Kathmandu –The sixth case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Nepal.
A woman from Baglung has tested positive for the virus, informed Madhav Prasad Tiwari, press advisor of the Ministry of Health and Population, The Rising Nepal reports.
The infected person had landed in Nepal from Belgium by a flight QR 652 via Doha, Qatar on March 17, informed Dr. Bikash Devkota, spokesperson of the Health and Populaiton Ministry, at the Ministry’s regular press meet on Thursday.
The 65-year old infected woman is said to have underlying health problem of asthma and she had returned home with the girl, who was confirmed as the third positive case for the virus a few days ago.
The number of cases of COVID 19 in South Asia is also increasing :
London — British national Brian Neil,57, who was admitted with severe COVID-19 pneumonia symptoms at the Government Medical College Hospital in Ernakulam, Kerala, was discharged on Wednesday (1).
He was admitted on March 15 after being disembarked from his onward flight to UK at Kochi airport. He was admitted along with his wife Jane Lockwood, The Eastern eye writes.
She was later discharged as repeated samples were tested negative for COVID-19.
Brian’s condition became critical with progressive reduction in oxygen level leading to respiratory failure.
He required continuous oxygen administration and was promptly started on antiviral cocktails along with Hydroxy-chloroquine and Azithromycin. Meanwhile he needed ventilatory support with non-vented mask interphase ventilation through ICU Ventilator with viral filter at the expiratory port, a hospital statement said.
After 3 days of starting antivirals his general condition improved, though he continued to have unremitting fever.
The repeat X-ray had showed further worsening to involve the entire left lung and a new onset infiltrate in the right lower lung field. In a week of starting antivirals his fever subsided and X-ray also showed radiological improvement.
With the antiviral treatment his two samples turned out to be negative for COVID- 19.
According to the hospital, Brian was off oxygen for the past five days and has maintained normal saturation of 97% at room air and his X-ray has shown near complete resolution.
London — A further 563 patients with coronavirus have died in the UK, taking the total number of deaths in hospitals to 2,352.
The Department of Health said 29,474 people have tested positive for the virus, up 4,324 since Tuesday.
UPDATE on coronavirus (#COVID19) testing in the UK:
As of 9am 1 April, a total of 152,979 people have been tested of which 29,474 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 31 March, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 2,352 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/IUqkO6W3Dx
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 1, 2020
It comes as No 10 confirmed more than 2,000 NHS frontline staff in England have been tested for coronavirus since the outbreak began.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove said a shortage of chemicals needed for the tests meant the NHS – which employs 1.2m in England – could not screen its staff for the virus, BBC writes.
“Sadly, a 13-year old boy who tested positive for Covid-19 has passed away, and our thoughts and condolences are with the family at this time,” King’s College hospital said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, NHS England confirmed that a 19-year-old had died after testing positive for Covid-19. The Italian chef, named as Luca di Nicola by La Repubblica, was at that stage believed to be England’s youngest victim. His aunt told the website that he was “very healthy”.
New figures showed an additional 40 previously unreported coronavirus deaths in England and Wales earlier this month. The new backdated figures, published by the Office for National Statistics, suggest that almost one in five coronavirus deaths are occurring outside hospitals, so went uncounted in data published by NHS England.
RSS, Parsa — The Parsa Police today took under control 352 Indian nationals for defying lockdown enforced nationwide against the spread of COVID-19. The Police held them while going to India via Birgunj border.
Among them, five are women, 11 children and 336 men. They were taken under control at 1:00am.
They are the labours working in different parts of Nepal and trying to go home, said Superintendent of Police, Gautam Thapa, from District Police Office.
He added that the Indian citizens are kept in Thakurram Multiple Campus of Adarshangar, Birgung. They had arrived in Birgunj from different cities as Kathmandu, Chitwan, Makwanpur and Pokhara.
The meeting of the district security coordination committee to be held shortly would decide further about the Indian citizens taken under control.
Kathmandu —Former king Gyanendra Shah today announced that he would contribute Rs 20 million in the COVID-19 relief fund established by the government.
London— British Labour Party leader and veteran MP, Virendra Sharma, has been discharged from the hospital after Covid-19 treatment.
Photo : Sharmas’s twitter handle
Following mild Coronavirus symptoms last week, MP Sharma was hospitalised at the Hillingdon Hospital.
In a press statement, Mr Sharma said, “I have now been discharged from hospital and I am recovering well at home. At Hillingdon Hospital I tested positive for Coronavirus, and had some trouble breathing, and so was hospitalised for a week. My care was exceptional, and I want to pay an enormous tribute to all the staff at Hillingdon Hospital and across the NHS, working so hard, and doing so much at this time of immense pressure.”
“Now I am back home again and self-isolating, and following all the NHS and government advice. I want to urge everyone else to do the same. Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. The amazing men and women of the NHS working in almost impossible situations, with too little kit and too little support deserve our help. I am asking everyone of you to do what you can to help them,” he said.
Mr Sharma also said that many British citizens as well as their friends and family were stranded abroad, and this was very worrying for everyone involved. “Please rest assured I have been liaising with the Foreign Office on this matter, and my staff continued to work on this while I was in hospital. We have had some positive developments on this, but it is not yet resolved for all. If you are a constituent and still have family members stranded abroad do let me know,” he added.
This is an immensely difficult time for everyone, but we need to work together and follow government advice. If you are vulnerable or know of people who are, please make sure they have access to www.ealingtogether.org — our local service to support those most in need, the MP said.
DAILY SABAH , Ankara — President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday announced a nationwide fundraising campaign to help citizens financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Announcing the We are self-sufficient, Turkey campaign, Erdoğan said he was donating seven months of his salary as a way to kick start the fundraiser and added that several ministers have already joined as well.
“Our goal is to help those financially struggling, especially daily wage workers, due to the precautions taken against the outbreak,” Erdoğan said.
The president also called on all lawmakers, mayors and bureaucrats to contribute to the campaign. He also urged citizens planning to donate during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to do so in advance.
Speaking about precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic, Erdoğan said Turkey was among the most prepared countries.
Erdoğan announced a new city hospital with a 600-bed capacity in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı district which opened Monday.
The president said from masks to medicine, Turkey was in a place to produce its own supplies needed in the fight against the pandemic.
“We have so far distributed more than 24 million surgical masks, 3 million N-95 masks, 1 million gowns and 181,000 protective eyewear. We also have the means to increase the production rate of these materials,” he said.
“We will continue taking any necessary precautions to preserve our health and safety,” he said as he once again urged all citizens to practice social distancing and avoid going outside their homes.
“Let’s obey the rules and not get careless. No virus is stronger than our solidarity, the president said.
The president also said Turkey planned to send a cargo plane load of medical supplies to Spain to help the country combat the virus this week.
A ship carrying medical aid has also been dispatched to Italy, Erdoğan also said.
Erdoğan made his national address after he convened a historic Cabinet meeting via teleconference, in line with social distancing measures to fight the virus. It was the first Cabinet meeting held via videoconference in Turkish history.
The number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Turkey increased to 10,827 on Monday, while the death toll reached 168, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
In recent weeks, Turkey has closed most public spaces, schools and universities, and restricted public transport. It also imposed a 24-hour curfew for people aged 65 or over as well as for those with chronic illnesses. In Istanbul, people aged 65 or over with no financial means will receive food packages at their homes, Gov. Ali Yerlikaya said Friday. The campaign, which started March 23, covers nearly 50,000 people and will last for six weeks.
In some cities and towns, police officers at checkpoints have started the thermal screening of people arriving from out of town. In a bid to raise awareness, traffic lights in most cities now flash messages urging people to stay home.
The COVID-19 disease that originated in Wuhan, China has infected more than 750,000 people worldwide, killing 36,000. More than 150,000 have recovered so far.
AFP— The coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout could cause China’s growth to come to a standstill while driving 11 million more people in East Asia into poverty, the World Bank warned.
The pandemic is causing “an unprecedented global shock, which could bring growth to a halt and could increase poverty across the region,” said Aaditya Mattoo, World Bank chief economist for East Asia and the Pacific.
Even in the best-case scenario, the region will see a sharp drop in growth, with China’s expansion slowing to 2.3 percent from 6.1 percent in 2019, according to a report on the pandemic’s impact on the region.
With two-fifths of the world’s population under some form of lockdown that’s caused the shuttering of businesses and a slowdown in transportation to try to contain the virus, the country where the outbreak originated may escape a recession but will nonetheless suffer a sharp slowdown.
Just two months ago, the World Bank’s economists forecast China would grow by 5.9 percent this year, which would have been its worst performance since 1990.
Now the world’s second-largest economy faces a more dire outlook, reflected in the record contraction in manufacturing activity in February and industrial production that fell for the first time in 30 years.
The East Asia and Pacific region, excluding China, could see growth slow to 1.3 percent in the baseline or contract 2.8 percent in the more pessimistic scenario as compared to 5.8 percent last year, the report said.
“The pandemic is profoundly affecting the region’s economies, but the depth and duration of the shock are unusually uncertain,” the report said, noting the region already was unsettled by trade conflict with the United States.
“Containment of the pandemic would allow recovery, but the risk of durable financial stress is high even beyond 2020,” the World Bank warned. “Most vulnerable are countries that rely heavily on trade, tourism, and commodities; that are heavily indebted; and that rely on volatile financial flows.”
Worsening poverty
Even in the best case, marked by a sharp slowdown followed by a strong recovery, 24 million fewer people in the region will escape poverty, the report said.
But an additional 11 million people could descend into poverty under the more negative outlook, where there is a severe economic contraction followed by a sluggish recovery.
Mattoo said the 17 countries in the region key to global value chains and accounting for 70 percent of world trade “have all been affected” and now have some of the world’s highest numbers of COVID-19 cases.
“In this interdependent world where our economic destinies are intertwined, there’s going to be mutual amplification, because the shock is simultaneously affecting all these important countries,” he told reporters.
“That makes it particularly costly in economic terms.”
The World Bank called for strong action, with the priority first on containment but also on measures to cushion the shock to households of lost wages.
Mattoo said it is not too late to follow Korea’s example to ramp up testing and containment so that economies can begin to return to normal more quickly.
“This is not rocket science. With help even poorer countries can do it.”
AA, Kathmandu — Nepal has rescued nearly 1,000 foreign tourists stranded in remote mountain regions across the country after authorities imposed a lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus pandemic, an official said Sunday.
An estimated 10,000 tourists from Europe, Australia, South Korea, the U.S., and Canada have been stuck in trekking routes and other tourist locations in the country, said Kabindra Bhatta of the Nepal Tourism Board, Anadolou agency writes.
He said around 600 people from European countries have been evacuated over the past three days. Nepal last week halted all international flights and went under lockdown to fight the pandemic.
Among the 964 rescued so far, over 200 were airlifted from Lukla, near Everest, 177 from Jomsom, near Nepal’s border with China, and 60 from the base camp of Mount Annapurna, according to the officer.
“Most of them were airlifted while dozens also traveled overland to Kathmandu,” Bhatta told Anadolu Agency. The U.S., Canada and Australia were trying to negotiate chartered flights to evacuate their citizens from Nepal, he added.
Tens of thousands of foreigners visit Nepal every spring season, which runs April through May, for trekking and mountaineering. The country’s Tourism Ministry shut the expeditions on Everest and other Himalayan peaks over the pandemic two weeks ago.
Nepal has been under a complete lockdown for the past five days, restricting movements to only essential services.
The country, so far, has five confirmed cases of coronavirus. All of the five patients have reportedly contracted the virus while abroad.
London — Prince Charles has recovered from coronavirus, and is now out of isolation, according to Clarence House, the Prince of Wales’ official residence.
Prince Charles, 71, spent seven days self-isolating in Scotland after testing positive and displaying mild symptoms, BBC has reported.
His wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, was also tested and did not have the virus, but also began self-isolating.
A Palace official said the prince was in good health and was following the government’s restrictions.
“Clarence House has confirmed today that, having consulted with his doctor, the Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation,” a spokesman said.
Prince Charles spent his seven days of quarantine at his Birkhall home on the royal Balmoral estate.
A further 180 coronavirus patients have died in the UK taking the death toll to 1,408.
This figure includes another 159 deaths in England, six in Scotland, 14 in Wales, and one in Northern Ireland.
Some oldest persons to win covid19 battle :
A 103-year-old woman has become the oldest person to survive coronavirus.
Zhang Guangfen was admitted to hospital in Wuhan on 1 March and just six days later was released and sent home.
Her incredible recovery has been credited to the fact she had no underlying health conditions, aside from mild chronic bronchitis, her doctor Zeng Yulan is quoted as saying in Chutian Metropolis Daily.
Similarly , A 100-year-old Chinese man has fully recovered from the coronavirus, making him the oldest known patient to pull through the deadly illness, state media reported.
The centenarian patient, who marked his milestone birthday last month, was discharged Saturday from a hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
He was admitted to Hubei’s Maternity and Child Health Care hospital on Feb. 24 with the coronavirus infection, the report said.
The man suffered from underlying health issues such as Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension and heart failure, the outlet said.
He was treated using antiviral medication, convalescent plasma therapy and traditional Chinese medicine, according to the report. The elderly man was then cleared along with more than 80 other patients Saturday to leave the hospital.
Another case from U.K. , a World War Two hero aged 98 is believed to be the oldest Briton to survive Covid-19 – after recovering less than a week after being diagnosed.
Great-grandfather Jack Bowden was discharged from hospital just three days after testing positive for the killer coronavirus, which has claimed at least 422 lives in the UK. The former pharmacist – who worked on vital production of Penicillin during the Second Word War – tested positive last Wednesday after taking ill with a water infection.
Kathmandu — The Government of Nepal has extended the lockdown period by 7 days.
The lockdown is extended till 7 April, as per the decision made today by a meeting of the Council of Ministers held at the PM’s official residence, Baluwatar, the National Daily Rising Nepal writes.
“The meeting of Council of Ministers decided to extend the lockdown period by 7 days, considering the increasing threat of COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, at a press meet in Singhadurbar.
Following the detection of the second positive case of COVID-19 in the country on March 23, the government had announced week-long nationwide lockdown from March 24 to 30, prohibiting the public from stepping out of their houses.
The meeting of High Level Coordination Committee to prevent and control COVID-19 held earlier today had proposed the Council of Ministers to extend the lockdown period to prevent possible spread of the contagion that has swept across the world infecting over 650,000 and killing more than 30,000 people till the date.
The meeting of High Level Coordination Committee to prevent and control COVID-19 is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Ishwor Pokhrel.
So far, five people have tested positive for the virus in Nepal.
The Cabinet decision was taken in line with Infectious Disease Control Act, 2020.
London— British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Minister Matt Hancock have tested positive for coronavirus.
Mr Johnson said he had developed mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including a temperature and cough.
In a tweet, Mr Johnson said, “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this.”
A statement by 10 Downing Street said Prime pm Minister Johnson is self-isolating in Downing Street while his partner, Carrie Symonds, is also self-isolating, reports said.
The couple are expecting their baby in early summer.
Hancock also tests positive
In yet another dramatic announcement, Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed that he had tested positive for the virus.
In a tweet, Mr Hancock said, “I’ve tested positive. Thankfully my symptoms are mild and I’m working from home & self-isolating. Vital we follow the advice to protect our NHS & save lives.”
The 42-year-old Hancock has been heading the Health Ministry for the last two years.
Queen is healthy
In the menatime, British PM’s office has said that 93-year-old British monarch is keeping fine.
Concerns regarding her health were raised after her son, Prince Charles, 71, tested postiive of the virus.
“The Prince of Wales is displaying mild symptoms, but otherwise remains in good health”, a spokesman of the Clarence House said.
His wife, Duchess of Cornwall, 72, has however, tested negative.
Charles and Camilla are now self-isolating at Balmoral, Scotland.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen last saw her son, the heir to the throne, on 12 March, but was “in good health”.
She had met premier Johsnon on 11th March.
There is the tradition of British Prime Minister calling on the Queen every Wednesday when the parliament is in session.
After that they spoke on phone.
Covid-19 Update
Meanwhile, Public Health England (PHE), a government agency, said that as of 9am on 27 March 2020, a total of 113,777 people have been tested, of which 99,234 were confirmed negative and 14,543 were confirmed positive.
As of 5pm on 26 March 2020, 759 patients in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have died, the PHE said.
Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.
I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.
Following Mr Johnson’s announcement, Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said he had tested positive for the virus.
Mr Hancock said his symptoms were also mild and he was working from home and self-isolating.
Mr Johnson was last seen on Thursday night, clapping outside No 10 as part of a nationwide gesture to thank NHS staff and carers.
He is thought to be the first world leader to announce they have the virus.
Mr Johnson is in the flat above 11 Downing Street, which is now sealed off.
He is working from the office and study in No 11, with meals and work being left at the door of the flat, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said.
The prime minister’s fiancée Carrie Symonds, who is several months pregnant, is also self-isolating, although it is not known if they are still living together.
London—The British Finance Minister, Rishi Sunak, has said that self-employed workers will be able to apply for a grant of up to £2,500 a month to help them cope with the financial impact of coronavirus.
The money will be paid in a single lump sum, but will not begin to arrive until the start of June at the earliest.
“You have not been forgotten. We are all in it together,” Mr Sunak said.
More than 5 million people in the UK are self-employed, according to officials.
Plans for 80% wage subsidies for staff on the payroll were announced last week.
Mr Sunak said the steps taken so far were “already making a difference” but it was right to go further “in the economic fight against the coronavirus”.
Self-employed people will be able to apply for a grant worth 80% of their average monthly profits over the last three years, up to £2,500 a month.
Mr Sunak said the grants would be available to people across the UK for at least three months, and longer if necessary.
In all, 95% of people who earn most of their income as self-employed would be covered, the Minister said.
On 20 March, the Chancellor of Exchequer announced to set up a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Any employer in the country – small or large, charitable or non-profit – will be eligible for the scheme, the Chancellor said.
“Government grants will cover 80% of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month – that’s above the median income. That means workers in any part of the UK can retain their job, even if their employer cannot afford to pay them, and be paid at least 80% of their salary,” Mr Sunak said.
The Scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to March 1st and will be open initially for at least three months, he added.
London — Britons breaking coronavirus lockdown rules can be arrested or fined £60 under new police powers.
Introduced on Thursday with immediate effect, the new powers will give police the means to ensure people stay at home and avoid non-essential travel, Sky News reported .
If members of the public do not comply, police may:
Instruct them to go home, leave an area or disperse;
Ensure parents are taking necessary steps to stop their children breaking the rules;
Issue a fixed penalty notice of £60, which will be lowered to £30 if paid within 14 days;
Issue a fixed penalty notice of £120 for second time offenders, doubling on each further repeat offence.
Those who do not pay fines could be taken to court, where magistrates will be able to impose unlimited fines.
And, if an individual continues to refuse to comply, police may arrest them.
In order to help stop the spread of coronavirus, the government has said people are only allowed to leave their homes for:
Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible;
One form of exercise a day – for example, a run, walk or cycle – alone or with members of their household;
Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person;
Travelling to and from work, but only where people cannot work from home.
Gatherings of more than two people in public spaces are banned except in very limited circumstances, such as where it is for essential work purposes.
London- Bangladeshi authorities have released former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia after 25 months in prison on humanitarian grounds, her party said.
The 74-year-old was freed on Wednesday for six months to allow her to undergo urgent medical treatment, authorities said.
Reports suggested that the decision was taken in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Mrs Zia has been asked to stay in the capital, Dhaka, for treatment of her ailments. She is suffering from diabetes and arthritis.
Her family had appealed for her to be allowed to go to the United Kingdom for treatment.
“She will now be treated by top Bangladeshi doctors,” Zahid Hossain, vice chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told AFP news agency.
Hundreds of Zia’s supporters greeted her in Dhaka – defying a government ban on public gatherings to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The two-time prime minister was sent to jail two years ago after she was convicted in a corruption case. Her party, however, claimed that she was framed in a fabricated case.
Khaleda has been in prison since February 2018 after she was sentenced to a total of 17 years in two graft cases involving Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust, www.bdnews24.com reported.
Kathmandu — The National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) under the Ministry of Health and Population confirmed yet another positive case of COVID-19 today.
“The patient, aged 30, had returned from the Gulf country,” said Rajesh Kumar Gupta, Information Officer of NPHL. “He has been admitted to Shukraraaj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku.” , TRN reported .
Two days ago, Nepal had recorded second case of COVID-19, when, a 19-year old woman who had returned to Nepal from France had tested positive for the virus.
