Pacific's Vanuatu records first COVID-19 case

PORT VILA - Vanuatu reported its first COVID-19 case Wednesday, ending the Pacific island nation's status as one of the few remaining virus-free countries in the world.

Health officials said a 23-year-old man who recently returned from the United States had tested positive on Tuesday while in quarantine.

As the rest of the world struggled to contain outbreaks, Pacific island nations swiftly isolated themselves, despite the economic cost, fearing their poor health infrastructure made them particularly vulnerable.

Vanuatu closed its borders in March in a bid to keep the pandemic at bay, only recently allowing in strictly controlled repatriation flights.

"I want to assure the public and citizens of this country that this situation is under control," Prime Minister Bob Loughman told the nation of 300,000 people.

The infected man, originally from Vanuatu, had traveled from the United States via Sydney and Auckland, but had been isolated from other passengers during the journey as a precaution.

Loughman indicated that -- because the man was still in quarantine and contact tracing was under way -- he would not put restrictions on public gatherings, close schools or ask people to work from home.

But some domestic travel would be restricted, the country's mandatory quarantine for repatriates was set to be doubled to 28 days, and citizens would have to show negative test results at most 72 hours before departure.

"The timely and hard closure of Vanuatu's borders has bought them crucial time to plan and act strategically," Australia-based public health expert Lana Elliott told AFP.

The government's actions, she said, "kept their population safer than just about any other country on earth."

The Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands lost their virus-free status last month, although, like Vanuatu, they have so far avoided community transmission.

The remote island nations and territories of Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu are believed to still be free of the virus.

Agence France-Presse

COVID-19 deaths top 4,000 in under-fire Sweden

Sweden, which has gained international attention for its softer approach to the coronavirus than many of its European neighbours, said on Monday its number of deaths passed the 4,000 mark.

The Public Health Agency said it had recorded 4,029 deaths and 33,843 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the country of some 10.3 million inhabitants, with 90 percent of the deceased over the age of 70.

Sweden's death toll has far surpassed the tolls in neighboring Nordic countries, which have all imposed more restrictive containment measures.

According to AFP's own database, Sweden's virus death rate of 399 per million inhabitants is far higher than Norway's 43 per million, Denmark's 97, or Finland's 55.

However it is still lower than for France at 435 per million, Britain and Italy, both at 542, and Spain at 615.

Critics have accused Swedish authorities of gambling with citizens' lives by not imposing strict stay-at-home measures. But the Public Health Agency has insisted its approach is sustainable in the long-term and has rejected drastic short-term measures as too ineffective to justify their impact on society.

The Scandinavian country has kept schools open for children under the age of 16, along with cafes, bars, restaurants and businesses, while urging people to respect social distancing and hygiene guidelines.

State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell of the Public Health Agency stressed countries' death tolls should be compared with caution.

"In Sweden, anybody who has the diagnosis of COVID-19 and dies within 30 days after that is called a COVID-19 case, irrespective of the actual cause of death. And we know that in many other countries there are other ways of counting that are used," he told AFP.

'Getting better'

Tegnell has repeatedly insisted that stricter measures would not have saved more Swedish lives.

Three-quarters of those who have died have been either in nursing homes or receiving at-home care.

Tegnell noted that a ban on visits to nursing homes was introduced in mid-March, but said elderly residents needed regular contact with their carers -- who were believed to have spread the virus around many nursing homes.

"I'm really not sure that we could have done so much more," he said in a weekend interview with Swedish Radio, acknowledging nonetheless that the country had ended up in a "terrible situation that highlights the weaknesses of our elderly care."

He said care homes had initially failed to respect basic hygiene rules that could have curbed the spread of the disease, but said the situation had since improved.

The Board of Health and Welfare meanwhile insisted Sweden's nursing homes were functioning well. 

It noted that a total of 11,000 nursing home residents died in January-April this year, compared with 10,000 during the same period a year ago.

And Tegnell told reporters Monday that the overall situation in Sweden "was getting better," with a declining number of people being admitted to intensive care units, a drop in the number of cases being reported in nursing homes, and fewer deaths in nursing homes.

Agence France-Presse

Russia's coronavirus cases surge to 300,000 but WHO says situation is stabilizing

MOSCOW - Russia's coronavirus case tally, the second highest in the world, passed 300,000 on Wednesday, but a representative from the World Health Organization (WHO) said the situation was starting to stabilize.

Russia's 8,764 new novel coronavirus infections took the nationwide total to 308,705. But the daily increase was the lowest since May 1.

Only the United States has reported more cases than Russia, though the Russian death rate remains much lower than many other countries, something that has been queried by some critics and relatives of those who have died.

Russia says the way it counts deaths is more accurate than others however and has defended its approach.

The overall death toll edged up to 2,972 on Wednesday, with 135 new fatalities reported in the past 24 hours, the country's coronavirus response centre said.

Dr. Melita Vujnovich, the WHO's Russia representative, said Wednesday that she believed the situation had entered a stabilization phase, the TASS news agency cited her as saying.

In Moscow, Russia's worst hit-region now in its eighth week of a lockdown, citizens remain largely confined to their homes unless they obtain digital passes to make certain journeys.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Tuesday it was too soon to consider letting people out for walks or exercise.

-reuters-

Police official's lockdown party a 'big no-no': DILG

MANILA - The birthday party of the Metro Manila police chief is "a big no-no" under lockdown rules to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Wednesday. 

The enhanced community quarantine of Metro Manila prohibits celebrations like the party for National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, said DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, whose agency oversees the police. 

"That's a big no-no," he told DZMM. 

Subordinates could have organized the party without informing Sinas first, but he should have stopped the gathering "right there and then," said Año. 

"Ang aking sinasabi sa ating mga government official, lalo na sa nasasakupan ng DILG, iyong tinatawag nating delicadeza. May mga pagkakataon na kailangan maging example ka," he said. 

(I remind government officials, especially those under DILG, of the so-called delicadeza or sense of propriety. There are instances in which you should set an example.)

Photos shared by the NCRPO on Facebook showed police officers giving Sinas roses and cakes during the May 8 gathering. The official was also photographed mingling at a table while others lined up at buffet meals. 

Some of the photos in the FB post have been deleted. 

Sinas said his men wore masks and gloves during their visit and that he gave them packed lunches. 

"'Yung mga kaibigan ko na nagbigay nang lechon, pinamigay ko rin po, lechon at pansit doon sa 5 district at saka sa mobile force," he told One News. 

(My friends gave me lechon. I gave it and some pansit to the 5 police districts and mobile force.) 

He also denied that he had a party. The gathering was a mañanita, he said. 

Mañanita is a police and military tradition in which a commander gets birthday greetings from his or her key officials before dawn, said Año. 

"Kaya lang sa panahon ngayon (but in these times), that is uncalled for," he said. 

He said he would leave the investigation of the incident up to the Philippine National Police. 

PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said Tuesday he did not believe there was a violation in the gathering because according to Sinas, physical distancing was observed. 

"Una walang party nangyari ang sabi ni Gen. Sinas. Probably nagkaroon ng mananita pero doon sa mananita ang sabi ni Gen. Sinas is that inobserve pa din nila 'yung mga social distancing. Now I don't think naman na merong violation ito," he said.

"Now meron 'yung ginawa nyang programa kasi parang in-encourage niya lahat ng kanyang personnel even down to the PCP na magbigay ng ayuda as part of his celebration but of course these are coming from the different police stations, police personnel from NCRPO and he assured me that physical distancing was observed that time."

Gamboa, in a separate statement, said he directed the police Internal Affairs Service to investigate the incident. 

The PNP has recorded 164 COVID-19 cases among its members, including 4 deaths and 52 recoveries. The police force is also monitoring 595 "probable" and 389 "suspect" COVID-19 cases. 

news.abs-cbn.com

Zinc-hydroxychloroquine found effective in some COVID-19 patients: study

WASHINGTON - The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has shown mixed results against the coronavirus in early studies, but a new paper out of New York suggests combining it with the dietary supplement zinc sulfate could create a more effective treatment.

The research by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine was posted on a medical preprint site on Monday, meaning it hasn't yet been peer reviewed.

Records of about 900 COVID-19 patients were reviewed in the analysis, with roughly half given zinc sulfate along with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin. 

The other half only received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. 

Those receiving the triple-drug combination had a 1.5 times greater likelihood of recovering enough to be discharged, and were 44 percent less likely to die, compared to the double-drug combination.

It did not, however, change the average time patients spent in hospital (6 days), the time they spent on the ventilator (5 days), or the total amount of oxygen required.

Senior investigator and infectious disease specialist Joseph Rahimian told AFP it was the first study to compare the two combinations.

But he cautioned that a controlled experiment would be needed to prove the benefits beyond doubt.

"The next logical step would be to do a prospective study to see if this holds up in people that you give zinc to, and then you watch and compare," he said.

Hydroxychloroquine has been proposed as a treatment against the SARS-CoV-2 virus because it has antiviral properties that have been proven in lab settings, but not in people.

It interferes with the virus' ability to enter the cells -- and also seems to block them from replicating once they are already inside.

Zinc itself has antiviral properties and past research has suggested it may reduce the time people suffer from common colds.

Rahimian said that it may be that when used to treat coronavirus patients, it is the zinc that does the heavy lifting and is the primary substance attacking the pathogen.

Hydroxychloroquine, on the other hand, acts as an agent that transports the zinc into cells, increasing its efficacy, he suggested.

Agence France-Presse 

Taiwan’s weapon against coronavirus: An epidemiologist as vice president

TAIPEI — The calls come at night, when Taiwan’s vice president, Chen Chien-jen, is usually at home in his pajamas. Scientists seek his advice on the development of antiviral medications. Health officials ask for guidance as they investigate an outbreak of the coronavirus on a navy ship.

Like many world leaders, Chen is fighting to keep the coronavirus at bay and to predict the course of the pandemic. He is tracking infections, pushing for vaccines and testing kits, and reminding the public to wash their hands.

But unlike most officials, Chen has spent his career preparing for this moment — he is a Johns Hopkins-trained epidemiologist and an expert in viruses.

That experience has thrust Chen from behind the scenes to the forefront of Taiwan’s response to the crisis. He has embraced his rare dual role, using his political authority to criticize China for initially trying to conceal the virus even as the scientist in him hunkers down to analyze trends in transmission.

Chen is straddling the 2 worlds at a time when science has become increasingly political. Chinese and American officials are regularly trading unsubstantiated theories attacking each other about the origins of the virus.

Around the world, public health experts routinely spar with political leaders over how the virus spreads and the costs and benefits of lockdowns. Chen says that as vice president, only facts inform his policies.

“Evidence is more important than playing politics,” he said in a recent interview in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei.

Now in the final weeks of his term, Chen’s legacy as vice president may be shaped by Taiwan’s success.

Chen, 68, with his frizzy gray hair and a toothy smile, is known affectionately in Taiwan as “elder brother,” and many people credit him with helping the island avoid the large-scale infections and deaths from the coronavirus have overwhelmed many countries.


As a top health official during the SARS crisis of 2003, he pushed a series of reforms to prepare the island for the next outbreak, including building isolation wards and virus research laboratories.

Taiwan’s early preparations put it in a strong position when the virus hit, and the island has earned widespread praise for its response. It has so far reported about 400 confirmed cases and 6 deaths, far fewer than many countries.

Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said Chen had a mix of “political clout and technical expertise” that was effective in Taiwan, a society where he said there was strong trust in science and respect for medical professionals.

Now Chen hopes Taiwan can play a leading role in helping the world recover from the virus and restart economic growth. He is overseeing efforts to develop a vaccine and produce tools like rapid coronavirus testing kits.

“Taiwan cannot stand by when other countries are in great danger,” he said.

Chen maintains the bookish manner of a research scientist and is largely unaccustomed to the attention. He has made a career out of staying out of political fights, even refusing to join the governing Democratic Progressive Party that is led by President Tsai Ing-wen.

“He is a scholar; he actually doesn’t care much about the power game,” said Chen Chi-mai, a deputy prime minister who as a public health student in the 1990s took an epidemiology class from Chen and remains a close friend. “He is popular because he is neutral.”

The president has deployed Chen as a leading voice to lobby for greater recognition for Taiwan on the global stage, including pushing for membership in the World Health Organization.

Chen is now at the center of a global battle over the narrative about how the virus spread worldwide.

He says Taiwan tried to warn the WHO in late December about the potential for the virus to spread from person to person but was ignored. The WHO has rejected the accusation, saying Taiwan merely requested information from the health agency but did not issue any warning.

Chen has seized the moment, denouncing China’s efforts to block Taiwan from joining the WHO and calling on countries around the world to study the “Taiwan model” of controlling the outbreak.

Chen’s prominence has made him a frequent target of criticism by mainland Chinese commentators, who have accused the government of using the pandemic to seek independence for Taiwan, which China’s government considers part of its territory.

“He wears the clothing of professionalism but deviates from the rigorous precision of science and blatantly speaks nonsense and fabricates rumors,” said a recent commentary by Xinhua, China’s official news agency. “The nature of it is particularly vicious.”

Chen laughs at the criticism.

“China has to be focused more on COVID-19 control rather than politics,” he said.

From a young age, Chen was surrounded by politics. He is the son of a powerful county leader in southern Taiwan and said he quickly developed an appreciation for the art of compromise.

“From my father, I learned that politics does not mean people have to fight against each other to the death,” he recalled in an interview in 2016 with Taiwan’s official Central News Agency. “Once people get stranded in such a confrontation, they will constantly find fault with each other.”

For much of his career, he made a point of avoiding politics, instead focusing on his first love, the natural sciences. He earned a doctorate in epidemiology and human genetics from Johns Hopkins University in 1982, and became an authority in hepatitis B as well as diseases associated with arsenic exposure.

At the height of the SARS outbreak, which infected 671 people and killed 84 people in Taiwan, Chen was tapped to be health minister.

At the time, the government faced a crisis of confidence after authorities sealed a contaminated hospital with more than 1,000 people inside. The move triggered panic and some people inside the facility, convinced that they or their loves ones had the virus, tried to kill themselves.

“We saw people jumping out of windows,” Chen recalled. “It was really chaotic.”

After working to contain SARS, Chen led Taiwan in its efforts to prepare for the next outbreak. The government established a disaster management center, increased production of protective gear and revised the infectious disease law, among other measures.

Chen returned to academic life until 2015, when Tsai, then a presidential candidate, tapped him to be her running mate.

As vice president, Chen has faced other challenges. He tackled pension reform, prompting protests from civil servants over cuts. A Catholic, he visited the Vatican three times as vice president, angering Beijing, which has urged the Vatican to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

He has supported same-sex marriage, which became legal in Taiwan last year, despite criticism from other Christians.

Mostly, he kept a low profile. But in late December, amid the first reports of a mysterious pneumonia emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan, about 600 miles northwest of Taipei, he jumped into action, worried about the possibility of an epidemic.

Chen quickly ordered the authorities to screen travelers from mainland China and to isolate people showing symptoms of the virus. By Jan. 21, the first case had arrived in Taiwan, and the government soon began rationing masks.

After an outbreak on a navy ship, he urged officials to test more than 700 crew members with the hope of collecting data for a study on asymptomatic patients.

On May 20, Chen will step down as vice president. He plans to return to academia and says the coronavirus will be a focus of his research.

Every day around 7 a.m., Chen goes to church, where mass has been canceled because of the virus.

“I pray to have the courage to change what we can change,” he said, noting the effort to produce better tests, drugs and vaccines. “We have to accept what we cannot change."

The New York Times

Social media challenges keep lockdown boredom at bay

With the coronavirus continuing to upend familiar rhythms of life, leaving schools shuttered, millions out of work and billions stuck at home, those looking for ways to pass the time have gotten creative.

In the absence of jam-packed calendars, people are turning to social media challenges in droves. Some bring together families for choreographed dance routines while others spark the inner artist or unlock hidden engineering skills. All of them hold the promise of warding off boredom and — maybe — earning users a moment of online celebrity.

Here are some of the biggest challenges sweeping the world during the lockdown.

#FliptheSwitch

Early last month, the lyrics “I just flipped the switch” from the Drake song “Nonstop” inspired a viral challenge on TikTok that eventually made its way to Instagram. All over, people began swapping clothes, poses and sometimes attitudes when the lights are switched off and then back on. A version featuring Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live” went viral, as did a clip of Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez.

#DontRushChallenge

The song “Don’t Rush” by the British hip-hop outfit Young T & Bugsey provided the backdrop for this challenge. In some videos, participants pass around a makeup brush like a wand that magically upgrades their look. One popular take featured New Orleans police officers passing around their hats while another video highlighted disabled women and men.

#PillowChallenge

This challenge attracts creative fashionistas who aim to turn everyday pillows into striking quarantine couture, often using belts to fashionably fasten the pillows around their waists. Actresses Halle Berry, Tracee Ellis Ross and Anne Hathaway all participated in the craze.

#BinIsolationOuting

In Australia, where lockdowns have halted nearly 30 years of economic growth, residents have begun dressing up as superheroes, Disney characters and sometimes dinosaurs to wheel the trash to the curb. A Facebook group called “Bin Isolation Outing,” which has quickly racked up nearly 1 million members, features photos and videos of residents dressing up for the usually mundane task.

“So basically the bin goes out more than us so let’s dress up for the occasion!” reads a description of the group. “Fancy dress, makeup, tutu … be creative. Post photos to cheer us up, after all laughter is the best medicine.” The challenge has since spilled over onto Instagram and Twitter.

#BetweenArtandQuarantine

While the pandemic has shuttered most public institutions, museumgoers have shifted their focus online, where people are cleverly replicating famous artworks. Participants use toilet paper, food, old clothes and more to form a living archive of creativity in isolation. The Instagram account @tussenkunstenquarantaine collects and posts submissions from locked-down artists all over. Thousands of replicas appear under the hashtags #tussenkunstenquarantaine and #betweenartandquarantine. There’s also a Russian Facebook group called “Isolation” that features at-home replicas of sculptures, paintings and movie scenes.

#TrickShot

When boredom sets in, silly tasks are sometimes the most entertaining, as evidenced by the millions of TikTok, Instagram and Twitter videos posted with the hashtag #trickshot. The objective is to land the shot, no matter how many obstacles or how ridiculous the task. Some popular videos show Ping-Pong balls bouncing off pots and pans or going through complicated courses. Although Ping-Pong balls are commonly used, people have recorded their own #trickshot videos using basketballs, soccer balls and golf balls.

Your First Move Is Their Last Move

This challenge turns family living rooms and kitchens into makeshift nightclubs, where everyone gets a turn on the dance floor. The conceit: Repeat the dance move from the person in front of you, then add your own twist for the person behind you to replicate. The “Your First Move Is Their Last Move” challenge is most popular on TikTok, where there are hundreds of thousands of videos.


c.2020 The New York Times Company

Philippines' COVID-19 death toll now at 12

MANILA - The Philippines has recorded 12 deaths from the coronavirus disease 2019, with four more fatalities reported Sunday, the Department of Health said.

On Sunday afternoon, the DOH reported the death of patients 9, 54 and 39.


Patient 9 was an 86-year-old American male from Marikina City died Saturday afternoon. He had history of travel from the US and South Korea.

Patient 54, a 40-year-old Filipino male from Pasig City, died early morning Sunday. He had no history of travel and no history of exposure prior to the onset of symptoms.

Patient 36, a 64-year-old Filipino male from Negros Oriental, died past 11 a.m. Sunday. He had a history of travel to Greenhills, and had chronic renal disease.

A few hours after, DOH reported another fatality, this time, of patient 12, a 56-year-old Filipino male who died Sunday night.

Patient 12 died of acute respiratory distress syndrome and reportedly had preexisting asthma.

He was admitted to Makati Medical Center on March 7 and was confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 on March 9.

The country currently has 140 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The Philippines is currently under a state of public health emergency, with the response alert at Code Red, Sub-level 2 following "sustained community transmission."

Metro Manila is currently under community quarantine starting Sunday, March 15, to Tuesday, April 14, as government hoped to contain the outbreak.


The COVID-19 has killed over 5,000 people and infected some 140,000 others worldwide, prompting the World Health Organization to declare it as a pandemic.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

UK pushes for more ventilators, hospital beds as coronavirus cases mount

LONDON - Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told British manufacturers to boost production of ventilators and ordered private hospitals to prepare for an overspill of patients from the public health service ahead of an expected surge of coronavirus cases.

Johnson was due to speak to manufacturers on Monday and the government had already asked engineers to find ways to quickly produce more ventilators in Britain which the government would buy, the prime minister's office said.

Germany and Italy have scrambled to get more ventilators and manufacturers warned on Friday that hospitals everywhere faced a lack of vital equipment needed to treat coronavirus patients.

The government was also negotiating with private healthcare providers about paying for thousands of beds in private hospitals, to be brought into use if coronavirus spreads rapidly in Britain.

"The public are right to be proud of the NHS, but the scale of the challenge we face means we can't do this alone," the head of Britain's National Health Service, Simon Stevens, said in a statement issued by Downing Street.

All hospitals would be given instructions on Monday to help them to prepare, he said.

Britain has so far had fewer confirmed cases of coronavirus than other countries in Europe such as Italy, Spain and France but the death toll almost doubled to 21 on Saturday.

A British government source said the government would ban mass gatherings from next week in an attempt to curb the coronavirus outbreak, an escalation of its crisis plan that critics have said was too relaxed. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Spain to declare state of alert over coronavirus

Spain's government is to declare a state of alert over the rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday after infections soared to over 4,200 with 121 dead.

"There will be a cabinet meeting tomorrow to declare a state of alert across the country for a period of 15 days," Sanchez said.

"Unfortunately we cannot rule out that over the next week we could reach more than 10,000 infections," he said.

The government would adopt a series of extraordinary measures in order "to mobilise all the resources of state to better protect the health of all of its citizens", he said pointing to both public and private resources, as well as civilian and military.

"Several very tough weeks... are ahead of us," Sanchez added, saying Spain was "only in the first phase of the fight against the virus".

"Victory depends on every single one of us.... Heroism is also about washing your hands and staying at home."

Following Sanchez's comments, the Madrid regional authorities ordered all shops in the region be shuttered from Saturday through to March 26, covering the state of alert period, save for those selling food, chemists and petrol stations, in order to slow the virus spread.

"We are ordering the closure of establishments and stores save for (those selling) food and basic necessities," the regional executive stated.

Bars, restaurants and all sporting and cultural institutions have been closed.

On Friday evening, Quim Torra, the head of Catalonia's separatist government, asked Madrid to quarantine the rich northeastern region and suspend all maritime, rail and air links to Catalonia.

On Thursday, Catalonia quarantined four towns, saying the number of cases there had shot up dramatically.

There was chaos in Igualada, one of the four towns confined.

"In some supermarkets there have been real battles" for food, said Pere Casaus, 83.

In the Catalonia capital Barcelona, the factories of carmakers Seat and Nissan will stop work from Monday due to a shortage of supplies.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Boston Marathon postponed from April 20 to September 14

The 124th Boston Marathon, scheduled for April 20, has been postponed to September 14 due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) announced on Friday.

The historic race, first contested in 1897, is the world's oldest annual marathon and typically takes place on the Patriots Day holiday celebrated in Boston and the entire state of Massachusetts.

After Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh decided the race could not proceed as scheduled in April and the BAA said in a statement it "understands the city's decision."

"On matters of public health and safety we take our guidance from the officials entrusted with protecting the public in this area," said association chief executive Tom Grilk.

"We understand our role, along with our partners, in ensuring a safe environment for all participants, volunteers, spectators, and supporters that meets the standards set by those officials."

BAA officials have worked with municipal leaders across eight cities and towns where the course for the 26.2-mile event takes place to coordinate plans for September 14 as a new date.

"The BAA's mission of promoting health through sports, especially running, has guided our organization for more than a century," Grilk said. "In collaboration with our many partners, we look forward to welcoming the world to Boston in September."

The delay means it will be an extra five months before Kenya's Lawrence Cherono will have a chance to defend his 2019 men's crown and Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia could bid for a repeat in the women's race.

Cherono probably will have to choose between marathon titles to defend because he also won last year's Chicago Marathon and that race is scheduled for October 11.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Hudson-Odoi, first Premier League player with COVID-19

Chelsea's players and coaching staff were ordered into isolation as Callum Hudson-Odoi became the first Premier League player confirmed to have the new coronavirus late on Thursday.

The news casts the viability of this weekend's games further into doubt after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive, also throwing their team into lockdown.

"Chelsea men's team player Callum Hudson-Odoi had a positive test result for coronavirus returned this evening," a club statement said.

"Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with the player in the men's team building will now self-isolate in line with government health guidelines.

"These will include initially the full men's team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff."

Chelsea said they would discuss their upcoming games, starting with Sunday's trip to Aston Villa, with Premier League officials on Friday.

Two Arsenal fixtures -- Wednesday's game at Manchester City, and away to Brighton on Saturday -- have already been cancelled because of the virus.

Hudson-Odoi displayed cold symptoms on Monday morning and has stayed away from the club since then. His test result was returned on Thursday night.

The club said despite testing positive, the 19-year-old was "doing well and looking forward to returning to the training ground as soon as it is possible".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Premier League schedule in doubt after Mikel Arteta gets coronavirus

The Premier League could be forced into lockdown after Arsenal's match at Brighton was postponed when Gunners manager Mikel Arteta contracted the coronavirus on Thursday.

Arsenal's training ground has been closed and their players and staff have gone into self-isolation following Arteta's shock positive test.

Less than an hour after Arsenal revealed Arteta's illness, Brighton announced that their scheduled clash at the Amex Stadium had been cancelled.

"It's absolutely essential the health and wellbeing of individuals takes priority and with that in mind Saturday's match has been postponed," Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said in a statement.

"We apologise to all fans for any inconvenience but trust everyone will understand that we are all facing an unprecedented situation.

"First and foremost our thoughts are with Mikel Arteta and we wish him a speedy recovery."

The Premier League, who had earlier insisted all games would go ahead this weekend, responded by revealing they will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss how to deal with the global pandemic's effect on their fixtures.

"In light of Arsenal's announcement tonight confirming that their first-team coach Mikel Arteta has tested positive for COVID-19, the Premier League will convene an emergency club meeting tomorrow morning regarding future fixtures," the Premier League said.

Arteta said: "This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I'm allowed."

There are over 590 confirmed cases of the virus in Britain and 10 people have died from it so far.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said the government was "considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures", but was not ready to do so yet.

Now Arteta's illness could force the Premier League's hand and lead to the cancellation of matches this weekend and possibly into the future.

In Italy, the European country worst hit by the virus, Serie A has suspended matches until at least April 3 and Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has been quarantined.

UEFA, European football's governing body, will consider whether to postpone the Champions League and Euro 2020 at a meeting next week.

All French Ligue 1 matches will be behind closed doors until April 15.

The next two La Liga match days have been suspended and this weekend's Bundesliga fixtures are behind closed doors.

Arsenal's league match at Manchester City last Wednesday was postponed and several Gunners players went into self-isolation after Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis contracted the virus.

Marinakis, 52, met a number of Arsenal's players and staff when the Gunners faced Olympiakos in a Europa League tie in February.

- Health crisis -
Arsenal are not the only top-flight club affected by the virus.

Leicester, scheduled to play at Watford on Saturday, said on Thursday that three of their players have shown symptoms of the virus and are self-isolating as a precaution.

The Foxes said the unnamed trio had "presented with extremely mild illness" in recent days.

"We've had a few players that have shown symptoms and signs," Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said.

"We've followed procedure and they have been kept away at this moment from the rest of the squad and then we'll see how that develops."

Chelsea have also been touched by the health crisis, with players told to stay away from training after a member of staff reportedly complained of virus symptoms.

Thursday's training session was cancelled while their Cobham base was deep cleaned before Frank Lampard's side are due to travel to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Manchester City said one unnamed member of their squad, reportedly France defender Benjamin Mendy, is in self-isolation after a family member suffered a respiratory illness.

The relative is being treated in hospital and has undergone tests for the coronavirus, which can cause shortness of breath.

City's Champions League last 16 second leg meeting with Real Madrid, set for Tuesday, has been postponed after one of the Spanish club's basketball players tested positive for the virus.

If the Premier League does decide to play on, Liverpool could be crowned champions on Monday.

If second placed City lose to Burnley, then Liverpool will win the title for the first time in 30 years if they beat Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Liverpool have lost four of their last six games in all competitions and crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Now they must wait to discover if they will be allowed to return to action any time soon.

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated):

Saturday

Aston Villa v Chelsea (1730 GMT), Bournemouth v Crystal Palace, Brighton v Arsenal, Manchester City v Burnley Newcastle v Sheffield United, Norwich v Southampton, Watford v Leicester (1230 GMT)

Sunday

Tottenham v Manchester United (1630 GMT), West Ham v Wolves (1400 GMT)

Monday

Everton v Liverpool (2000 GMT)

smg/aph

Agence France-Presse

'Don't panic' says US woman who recovered from coronavirus

SEATTLE — An American woman who has recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a simple message for people who are worried: Don't panic -- but do think about high-risk individuals and stay home if you feel ill.

Elizabeth Schneider lives in Seattle, the biggest city of Washington state, which has the most deaths in the United States from the disease sweeping the globe.

The 37-year-old, who has a PhD in bioengineering, said she was sharing her story "to give people a little bit of hope" through her own relatively mild experience with the infection, which she treated herself from home.

But, she added, "obviously, it's not something to be completely nonchalant about, because there are a lot of people who are elderly or have underlying health conditions."

"That means that we need to be extra vigilant about staying home, isolating ourselves from others."

This week, US health authorities citing Chinese data said 80 percent of cases have been mild, while the remaining serious cases that required hospitalization affected mainly people over 60 and those with conditions like diabetes, heart disease or lung disease.

THE PARTY

Schneider first began experiencing flu-like symptoms on February 25, three days after going to a party that was later identified as the place where at least five other people also got infected.

"I woke up and I was feeling tired, but it was nothing more than what you normally feel when you have to get up and go to work, and I had been very busy the previous weekend," she told AFP in an interview Wednesday.

By midday, however, she felt a headache coming on, along with a fever and body aches. She decided to leave the office of the biotechnology company where she works as a marketing manager, and went home.

After waking up from a nap, Schneider found she had a high temperature, which peaked at 39.4 Celsius that night.

"And at that point, I started to shiver uncontrollably, and I was getting the chills and getting tingling in my extremities, so that was a little concerning," she said.

She turned to over-the-counter flu medications to treat the symptoms and called a friend to be on standby in case she needed to be taken to an emergency room -- but the fever began to recede in the coming days.

Schneider had been following news reports about the novel coronavirus. The first US case was detected in Washington in late January.

The state has since gone on to become the epicenter of the disease in the country, with more than 260 cases and at least two dozen deaths. Nationwide, there have been more than 1,100 cases and 30 deaths.

Because she didn't have the most common symptoms like a cough or shortness of breath, "I thought, okay, well that's definitely why I don't have coronavirus," said Schneider.

She had gotten a flu shot but assumed her illness was a different strain. A visit to the doctor would only result in her being asked to go home, rest and drink plenty of fluids.

'PLEASANTLY SURPRISED'

A few days later, however, she discovered through a friend's Facebook post that several people from the party had all developed similar symptoms, and she began to get more suspicious.

Several of these people went to their doctors, where they were found to be negative for the flu, but they were not offered coronavirus tests because they too were not coughing or having breathing trouble.

Knowing that she would also likely be turned down for the test, she decided to enroll in a research program called the Seattle Flu Study, hoping it might provide an answer. The team behind the study sent her a nasal swab kit, which she mailed back and waited several more days.

"I finally got a phone call from one of the research coordinators on Saturday (March 7), telling me that 'You have tested positive for COVID-19,'" she said.

"I was a little bit pleasantly surprised, because I thought it was a little bit cool," Schneider admitted, laughing, though her mother cried when she told her.

"Granted, I probably would not have felt that way if I was severely ill," she said. "But from a scientific curiosity perspective, I thought it was very interesting. And also the fact that I finally got confirmation that that's what I had."

By this time, her symptoms had already subsided, and she was told by local health authorities to remain at home for at least seven days after the onset of symptoms or 72 hours after they subsided.

It's now been a week since she's felt better. She has started going out for errands but is still avoiding large gatherings and continuing to work from home.

Schneider said she hoped her example, which will probably be typical of the high majority of cases, could comfort others.

"The message is don't panic," said Schneider. "If you think that you have it, you probably do; you should probably get tested."

"If your symptoms aren't life-threatening, simply stay at home, medicate with over-the-counter medicines, drink lots of water, get a lot of rest and check out the shows you want to binge-watch," she said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Asia stocks extend global rout on coronavirus fears

TOKYO — Stocks in Asia sank at the open on Thursday, extending a global rout as fears intensify over the spread of the new coronavirus, now dubbed a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

As the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak grows, markets worldwide are in free-fall and companies are sounding the alarm.

It was a sea of red for Asian markets at the open, with Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index down 2.24 percent to 18,980.22 and the broader Topix index falling 2.42 percent to 1,351.61.

Australia's ASX was down 2.6 percent an hour into trade, with New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 down nearly three percent in early afternoon trade. South Korea's KOSPI was down 1.22 percent in early trade.

The jitters followed another brutal session on the US markets, with wave after wave of bad news, including Hilton withdrawing its earnings forecast and Boeing saying it would suspend most hiring and overtime pay.

The coronavirus outbreak has left virtually no sector untouched, though travel and tourism have been particularly hard-hit as countries institute travel bans and quarantine requirements.

The Dow Jones Industrial Index plunged around 1,465 points, or 5.9 percent, to 23,553.22 on Wednesday, in a bruising session that left the index more than 20 percent below its peak, making it a bear market.

Leading stock markets in Europe also retreated, including the FTSE 100 which dropped 1.4 percent despite the Bank of England slashing its key interest rate to a record low and the government pledging $39 billion of fiscal stimulus.

Analysts said markets were struggling under the weight of twin crises: the burgeoning coronavirus outbreak and an oil price war.

Oil prices slid further on Thursday morning, with Brent crude at $35.72 a barrel, after Saudi Arabia and Gulf partner UAE stepped up a price war with plans to flood the global markets.

The move is the latest escalation of a fight among oil producers after Russia balked at an OPEC-backed plan to cut production in response to lost demand from the coronavirus.

"The virus itself continues to spread in Europe and the US, meaning more extensive containment measures are likely, which will weigh further on global growth," wrote Tapas Strickland, senior analyst at National Australia Bank.

"Markets are crying out for a coordinated response to COVID-19 headwinds and a lack of concrete US policy action is rattling markets," he said.

Investors were expected to closely monitor an address to the nation by US President Donald Trump, scheduled for 9 a.m. in Manila, but it was not immediately clear if financial support offered by his administration would be enough to calm the markets.

"The market is faced with 2 highly uncertain bearish shocks in the form of an unholy COVID-19 economic catastrophe in Italy, and most of Europe, compounded by a dizzying oil price downdraft," wrote Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at AxiCorp

"Nothing is immune from this insidious virus. Still, the market may not be yet pricing in a worst-case scenario from this double whammy risk beat-down," he warned.

On the currency markets, the dollar fetched 104.57 yen in early Asian trade, against 104.54 yen in New York late Wednesday.

Agence France-Presse

Coronavirus: New York launches its own hand sanitizer

NEW YORK — New York -- under a state of emergency following a coronavirus outbreak -- on Monday launched its own brand of hand sanitizer, made by jail inmates.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said 100,000 gallons of "NYS Clean" would be produced a week by prisoners, who already manufacture soap, to meet shortages.

"This is a superior product," said Cuomo, as the gel was unveiled from behind a curtain at a press conference. 

"It has a very nice floral bouquet," he added, after rubbing some on his hands.

The product, which has an alcohol content of 75 percent, will be provided for free to government agencies, schools, the public transportation system and prisons, Cuomo said.

It is part of the government's "Corcraft" scheme where prisoners make dozens of products including cleaning supplies, bedding and clothes.

The sanitizer will cost $6 a gallon to make and is not expected to go on general sale.

The announcement came as the number of confirmed cases in the state rose to 142, the vast majority of them in Westchester County, just north of New York City. There have been 19 confirmed cases in the Big Apple. 

The United States has at least 22 deaths from the coronavirus and 566 confirmed cases, according to a Johns Hopkins tally.

No one in New York state has yet died from the virus but 8 people have been hospitalized.

Thousands of students at schools and universities were staying home this week after a suburb of Westchester shut its public schools and New York's Columbia University, Hofstra University and Yeshiva University suspended classes.

Elsewhere, the Southern District of New York said Monday it would not allow anyone who had visited China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran in the last 14 days to enter any of its courthouses.

Agence France-Presse

Thai immigration officers at Bangkok airport diagnosed with COVID-19

BANGKOK, Thailand - Two immigration officers at Bangkok's main airport have coronavirus and may have handled the passports of visitors to Thailand, a health official said Wednesday.

The men, both working at Suvarnabhumi airport, fell ill on March 7 and 8 respectively and potentially came into contact with arriving passengers in the days before their diagnosis.

One of the officers was among a team leading health screenings of Thai returnees from South Korea -- which has reported the second most COVID-19 infections in Asia after China.

"They were not working at the same spots," Sopon Iamsirithaworn of the Disease Control Department said.

"There is a chance they came into contact with foreigners or touched passports," he added.

Thailand's Interior Minister said Wednesday it will suspend visa-free arrivals from South Korea, Hong Kong and Italy, as well as visa-on-arrival from 18 countries -- including China and India.

All affected visitors must apply for visas at Thai embassies in their own countries and present a medical certificate.

Thailand's economy is heavily reliant on tourism. 

The deadly virus has hammered the sector costing the country billions of dollars, mainly after Chinese tourists were quarantined on the mainland or stayed at home.

Many western visitors have also cancelled holidays or deferred bookings as Thai authorities issue a baffling barrage of advice.

After days drip-feeding conflicting information to holidaymakers, health authorities said on Friday there will be no compulsory quarantine for people from countries hardest hit by the virus.

Thailand has reported 59 cases of the new coronavirus, but there are concerns the low figure may be a reflection of very limited testing program.

Flag carrier Thai Airways said from Friday it will suspend all flights to Italy, where over 630 people have died with around 10,000 infected so far.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

New York to close schools, houses of worship in suburban center of coronavirus outbreak

NEW YORK - Schools, houses of worship and large gathering venues in part of the New York City suburb of New Rochelle will shut down for 2 weeks in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak at its local epicenter, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.

The shutdown, which begins on Thursday and is due to last until at least March 25, affects an area of New Rochelle in Westchester County that measures 1 mile in diameter. The county accounts for more than 100 of the state's 173 confirmed cases, the governor said.

"This will be a period of disruption for the local community," Cuomo said at a news conference. "It is a dramatic action, but it is the largest cluster in the country. And this is literally a matter of life and death."

Cuomo said he was calling in the National Guard to the containment area to assist with cleaning public spaces and to deliver food to homes.

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said the National Guard would ensure that students who rely on school meals would receive food but would "not have a military or policing function."

"It is very important to clarify that this is not an exclusion or quarantine zone. No one is prohibited from entering or leaving the area," the mayor said at a news conference after the governor's announcement.

The number of cases of the highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the virus has risen steadily to more than 800 in the United States. There have been 28 deaths, most of them in Washington state, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. New Jersey on Tuesday reported the state's first death.

The containment measure will close three public schools and several parochial and private schools, in addition to houses of worship, country clubs, and possibly other public places, Bramson said.

New Rochelle's senior center, which is outside the containment zone, will also be closed until further notice to prevent spread of the disease among one of the most vulnerable groups, the mayor said.

Coronavirus deaths have disproportionately hit the elderly with the largest US cluster at a nursing home near Seattle.

Bramson said his office was still consulting with state authorities to create a comprehensive list of businesses and facilities that would be affected.

The group of cases in Westchester County emerged after an attorney who lives in New Rochelle and works in Manhattan became the second person in New York to be diagnosed with the virus last week.

Some cases in the town have been traced to the Young Israel Synagogue of New Rochelle, where the attorney attended services last month. The synagogue, which public health officials closed last week, is at the center of the containment zone.

"The heaviest burdens have fallen upon the members of Young Israel," Bramson said. "Many are quarantined, which is enormously disruptive to their daily lives, and yet there has been a sense of commitment to the common good."

New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said in a statement on Tuesday that he believed the risk generally to people in New York remained low, and Cuomo urged New Yorkers not to panic.

"If you are not a member of the vulnerable population then there is no reason for excess anxiety," Cuomo said. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

After testing delays, US coronavirus cases surge past 900

WASHINGTON — The number of US cases of the novel coronavirus surged to more than 900 on Tuesday, according to an AFP tally, after public health experts criticized authorities for downplaying the epidemic and lagging behind in testing efforts.

At least 28 people have died and some 910 people have been infected, according to a state-by-state count, a significant jump of some 550 cases the day before.

The rise is linked to an expansion in testing as the bulk of diagnoses have shifted from federal to state laboratories. 

Epidemiologists have said faulty test kits coupled with a diagnostic strategy that initially targeted too few people allowed the disease to spread beyond US authorities' ability to detect it.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Monday, academics from Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University said the failings had contributed to the virus taking root across the country.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Vice President Mike Pence defended the federal government's response and said that "a million tests are in the field." He added that more would be added as the government partnered with private companies. 

According to the latest CDC figures, 8,554 tests had been performed as of Monday.

By way of comparison, South Korea, which announced its first case on the same day as the US, has tested more than 189,000 people, according to a report in the Business Insider.

The authors of the JAMA report wrote that the only test initially authorized was one developed by the CDC.

It relied on the same technology as one authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and deployed around the world -- except that a fault meant the CDC kit was returning inconclusive results.

It was not until February 29, the date of the first US death and more than a month after the first confirmed US case, that the Food and Drug Administration lifted a ban on state laboratories developing their own kits based on the WHO's tests.

'DON'T OVERREACT' 

"Adopting broader testing criteria and allowing use of a wider range of tests would have been helpful in identifying the first US cases and containing the spread," said Michelle Mello of Stanford, a co-author of the JAMA report.

"Manufacturing problems like the one that arose with CDC's test are always a risk, but the fact that CDC put all its eggs in that one basket made the manufacturing snafu highly consequential," she wrote on her university's blog page.

The CDC was initially only testing people with known exposure, meaning a Californian patient on a ventilator was denied the test for five days, the patient's doctors said. The criteria were changed as a result of this case.

Mello also pointed to several inaccuracies in White House communications on the epidemic -- from declaring that containment efforts were "close to airtight" to claiming a vaccine could be ready within 3 to 4 months.

"The public messaging from Washington about the seriousness of the problem has been neither consistent nor accurate, and I worry it may have led Americans to take fewer steps to prevent community transmission than we should have," she said.

The authors argued against overcorrection, however, saying that health services would be quickly overwhelmed if everyone with a cough or fever -- or exposure to sick patients -- demanded a test. 

Agence France-Presse