New Zealand PM Ardern declares national emergency to tackle coronavirus
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday declared a state of national emergency as the country prepared to go into a complete lockdown at midnight to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
South Korea to tighten border checks for U.S. entries
South Korea said it would tighten border checks for travellers from the United States by Friday as concerns rise over imported coronavirus cases despite a decline in domestically transmitted infections.
Australia warns of looming health system crisis as coronavirus cases jump
Australian officials warned that an accelerating number of coronavirus infections could start overwhelming the country’s intensive care units, as stricter social distancing measures came into force on Wednesday.
Suspect in South Korea sex blackmail case identified amid outcry
South Korean police took the unusual step of publicly identifying the 24-year-old accused leader of an online sexual blackmail ring after the case lead to a national outcry in a country still focused on battling a coronavirus outbreak.
Mexico reports rise in coronavirus cases to 405, one more death
Mexico reported 405 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, up from 367 a day earlier, and five deaths overall, the health ministry said. Officials had previously reported four deaths from the fast-spreading virus.
Jordan eases nationwide curfew and allows shops to open
Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said on Tuesday the government would allow people to go on foot to buy groceries in neighbourhood shops to ease daily life for the nearly 10 million inhabitants under a tight curfew to stem the spread of the coronav…
Bolsonaro urges Brazilians back to work, dismisses coronavirus ‘hysteria’
As Brazil’s largest city went into lockdown, President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday took aim at the “hysteria” over the coronavirus and urged that life must continue and jobs be preserved.
U.S. lifts ban on Malaysian medical glove maker amid shortage
The United States has lifted a ban on a Malaysian medical glove maker it had accused of using forced labor, a government statement showed, amid a surge in demand for personal protective equipment to fight the coronavirus crisis.
China’s Xi to take part in G20 videoconference on Thursday: state TV
Chinese President Xi Jinping will take part in a videoconference of leaders from the Group of 20 major economies on Thursday, Chinese state telelvision reported on Wednesday.
Mainland China reports drop in new imported coronavirus cases, no local transmissions
Mainland China reported a drop in new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday as imported infections fell and no locally transmitted infections were reported, including in central Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak in China.
