Blogroll

Indonesia's capital city will close all schools and order remote teaching for at least two weeks to curb the spread of coronavirus, Jakarta's governor said on Saturday, as the first cases were also reported in other parts of the archipelago.

The death toll from coronavirus infections in Iran rose on Saturday to 611, state TV said, citing a health ministry official who put the total number of those diagnosed with the disease at 12,729.

Vietnam on Saturday confirmed five more cases of the coronavirus, including a British, a Czech and three Vietnamese citizens, bringing the country's total cases to 53.

Manila announced nighttime curfews on Saturday and urged shopping malls to close for one month, in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, as the Philippines reported its eighth death and the largest single-day increase in confirmed cases.

Beijing's city government said on Saturday that patients with imported coronavirus will have to cover all treatment fees if they are not enrolled for basic health insurance.

Norway advised its citizens on Saturday not to travel abroad for the next month and urged Norwegians outside the country to consider returning home as soon as possible due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Corporate America joined the fight against the spread of coronavirus on Friday, as President Donald Trump and executives announced that Google would offer a website to help people determine whether they needed tests and retailers would set up drive-through testing in parking lots.

Apple Inc said late on Friday it will close all its retail stores, except those in Greater China, for the next two weeks to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission.

The number of coronavirus cases in Japan has risen to 1,423 as of mid-morning on Saturday, with western Nagasaki prefecture reporting its first case, public broadcaster NHK said.

Mainland China had 11 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, the country's National Health Commission said on Saturday, up from eight cases a day earlier, but the number of new infections in epicenter Hubei fell for a ninth straight day.

The Philippines health department on Saturday confirmed one new fatality from the coronavirus outbreak, bringing the total number of deaths to six, a day after the country raised its health emergency status to the highest level.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc's coronavirus test, which would allow the firm to increase capacity to 1.4 million tests a week, a Trump administration official said.

Guatemala will from Monday widen travel restrictions to fight the spread of coronavirus, banning arrivals from the United States and Canada, President Alejandro Giammattei said on Friday.

Nearly 30 unions and advocacy groups on Friday urged the U.S. employee safety regulator to impose a suite of emergency measures to safeguard public-facing workers against the new coronavirus.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera announced a ban on public events with more than 500 people on Friday, as the government tries to curtail the spread of coronavirus even as massive social demonstrations are planned in the coming weeks.

The coronavirus pandemic has begun to impact the U.S. court system, halting civil and criminal jury trials in high-profile venues such as Manhattan's federal court and delaying a $1 billion trial against Elon Musk that was slated to begin Monday.

As Americans stay home to try to help stop the spread of a new coronavirus, many patients with conditions that require prescription drugs are being urged to refill their medications for a longer period.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus to free up $50 billion in federal aid and said he would "most likely" be tested for the virus himself soon after facing possible exposure.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus pandemic an emergency by invoking a law known as the Stafford Act.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday declared the island a disaster area because of the threat of coronavirus infection and said his country is seeking 100 Cuban nurses to help it to cope.