Urban air quality less improved by COVID lockdowns than first believed
Rome, Italy Thomson Reuters Foundation Lockdowns during the first wave of COVID-19 had a much smaller impact on urban air quality than first expected, a study of 11 global cities, from Wuhan to New York, found on Wednesday. As millions stayed home, concentrations in the air of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – a key pollutant emitted […]
WHO-led team expected in China in January to probe COVID-19 origins – experts
Geneva, Switzerland/Copenhagen, Denmark Reuters An international mission led by the World Health Organization is expected to go to China in the first week of January to investigate the origins of the virus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic, a member and diplomats told Reuters on Wednesday. The United States, which has accused China of having […]
Australia calls on G20 nations to end wet wildlife markets over coronavirus concerns
Sydney, Australia Reuters Australia has called on G20 nations to end wet wildlife markets over concerns they pose a threat to human health and agricultural markets, a move which could further strain ties with China after Canberra called for an international inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic which originated in China was thought to […]
New coronavirus cases in China fall for second day as death toll passes 2,000
Beijing/Shanghai, China Reuters The death toll from the new coronavirus in mainland China passed 2,000 on Wednesday although the number of new cases fell for a second straight day, as authorities tightened already severe containment measures in the worst-hit city of Wuhan. China’s National Health Commission reported 1,749 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, the […]
Spike in China virus cases doesn’t show big shift in epidemic – WHO
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The spike in cases reported from China reflects reclassifying a backlog of suspect cases using patients’ chest images and not necessarily the “tip of an iceberg” of a wider epidemic, a top World Health Organization official said on Thursday. Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s health emergencies programme, said that more than 13,300 […]
China reports record daily virus death toll as total passes 1,000, but new cases fall
Shanghai, China Reuters China reported 108 new coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, a daily record, bringing the total number of people killed in the country to 1,016, but the number of new cases fell. There were 2,478 new confirmed cases on the mainland on 10th February, down from 3,062 on the previous day, bringing the total […]
Explainer – Coronavirus to extreme weather: What happens in a city lockdown?
Thomson Reuters Foundation Wuhan, a Chinese city of about 11 million, has been under virtual lockdown for more than a week as the government tries to contain the outbreak of the fast-spreading coronavirus, which has killed more than 400 people and infected thousands more. After announcing the lockdown on 23rd January – two days before China started […]
China seeks to boost economy as first virus death reported outside its borders
Beijing, China/Manila, Philippines Reuters The first death from the coronavirus outside of China was reported on Sunday and the Beijing government took steps to shore up an economy hit by travel curbs and business shut-downs because of the epidemic. A 44-year-old Chinese man from the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, the epicentre of the […]
More than 2,000 now infected with coronavirus; 56 dead in China
Shanghai, China Reuters More than 2,000 people globally have been infected with a new coronavirus, the vast majority of them in China, where 56 people have died from the disease, according to figures released on Sunday. President Xi Jinping said during a politburo meeting on Saturday that China was facing a “grave situation”, as health […]
WHO says “bit too early” to declare coronavirus a global emergency
Updated: 12.30pm Geneva, Switzerland/Beijing, China Reuters A new coronavirus has killed 25 people in China and infected more than 800, the government said on Friday, as the World Health Organisation declared it an emergency but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern. China’s National Health Commission said 830 cases had been confirmed so […]