GENEVA, Switzerland
The World
Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak, which has
spread to at least 114 countries around the world, a pandemic with Italy
tightening its quarantine and the US imposing a ban on flights to Europe.
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| Noon prayers outside the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which has expanded a travel ban to tackle the coronavirus |
"We
have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on
Wednesday. "We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear."
President Donald Trump announced new
measures to address the United States growing outbreak, including a Europe
travel ban that will take effect from midnight on Friday.
Italy has further
tightened the quarantine it imposed across the country earlier this week - with
all but essential services and shops to close for two weeks - after leaders
from the European Union promised
to do "whatever it takes" to tackle the coronavirus, which first emerged in China at
the end of last year.
Meanwhile,
the virus continued to spread in the United States and appeared in new
countries including Bolivia, Honduras and Turkey, while Indonesia, Bulgaria and
Sweden recorded their first deaths.
More
than 66,000 people have recovered from the illness around the world, according
to John Hopkins University, which is tracking the virus.
Here
are the latest updates:
Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended
travel of citizens and residents and halted flights with several states, state
news agency SPA said on Thursday citing an official source at the Interior
Ministry.
The
ban includes the European Union, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Philippines, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, and
Somalia, the source added, saying the Kingdom had also suspended entry to those
coming from these countries.
The decision
excludes health workers from the Philippines and India, and evacuation,
shipping and trade trips taking necessary precautions.
Thailand reported 11 new coronavirus cases on
Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian nation to
70, health officials said.
All the new
patients had socialised and shared drinks, health officials said, adding that a
tourist from Hong Kong had been the source of the infection.
"The
Hong Kong tourist came alone and already went back. The 11 infected are all
Thai," said Sopon Iamsirithawon, director-general of the Communicable
Diseases Department.
Greece has reported its first fatality from
COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The health
ministry says the man who died was 67 and had recently returned from a
religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt. He also had underlying health issues.
Democrats in the US House of Representatives on
Wednesday unveiled a broad package of proposals to help Americans affected by
the coronavirus outbreak.
The
legislation, which Democratic leaders aim to push through on Thursday, would
grant workers 14 days paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and
medical leave, a summary of the bill shows.
Other
provisions in the 124-page "Families First Coronavirus Response Act"
introduced late on Wednesday include unemployment insurance, hundreds of
millions of dollars for nutrition programmes and assistance for pregnant
women.
It will also
guarantee free coronavirus testing for anyone who requires it, including those
who don't have health insurance.
Japan must plan for any postponement or cancellation
of the Tokyo Olympic Games, even if it seems unlikely, Shigeru Ishiba, a ruling
party heavyweight seen as a leading candidate to be the next prime minister
told Reuters.
Ishiba, an
outspoken critic of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said on Wednesday the fate of
the summer games was a decision best left to the International Olympic
Committee (IOC). He declined to comment on what the best move might be.
"Not
thinking about worst-case scenarios won't eliminate the risk of them
materialising," Ishiba said.
"The
government must start thinking now about what to do" in case the Olympics
Games is cancelled or postponed, he added.
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