperation.

    “Israel is my second home,” said asylum seeker Saleh. “There is no language that I speak better than Hebrew, even my own local language.”

    But Jean-Marc Liling, an Israeli lawyer specialized in asylum issues, warned that with the normalization announcement, the return of Sudanese asylum seekers would likely be on the government’s radar.

    “The first thing that comes to the government’s mind is: we’ll be able to send back the ‘infiltrators’,” Liling said.

    Source: africanews.com

  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino tests positive for coronavirus

    President of football’s world governing body, FIFA, Gianni Infantino has tested positive for COVID-19.

    The President and people that have been in close contact with him in the past few days are currently self-isolating.

    A statement from FIFA read, “FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received confirmation today that he has tested positive for coronavirus. The FIFA President, who has reported mild symptoms, has immediately placed himself in self-isolation and will remain in quarantine at least for 10 days.

    “All people who came into contact with the FIFA President during the last few days have been informed accordingly and they are being requested to take the necessary steps.

    “FIFA sincerely wishes President Infantino a speedy recovery.”

    Infantino had mild symptoms and after undergoing tests for the coronavirus, it came out positive. He is expected to be in quarantine for at least ten days before another test is carried on.

    He is one of the high profile personalities in the world to contract the virus after US President Donald Trump tested positive some few weeks ago.

    The virus, which broke out late last year has claimed several lives since March with experts yet to produce a vaccine for the global pandemic.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Coronavirus infections continue to rise across UK

    Coronavirus infections continue to rise across the UK, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics.

    It estimates cases have risen by a quarter to more than 35,200 a day in England.

    Infection rates have been highest among older teenager and adults in recent weeks.

    It comes as stricter rules come into force for millions more people across the UK.

    Around one in 130 people you meet in the street in England had coronavirus in the week to 16 October, data from the ONS infection survey suggests.

    This compares to one in 180 in Wales and Scotland, and one in 100 in Northern Ireland.

    The highest levels of the virus continue to be in the north west and north east of England.

    The ONS figures are based on a survey of people in random households whether they have symptoms or not, giving one of the most accurate pictures of the epidemic.

    These figures are much higher than the lab-confirmed cases recorded by the UK government every day. Another 21,242 cases and 189 deaths were confirmed on Thursday.

    Another source of data, the Covid Symptom study app, suggests there were more than 36,000 new daily cases in the UK over the two weeks to 18 October up from nearly 28,000 a week ago.

    The numbers are based on app users logging their symptoms and positive tests on the app.

    Source: BBC

  • Minority demands breakdown of Coronavirus expenditure

    The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has demanded a breakdown of the coronavirus expenditure.

    He said in the spirit of transparency and accountability, the government through the Finance Minister will have to render an account on how the Covid-19 funds have been utilized.

    Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 22, the Tamale South lawmaker noted that Parliament approved millions of cedis to the government to use in fighting the pandemic.

    Also, the central bank, Bank of Ghana, gave the government GH¢10 billion to enable the country deal with the ravages of the coronavirus.

    Mr Iddrisu said although the virus has not been eradicated completely, the time has come for the government to render an account to the Ghanaian people.

    “You recall that we in the Minority played our part and the very threats of Covid-19. We supported the state to pass the necessary legislation and to support the release of justifiable finances and funding to contain and combat Covid. What happened with the outcome?“ he asked.

    He further questioned the decision that went into the selection of Frontiers Company as the company for testing passengers who arrive at the Kotoka International Airport.

    He alleged that the company had no experience in conducting tests for patients as it was formed and registered a few days after the contract was awarded.

    “Our main issue is the testing of the passengers at the airport. You recall that the Minority raised issues against the award of the contract to Frontiers.

    “The company was registered on 21st July 2020 just two days to the commencement of its operations.”

    Source: 3 News

  • Coronavirus positive Bernard Mensah says he’s ‘responding well’

    Black Stars midfielder Bernard Mensah says he is in good health despite testing positive for coronavirus.
    The Besiktas star is said to have contracted the disease after returning from the international break.

    Mensah was part of the Ghana squad which played Mali and Qatar in the Turkish city of Antalya.

    He will self-quarantine for 14 days and expelled from the Besiktas squad.

    Mensah posted on his Twitter page: ”I’m responding very well thanks for your messages God bless you all”

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Trumps COVID-19 post deleted by Facebook and hidden by Twitter

    Facebook has deleted a post in which President Trump had claimed Covid-19 was “less lethal” than the flu.

    Mr Trump is at the White House after three days of hospital treatment having tested positive for the virus.

    He wrote the US had “learned to live with” flu season, “just like we are learning to live with COVID-19, in most populations far less lethal!!!”

    Twitter hid the same message behind a warning about “spreading misleading and potentially harmful information”.

    Users have to click past the alert to read the tweet.

    “We remove incorrect information about the severity of Covid-19, and have now removed this post,” said Andy Stone, policy communications manager at Facebook.

    An exact mortality rate for Covid-19 is not known, but it is thought to be substantially higher possible 10 times or more than most flu strains, according to Johns Hopkins University.

    The President has reacted by posting: “REPEAL SECTION 230!!!”

    This is a reference to a law that says social networks are not responsible for the content posted by their users.

    But it allows the firms to engage in “good-Samaritan blocking”, including the removal of content they judge to be offensive, harassment or violent.

    If the law were to be repealed, social media companies would face being sued over the edits and changes of user content they made.

    Source: bbc.com

  • CDC: Coronavirus spreads more than six feet

    Coronavirus is now airborne, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    There is evidence that under certain conditions, people with Covid-19 could infect those who are more than six feet away, CDC says in its updated guidelines.

    The conditions listed include “enclosed spaces that had inadequate ventilation” and when an infected person is “breathing heavily, for example while singing or exercising”.

    The American health body says some infections can be spread by exposure to virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours.

    It likened this update to how infections like tuberculosis, measles, and chicken pox spread.

    This update states that reports show that those with Covid-19 infected others shortly after leaving an area.

    “Under these circumstances, scientists believe that the amount of infectious smaller droplet and particles produced by the people with Covid-19 became concentrated enough to spread the virus to other people,” the CDC statement read in part.

    The World Health Organization says the main way the virus spreads is through close contact with virus-containing droplets – large and small – that are emitted when someone coughs, sneezes, sings, talks or breathes.

    When people are in proximity, within six feet, they are exposed to the whole spectrum of spray that can cause infection, WHO says.

    To avoid further spread of Covid-19, people have been advised to wear masks when in public settings, observe social distancing of at least two metes apart and sanitise.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Global COVID-19 cases exceed 33 million

    Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 33 million globally, with over 997,000 fatalities and more than 22.9 million recoveries, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.

    As of Sunday, the Chinese mainland had recorded 85,372 cases, with 367 asymptomatic patients under medical observation. The death toll in China stands at 4,746, including 105 fatalities from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and seven from the Taiwan region.

    The Chinese mainland recorded 21 new cases on Sunday, all from overseas. It is the 43rd consecutive day that the Chinese mainland has reported no new domestically transmitted cases.

    The U.S. has registered over 204,000 deaths and more than 7.1 million cases both the highest in the world.

    India on Monday reported 82,170 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, bringing its nationwide case tally beyond 6 million.

    In Australia, some restrictions will be eased in its second-most populous state of Victoria including relaxation of overnight curfew in Melbourne following the drop of new cases.

    The World Health Organization warns two million people could die from COVID-19 before a successful vaccine is widely available.

    Source:www.cgtn.com

  • Coronavirus: US death toll passes 200,000

    The US coronavirus death toll has passed 200,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

    More than 6.8 million people are known to have been infected in the US, more than in any other country.

    The milestone comes amid an increase in cases in a number of states, including North Dakota and Utah.

    President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the new death toll was a “horrible thing” and claimed China “should have stopped” the virus.

    He also defended his record, claiming that had the US not taken action, “you could have two million, 2.5 or three million” dead.

    JHU reported the new death toll of 200,005 on Tuesday. The university has been collecting US and global coronavirus data since the outbreak began late last year in China. The first case in the US was confirmed in January.

    President Trump’s administration has been repeatedly criticised over its handling of the outbreak.

    “Due to Donald Trump’s lies and incompetence in the past six months, [we] have seen one of the greatest losses of American life in history,” Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Monday.

    “With this crisis, a real crisis, a crisis that required serious presidential leadership, he just wasn’t up to it. He froze. He failed to act. He panicked. And America has paid the worst price of any nation in the world.”

    But on the same day, Mr Trump said he and his administration had done “a phenomenal job” and gave himself an “A+” for his handling of the pandemic.

    He said the US was “rounding the corner on the pandemic, with or without a vaccine”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Record rise in weekly Covid-19 cases, but deaths down: WHO

    The coronavirus pandemic appears to be accelerating worldwide, with new cases soaring last week to a new seven-day high of almost 2 million even as new deaths decreased, World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show.

    In its latest global update late on Monday, the UN health body said 1,998,897 new cases of the novel coronavirus had been registered around the world during the week ending on September 20.

    That marked a 6-percent increase from the week before and “the highest number of reported cases in a single week since the beginning of the epidemic,” the WHO said.

    Since the novel coronavirus first surfaced in China late last year, it has infected more than 31 million people globally, while nearly 965,000 have died, according to the latest figures released on Tuesday.

    Nearly all regions of the world saw new cases rise last week, WHO said, with Europe and the Americas seeing new cases swell by 11 and 10 percent respectively.

    In countries such as the United Kingdom and Spain, restrictions were announced this week in fears of another outbreak as cases surged back to levels seen earlier in the year.

    The United States continued to have the highest number of cases in the world, with more than 6.8 million infections, followed by India and Brazil

    Only Africa, which has remained relatively unscathed by the pandemic, dodged the upward trend, reporting a 12-percent drop in new cases from a week earlier.

    Deaths declining

    Even as cases shot up across much of the world, the number of deaths is going down, the WHO statistics showed.

    Last week, some 37,700 new deaths linked to the virus were recorded worldwide, marking a decline of 10 percent compared with the previous week.

    The decline was driven by the Americas, long the hardest-hit region, where new deaths were 22 percent lower than a week earlier, and by Africa where new deaths dropped 16 percent.

    The Americas, however, still account for half of all reported cases and 55 percent of global deaths. The drop in new deaths in the region was driven mainly by decreases in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia.

    The US and Brazil continued to report the highest number of deaths, each reporting more than 5,000 new deaths in the past week.

    Meanwhile, parts of Europe, experiencing a second wave of infections, saw the new death count shoot up to more than 4,000 for the seven-day period, a 27-percent hike compared with the week before.

    France, Russia, Spain and Britain reported the highest number of new cases in the past week, while Hungary and Denmark saw the highest relative increase in deaths.

    Britain continues to count the highest number of cumulative deaths on the continent at nearly 42,000 since the beginning of the pandemic.

    Source: Aljazeera

  • Top US law official slammed for comparing lockdown to ‘slavery’

    US Attorney General William Barr, a top Trump appointee and the highest ranking US law enforcement official, has drawn fire for comparing Covid-19 lockdown orders to the historical US enslavement of black people.

    “You know, putting a national lockdown, stay at home orders, is like house arrest. Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history,” he told a college in Michigan on Wednesday.

    In a CNN interview, Democratic Congressman James Clyburn – the highest-ranked African-American in the House of Representatives – slammed the remark as “the most ridiculous, tone-deaf, God-awful thing I’ve ever heard”.

    “It is incredible that the chief law enforcement officer in this country would equate human bondage to expert advice to save lives. Slavery was not about saving lives, it was about devaluing lives.” He pointed out that the federal government never instituted a lockdown, and they were instead ordered by the states.

    Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who is also black, took issue with Barr’s description of slavery as a form of “restraint,” telling CNN it was actually “one of the worst crimes against humanity ever committed”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • US will not take part in global vaccine search

    The Trump administration has indicated that it will not participate in international coalition efforts to find and distribute a vaccine for COVID-19 because the World Health Organization (WHO) is involved.

    The Washington Post newspaper reported that the White House would not join 172 other countries participating in a WHO-led initiative to “ensure equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved”.

    White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement that the US would “continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat the virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organisations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China”.

    US President Donald Trump has attacked the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, accusing it of being biased towards China in how it issued its guidance.

    Source: bbc.com

  • PSG: 3 players test positive for coronavirus

    Three Paris St-Germain players have tested positive for coronavirus, the Ligue 1 club said on Wednesday.

    The French champions, who lost in the Champions League final last month, have not revealed the players involved.

    “All of the players and coaching staff will continue to undergo tests in the coming days,” a club statement said.

    The French league is already under way but PSG are due to start their title defence at Racing Lens on 10 September after being given an extended break.

    The opening game of the Ligue 1 season between Marseille and Saint-Etienne had to be postponed last month after four home players tested positive for Covid-19.

    The French league told clubs last week its protocol for dealing with coronavirus meant more than three positive cases at a club was likely to lead to a postponement.

    The 2019-20 campaign was curtailed in April because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Paris St-Germain, 12 points clear at the top, awarded the title.

    Source: BBC

  • Top Lagos health official tests positive for Covid-19

    The health commissioner of Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, has tested positive for coronavirus.

    Akin Abayomi was tested after being in contact with people who had tested positive for the virus, according to the state information commissioner Gbenga Omotoso.

    The health commissioner has not exhibited symptoms of Covid-19 and has said he will isolate for 14 days at home.

    Mr Abayomi has been leading the response to the coronavirus pandemic in Lagos and the whole of Nigeria.

    Nigeria has so far confirmed 52,548 Covid-19 cases, with Lagos accounting for 17,992 cases.

    Some 39,257 patients have recovered while 1,004 have died.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Hong Kong reports ‘first case’ of virus reinfection

    Hong Kong scientists are reporting the case of a healthy man in his 30s who became reinfected with coronavirus four and a half months after his first bout.

    They say genome sequencing shows the two strains of the virus are “clearly different”, making it the world’s first proven case of reinfection.

    The World Health Organization warns it is important not to jump to conclusions based on the case of one patient.

    And experts say reinfections may be rare and not necessarily serious.

    There have been more than 23 million cases of coronavirus infection around the world.

    Those infected develop an immune response as their bodies fight off the virus which helps to protect them against it returning.

    The strongest immune response has been found in the most seriously ill patients.

    But it is still not clear how strong this protection or immunity is – or how long it lasts.

    And the World Health Organization said larger studies over time of people who had previously had coronavirus were needed to find out more.

    This report, by the University of Hong Kong, due to be published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, says the man spent 14 days in hospital before recovering from the virus but then, despite having no further symptoms, tested positive for the virus a second time, following a saliva test during airport screening.

    “This is a very rare example of reinfection,” said Brendan Wren, professor of microbial pathogenesis, at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

    “And it should not negate the global drive to develop Covid-19 vaccines.

    “It is to be expected that the virus will naturally mutate over time.”

    Dr Jeffrey Barrett, senior scientific consultant for the Covid-19 genome project at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: “Given the number of global infections to date, seeing one case of reinfection is not that surprising even if it is a very rare occurrence.

    “It may be that second infections, when they do occur, are not serious – though we don’t know whether this person was infectious during their second episode.”

    Prof Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, said more information about this and other cases of reinfection was needed “before we can really understand the implications”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus pandemic could be over within two years – WHO head

    The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says he hopes the coronavirus pandemic will be over in under two years.

    Speaking in Geneva on Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Spanish flu of 1918 took two years to overcome.

    But he added that current advances in technology could enable the world to halt the virus “in a shorter time”.

    “Of course with more connectiveness, the virus has a better chance of spreading,” he said.

    “But at the same time, we have also the technology to stop it, and the knowledge to stop it,” he noted, stressing the importance of “national unity, global solidarity”.

    The deadly flu of 1918 killed at least 50 million people.

    The coronavirus has so far killed almost 800,000 people and infected 22.7 million more.

    Dr Tedros also responded to a question about corruption relating to personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, which he described as “criminal”.

    “Any type of corruption is unacceptable,” he answered.

    “However, corruption related to PPE… for me it’s actually murder. Because if health workers work without PPE, we’re risking their lives. And that also risks the lives of the people they serve.”

    Although the question related to allegations of corruption in South Africa, a number of countries have faced similar issues.

    On Friday, protests were held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi over alleged graft during the pandemic, while doctors from a number of the city’s public hospitals went on strike over unpaid wages and a lack of protective equipment.

    he same day, the head of the WHO’s health emergencies programme warned that the scale of the coronavirus outbreak in Mexico was “clearly under-recognised”.

    Dr Mike Ryan said the equivalent of around three people per 100,000 were being tested in Mexico, compared to about 150 per 100,000 people in the US.

    Mexico has the third highest number of deaths in the world, with almost 60,000 fatalities recorded since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University.

    In the US, meanwhile, Democratic nominee Joe Biden has attacked President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic.

    “Our current president’s failed in his most basic duty to the nation. He’s failed to protect us. He’s failed to protect America,” Mr Biden said, and pledged to introduce a national mandate to wear masks if elected.

    More than 1,000 new deaths were announced in the US on Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 173,490.

    What’s happening elsewhere?

    On Friday, a number of countries announced their highest numbers of new cases in months.

    South Korea recorded 324 new cases – its highest single-day total since March.

    As with its previous outbreak, the new infections have been linked to churches, and museums, nightclubs and karaoke bars have now been closed in and around the capital Seoul in response.

    A number of European countries are also seeing rises.

    Poland and Slovakia both announced record new daily infections on Friday, with 903 and 123 cases respectively, while Spain and France have seen dramatic increases in recent days.

    In Lebanon, a two-week partial lockdown – including a night-time curfew – has come into effect as the country saw its highest number of cases since the pandemic began.

    Infections have doubled since a devastating blast in the capital Beirut killed at least 178 people and injured thousands more on 4 August.

    The disaster left an estimated 300,000 people homeless and placed massive strain on medical facilities.

    Source: bbc.com