france24--2020-03-24--China to lift travel curbs on Hubei province, including Wuhan despite new 'imported' cases

People wear masks at a main shopping area after the city 's emergency alert level for coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) was downgraded , in Shanghai , China March 23 , 2020 .
China 's central Hubei province , where the deadly coronavirus first emerged late last year , is to lift travel curbs after two months under lockdown , local officials said Tuesday , though they warned that the country was still at risk from sporadic infections as well as those from overseas .
Healthy residents will be allowed to leave the province from midnight Tuesday , while Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will lift restrictions from April 8 .
The restrictions were announced as Britain and New Zealand joined nations in Europe , the Middle East , North America and Asia in declaring countrywide lockdowns in an effort to staunch the flow of new infections .
Mi Feng , spokesman for China ’ s National Health Commission , told a press briefing that `` prevention and control work could still not be relaxed '' .
China does not include asymptomatic or presymptomatic patients in its overall case list , prompting concerns on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks once travel restrictions are eased .
However , Wu Zunyou of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention told the briefing that there was no risk they would become a new source of transmission for the virus , saying that the such cases have also been isolated .
China reported 78 new cases of the deadly coronavirus on Tuesday , with the vast majority brought in from overseas .
The first new case in nearly a week was also reported in Wuhan -- the epicentre where the virus emerged last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere in the country .
Seven more people died , the National Health Commission said , all in Wuhan .
But at 74 , the imported cases confirmed Tuesday were the highest since officials started reporting the data at the beginning of March , and nearly double those reported Monday .
In recent days almost all the new infections in China have been brought in from overseas , and Beijing is growing increasingly anxious about an influx just as it appeared to be bringing the country 's outbreak under control .
As nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , which has now killed more than 16,000 people worldwide , the tally of imported cases in China has soared to 427 .
Many cities have brought in tough rules to quarantine new arrivals , and all Beijing-bound international flights are being diverted to other cities where they will be screened for the virus .
State media warned Tuesday of a second wave of infections , with the nationalistic Global Times warning on its front page that `` inadequate quarantine measures '' mean a second wave of infections is `` highly likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now been over 81,000 cases in China , and the death toll has reached 3,277 .
As the country tries to control imported cases , there are signs of normality beginning to return to Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province , where some 56 million people were placed under lockdown in January .
Travel and work restrictions in the province have been gradually eased and Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to Wuhan earlier this month .
Wuhan residents considered healthy can now move around the city and take public transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can also go back to work if they have a permit from their employer .
World Health Organization ( WHO ) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the global pandemic was clearly accelerating .
The number of coronavirus deaths worldwide has topped 16,200 , with more than 360,000 declared infections in 174 countries and territories , according to an AFP tally .
Tedros said it took 67 days from the beginning of the outbreak in China in December for the virus to infect the first 100,000 people worldwide .
In comparison , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 , he said .
Tedros acknowledged that many countries were struggling to take more aggressive measures because of a lack of resources but said `` we are not helpless bystanders .
`` We can change the trajectory of this pandemic , '' he said .
There are 1.7 billion people under coronavirus lockdown worldwide .
There was a glimmer of hope Monday in figures from Italy , the European ground zero of COVID-19 .
New infections in the continent 's hardest-hit country dipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from over 6,500 on Saturday .

China's central Hubei province, where the deadly coronavirus first emerged late last year, is to lift travel curbs after two months under lockdown, local officials said Tuesday, though they warned that the country was still at risk from sporadic infections as well as those from overseas.
People wear masks at a main shopping area after the city's emergency alert level for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was downgraded, in Shanghai, China March 23, 2020.
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Healthy residents will be allowed to leave the province from midnight Tuesday, while Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the pandemic, will lift restrictions from April 8.
The restrictions were announced as Britain and New Zealand joined nations in Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia in declaring countrywide lockdowns in an effort to staunch the flow of new infections.
Mi Feng, spokesman for China’s National Health Commission, told a press briefing that "prevention and control work could still not be relaxed".
China does not include asymptomatic or presymptomatic patients in its overall case list, prompting concerns on social media that potentially infectious people might cause new outbreaks once travel restrictions are eased.
However, Wu Zunyou of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention told the briefing that there was no risk they would become a new source of transmission for the virus, saying that the such cases have also been isolated.
China reported 78 new cases of the deadly coronavirus on Tuesday, with the vast majority brought in from overseas.
The first new case in nearly a week was also reported in Wuhan -- the epicentre where the virus emerged last year -- along with three other local infections elsewhere in the country.
Seven more people died, the National Health Commission said, all in Wuhan.
Fears of imported cases
But at 74, the imported cases confirmed Tuesday were the highest since officials started reporting the data at the beginning of March, and nearly double those reported Monday.
In recent days almost all the new infections in China have been brought in from overseas, and Beijing is growing increasingly anxious about an influx just as it appeared to be bringing the country's outbreak under control.
As nations across the globe battle to contain the pandemic, which has now killed more than 16,000 people worldwide, the tally of imported cases in China has soared to 427.
Many cities have brought in tough rules to quarantine new arrivals, and all Beijing-bound international flights are being diverted to other cities where they will be screened for the virus.
State media warned Tuesday of a second wave of infections, with the nationalistic Global Times warning on its front page that "inadequate quarantine measures" mean a second wave of infections is "highly likely, even inevitable".
There have now been over 81,000 cases in China, and the death toll has reached 3,277.
As the country tries to control imported cases, there are signs of normality beginning to return to Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province, where some 56 million people were placed under lockdown in January.
Travel and work restrictions in the province have been gradually eased and Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to Wuhan earlier this month.
Wuhan residents considered healthy can now move around the city and take public transport if they show identification, and they can also go back to work if they have a permit from their employer.
‘We are not helpless bystanders’
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the global pandemic was clearly accelerating.
The number of coronavirus deaths worldwide has topped 16,200, with more than 360,000 declared infections in 174 countries and territories, according to an AFP tally.
Tedros said it took 67 days from the beginning of the outbreak in China in December for the virus to infect the first 100,000 people worldwide.
In comparison, it required only 11 days for the second 100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000, he said.
Tedros acknowledged that many countries were struggling to take more aggressive measures because of a lack of resources but said "we are not helpless bystanders.
"We can change the trajectory of this pandemic," he said.
There are 1.7 billion people under coronavirus lockdown worldwide.
There was a glimmer of hope Monday in figures from Italy, the European ground zero of COVID-19.
New infections in the continent's hardest-hit country dipped to just shy of 5,000, down from over 6,500 on Saturday.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-24--Spanish soldiers find elderly patients 'abandoned' in retirement homes

Employees of a mortuary enter the crematorium of La Almudena cemetery with a coffin of a person who died of coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) during partial lockdown to combat the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak in Madrid , Spain , March 23 , 2020 .
Spanish soldiers deployed to help fight the new coronavirus outbreak have found elderly patients abandoned , and sometimes dead , at retirement homes , as an ice rink inside a Madrid shopping mall was turned into a temporary morgue to cope with a surge in cases .
The army has been charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic .
Dozens of deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded at facilities across the country .
`` We are going to be strict and inflexible when dealing with the way old people are treated in these residences , '' Defence Minister Margarita Robles said in an interview with private television channel Telecinco .
`` The army , during certain visits , found some old people completely abandoned , sometimes even dead in their beds , '' she added .
An investigation has been launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus death toll in Spain surged to 2,182 on Monday after 462 people died within 24 hours , according to health ministry figures .
Meanwhile , the ice rink at the Palacio de Hielo , or Ice Palace , shopping centre in Madrid was turned into a temporary morgue to deal with a surge in deaths in the capital , a spokeswoman for Madrid city hall told AFP .
Earlier , the city hall said the city 's 14 public cemeteries would stop accepting more bodies because staff there did not have adequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start to be used `` in the coming hours , '' the regional government of Madrid said .
`` This is a temporary and exceptional measure which aims to mitigate the pain of the family members of the victims and the situation hospitals in Madrid are facing . ''
A nearby congress centre has been converted into a field hospital for coronavirus patients that will have a total of 5,500 beds .
The elderly are especially vulnerable in the global pandemic and officials around the world are increasingly calling for extreme measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an absolute priority for the government '' , Health Minister Salvador Illa told a press conference .
`` We will exercise the most intensive monitoring of these centres . ''
Under coronavirus protocols , health workers have been instructed to leave bodies in place in suspected COVID-19 deaths until the arrival of a doctor .
But given the upsurge in deaths the delay can be lengthy .

Spanish soldiers deployed to help fight the new coronavirus outbreak have found elderly patients abandoned, and sometimes dead, at retirement homes, as an ice rink inside a Madrid shopping mall was turned into a temporary morgue to cope with a surge in cases.
Employees of a mortuary enter the crematorium of La Almudena cemetery with a coffin of a person who died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during partial lockdown to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Madrid, Spain, March 23, 2020.
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The army has been charged with helping to disinfect retirement homes in Spain, one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic. Dozens of deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded at facilities across the country.
"We are going to be strict and inflexible when dealing with the way old people are treated in these residences," Defence Minister Margarita Robles said in an interview with private television channel Telecinco.
"The army, during certain visits, found some old people completely abandoned, sometimes even dead in their beds," she added.
An investigation has been launched, the general prosecutor announced.
The coronavirus death toll in Spain surged to 2,182 on Monday after 462 people died within 24 hours, according to health ministry figures.
Meanwhile, the ice rink at the Palacio de Hielo, or Ice Palace, shopping centre in Madrid was turned into a temporary morgue to deal with a surge in deaths in the capital, a spokeswoman for Madrid city hall told AFP.
Earlier, the city hall said the city's 14 public cemeteries would stop accepting more bodies because staff there did not have adequate protective gear.
The improvised morgue would start to be used "in the coming hours," the regional government of Madrid said.
"This is a temporary and exceptional measure which aims to mitigate the pain of the family members of the victims and the situation hospitals in Madrid are facing."
A nearby congress centre has been converted into a field hospital for coronavirus patients that will have a total of 5,500 beds.
The elderly are especially vulnerable in the global pandemic and officials around the world are increasingly calling for extreme measures to safeguard them.
Retirement homes are "an absolute priority for the government", Health Minister Salvador Illa told a press conference.
"We will exercise the most intensive monitoring of these centres."
Under coronavirus protocols, health workers have been instructed to leave bodies in place in suspected COVID-19 deaths until the arrival of a doctor. But given the upsurge in deaths the delay can be lengthy.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-24--Fear in New York, but Trump says coronavirus lockdown could soon be lifted

A lone man walks in the rain in a mostly deserted Times Square following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in the Manhattan borough of New York City , New York , U.S. , March 23 , 2020 .
Anxiety ratcheted up Monday across an eerily deserted New York , America 's coronavirus epicenter , but President Donald Trump said he 'd soon call for lifting the lockdown in some parts of the country .
`` America will again and soon be open for business , '' Trump told a White House news conference .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a long-lasting financial problem . ''
Trump issued guidelines a week ago that he said aimed to slow the spread of the disease over 15 days , including curbing unnecessary travel .
In the meantime , economic activity has ground to a halt in some states .
But watching the loss of many jobs and a sharp drop in stock markets and facing a tough re-election battle , Trump has privately expressed worries to aides and allies about the impact of the restrictions on the long-term health of the economy .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic activity in states with what he said were relatively low rates of infection , citing Nebraska , Idaho and Iowa as examples , while continuing to work on the hot zones in other states like New York .
`` If it were up to the doctors , they 'd say let 's shut down the entire world , '' said Trump .
Trump senior economic adviser Larry Kudlow signaled a possible policy change in an earlier interview with Fox News on Monday : `` The president is right .
The cure ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're going to have to make some difficult trade-offs . ''
The White House would look at `` a number of things , '' he said .
Trump , who had hoped to build his campaign for the Nov. 3 election on a booming U.S. economy , now is looking at hundreds if not thousands of deaths from COVID-19 .
Many of his Republican allies fear the toll on the economy would make it harder for him to win another four-year term .
Cases of coronavirus have grown more than 15 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City hospitals are days from a crisis , Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday .
`` If we don ’ t get more ventilators in the next 10 days , people will die who don ’ t have to die , '' he said .
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham , a Trump confidant , cautioned against prematurely lifting containment rules because of concerns about the economy .
“ My advice would be to follow medical advice to contain the virus , '' he told reporters on Capitol Hill .
`` If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , fine , but my primary focus is to make sure the virus is contained and defeated .
And we 're just going to have to suffer through the economic consequences.
” The Trump administration has been pushing for aggressive monetary policy steps to stem the economic hit of the epidemic , after the president spent several weeks playing down the health risks and rapid spread .
The Federal Reserve on Monday rolled out an extraordinary array of programs to backstop an economy reeling from sweeping restrictions on people and businesses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus .
While Trump ponders ways to reopen at least parts of the economy , some advisers are warning that the spread of the virus is worsening .
`` This week , it 's going to get bad , '' Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told NBC 's `` Today '' show on Monday .
Americans are not taking stay-at-home guidelines seriously enough , he said .
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Sunday the lockdown affecting large segments of the American public was likely to last 10 to 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over the last few days , some White House economic policy advisers have started to focus on how long lockdowns and other measures to contain the virus might last , said one adviser outside the administration .
Newly returned economic adviser Kevin Hassett ’ s team has determined that if the shutdowns continue much longer , the United States could slip into depression , he said .
One source said Trump began talking privately late last week about reopening the country after the 15-day shutdown .
Trump believes `` we are strong and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this crisis , '' the source said .
Stephen Moore , the economic commentator whom Trump tried to tap for a vacant Federal Reserve seat last year but who , facing staunch criticism , withdrew his candidacy , has been particularly influential , the adviser said .
`` He has the president 's ear on this issue , '' he added .
Moore told Reuters on Monday there is a re-examination in the White House of the wisdom of “ a full scale … shutdown of the economy.
” He said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we go on too long with the economy shut down , the human toll for that could be greater than the risk of the virus . ''
Medical experts say there is no way to return to more normal activity without knowing how widespread the virus is in the U.S. population .
`` No one wants to see this go on a day longer than it has to , '' said Dr. William Schaffner , a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine .
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay on social distancing . ''
The United States is still nowhere near meeting the demand for tests , so U.S. officials do not fully grasp how many Americans have been infected and where they are concentrated - crucial to containment efforts .

Anxiety ratcheted up Monday across an eerily deserted New York, America's coronavirus epicenter, but President Donald Trump said he'd soon call for lifting the lockdown in some parts of the country.
A lone man walks in the rain in a mostly deserted Times Square following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 23, 2020.
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"America will again and soon be open for business," Trump told a White House news conference. "We are not going to let it turn into a long-lasting financial problem."
Trump issued guidelines a week ago that he said aimed to slow the spread of the disease over 15 days, including curbing unnecessary travel. In the meantime, economic activity has ground to a halt in some states.
But watching the loss of many jobs and a sharp drop in stock markets and facing a tough re-election battle, Trump has privately expressed worries to aides and allies about the impact of the restrictions on the long-term health of the economy.
Trump told reporters it was possible to resume economic activity in states with what he said were relatively low rates of infection, citing Nebraska, Idaho and Iowa as examples, while continuing to work on the hot zones in other states like New York.
"If it were up to the doctors, they'd say let's shut down the entire world," said Trump.
Trump senior economic adviser Larry Kudlow signaled a possible policy change in an earlier interview with Fox News on Monday: "The president is right. The cure can't be worse than the disease. We're going to have to make some difficult trade-offs."
The White House would look at "a number of things," he said.
Trump, who had hoped to build his campaign for the Nov. 3 election on a booming U.S. economy, now is looking at hundreds if not thousands of deaths from COVID-19. Many of his Republican allies fear the toll on the economy would make it harder for him to win another four-year term.
Cases of coronavirus have grown more than 15 times since last week's guidelines. New York City hospitals are days from a crisis, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday. "If we don’t get more ventilators in the next 10 days, people will die who don’t have to die," he said.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump confidant, cautioned against prematurely lifting containment rules because of concerns about the economy.
“My advice would be to follow medical advice to contain the virus," he told reporters on Capitol Hill. "If we can take some pressure off the economy, fine, but my primary focus is to make sure the virus is contained and defeated. And we're just going to have to suffer through the economic consequences.”
The Trump administration has been pushing for aggressive monetary policy steps to stem the economic hit of the epidemic, after the president spent several weeks playing down the health risks and rapid spread.
The Federal Reserve on Monday rolled out an extraordinary array of programs to backstop an economy reeling from sweeping restrictions on people and businesses that scientists say are needed to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
While Trump ponders ways to reopen at least parts of the economy, some advisers are warning that the spread of the virus is worsening.
"This week, it's going to get bad," Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told NBC's "Today" show on Monday. Americans are not taking stay-at-home guidelines seriously enough, he said.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Sunday the lockdown affecting large segments of the American public was likely to last 10 to 12 weeks, or until early June.
Trade-offs
Over the last few days, some White House economic policy advisers have started to focus on how long lockdowns and other measures to contain the virus might last, said one adviser outside the administration.
Newly returned economic adviser Kevin Hassett’s team has determined that if the shutdowns continue much longer, the United States could slip into depression, he said.
One source said Trump began talking privately late last week about reopening the country after the 15-day shutdown. Trump believes "we are strong and need a strong economy as we deal with this crisis," the source said.
Stephen Moore, the economic commentator whom Trump tried to tap for a vacant Federal Reserve seat last year but who, facing staunch criticism, withdrew his candidacy, has been particularly influential, the adviser said. "He has the president's ear on this issue," he added.
Moore told Reuters on Monday there is a re-examination in the White House of the wisdom of “a full scale … shutdown of the economy.”
He said there were some who thought that “if we go on too long with the economy shut down, the human toll for that could be greater than the risk of the virus."
Medical experts say there is no way to return to more normal activity without knowing how widespread the virus is in the U.S. population.
"No one wants to see this go on a day longer than it has to," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "But at the moment, the emphasis needs to stay on social distancing."
The United States is still nowhere near meeting the demand for tests, so U.S. officials do not fully grasp how many Americans have been infected and where they are concentrated - crucial to containment efforts.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-24--Coronavirus: curfews in Senegal and Ivory Coast, lockdown in South Africa

A member of local hygiene services wears a face mask during the street cleaning operation and demolishing of informal shops to stop the spread of coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) in Dakar , Senegal March 22 , 2020 .
South Africa 's president on Monday said he was deploying the military onto the streets to help police enforce a nationwide lockdown , while Senegal and Ivory Coast both announced they were imposing a state of emergency to tackle the spread of coronavirus .
Coronavirus cases were slow to arrive in Africa , but the virus is spreading quickly , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries and challenging already strained and under-funded health systems .
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced a three-week national lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly new coronavirus which has affected more than 400 people and ordered the military to enforce the ban .
He said government `` has decided to enforce a nationwide lockdown for 21 days with effect from midnight on Thursday the 26th of March ( to ) avoid a human catastrophe '' .
The number of confirmed in cases in South Africa has climbed six-fold in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` This number will continue to rise , '' warned Ramaphosa , adding `` the next few days are crucial '' .
South Africa has the most confirmed cases of coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa and public health experts are worried that it could overwhelm the health system if infection rates continue to rise .
The West African states of Senegal and Ivory Coast on Monday each declared a state of emergency in the face of the new coronavirus pandemic .
Senegal will impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew , while Ivory Coast said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The speed of the progress of the disease requires us to raise the level of the response , '' Senegalese President Macky Sall said in a televised address to the nation .
Senegal registered 12 new cases on Monday to take its total to 79 , while Ivory Coast has recorded 25 cases .
Last week , Senegal suspended international commercial flights , and Ivory Coast shuttered nightclubs and cinemas .
But in television addresses , both countries ' presidents said those measures had proved inadequate .
The second largest city in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began a 48-hour lockdown on Monday after the arrival of two people with suspected coronavirus aboard a flight from Kinshasha .
Security forces were deployed in the city of Lubumbashi , in southeastern DRC , where the streets were deserted and stores were closed .
The DRC has recorded 30 cases of coronavirus since March 10 , two of them fatalities .
Four legislators in Kinshasa on Monday urged President Felix Tshisekedi to place the sprawling capital `` in quarantine and isolate it from the rest of the country '' .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus spreading as a result of travel from Kinshasa and the rest of the country , '' they said .
Elsewhere on the continent , Zimbabwe closed all its borders to traffic except returning residents after reporting its first death from the coronavirus .
Nigeria , Africa 's most populous country , closed its land borders after also registering its first death .
Ethiopia also closed its land borders .
Kenya 's confirmed coronavirus cases rose by one to 16 , while Senegal 's tally rose by 12 to 79 .
African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 billion stimulus package , including a suspension of debt service payments .
Ethiopia on Monday shut its land borders to nearly all human traffic as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
Africa 's second-most populous country has so far recorded just 11 infections and no deaths , but officials have struggled in recent days to enforce prevention measures including bans on large gatherings , raising fears the tally could climb .
Other countries in West Africa such as Mauritania and Burkina Faso -- the hardest-hit country in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths -- have also announced curfews in recent days .

South Africa's president on Monday said he was deploying the military onto the streets to help police enforce a nationwide lockdown, while Senegal and Ivory Coast both announced they were imposing a state of emergency to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
A member of local hygiene services wears a face mask during the street cleaning operation and demolishing of informal shops to stop the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Dakar, Senegal March 22, 2020.
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Coronavirus cases were slow to arrive in Africa, but the virus is spreading quickly, having infected more than 1,700 people across 45 countries and challenging already strained and under-funded health systems.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced a three-week national lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly new coronavirus which has affected more than 400 people and ordered the military to enforce the ban.
He said government "has decided to enforce a nationwide lockdown for 21 days with effect from midnight on Thursday the 26th of March (to) avoid a human catastrophe".
The number of confirmed in cases in South Africa has climbed six-fold in just eight days from 61 to 402.
"This number will continue to rise," warned Ramaphosa, adding "the next few days are crucial".
South Africa has the most confirmed cases of coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa and public health experts are worried that it could overwhelm the health system if infection rates continue to rise.
Senegal and Ivory Coast declare state of emergency
The West African states of Senegal and Ivory Coast on Monday each declared a state of emergency in the face of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Senegal will impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew, while Ivory Coast said it would introduce gradual confinement measures. "The speed of the progress of the disease requires us to raise the level of the response," Senegalese President Macky Sall said in a televised address to the nation.
Senegal registered 12 new cases on Monday to take its total to 79, while Ivory Coast has recorded 25 cases.
Last week, Senegal suspended international commercial flights, and Ivory Coast shuttered nightclubs and cinemas. But in television addresses, both countries' presidents said those measures had proved inadequate.
Lockdown in DRC's second largest city
The second largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began a 48-hour lockdown on Monday after the arrival of two people with suspected coronavirus aboard a flight from Kinshasha.
Security forces were deployed in the city of Lubumbashi, in southeastern DRC, where the streets were deserted and stores were closed.
The DRC has recorded 30 cases of coronavirus since March 10, two of them fatalities.
Four legislators in Kinshasa on Monday urged President Felix Tshisekedi to place the sprawling capital "in quarantine and isolate it from the rest of the country".
"We are extremely concerned about the risk of the virus spreading as a result of travel from Kinshasa and the rest of the country," they said.
Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Ethiopia close their borders
Elsewhere on the continent, Zimbabwe closed all its borders to traffic except returning residents after reporting its first death from the coronavirus.
The government also banned public gatherings indefinitely.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, closed its land borders after also registering its first death. Ethiopia also closed its land borders.
Kenya's confirmed coronavirus cases rose by one to 16, while Senegal's tally rose by 12 to 79.
African finance ministers also called for a $100 billion stimulus package, including a suspension of debt service payments.
Ethiopia on Monday shut its land borders to nearly all human traffic as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Africa's second-most populous country has so far recorded just 11 infections and no deaths, but officials have struggled in recent days to enforce prevention measures including bans on large gatherings, raising fears the tally could climb.
Other countries in West Africa such as Mauritania and Burkina Faso -- the hardest-hit country in the region with 99 cases and four deaths -- have also announced curfews in recent days.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
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france24--2020-03-24--US cuts aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion after Pompeo fails to break impasse

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced a $ 1 billion cut in U.S. aid to Afghanistan after he failed to convince Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political foe to end a feud that has helped jeopardise a U.S.-led peace effort .
The United States also is prepared to cut 2021 assistance by the same amount and is conducting `` a review of all of our programs and projects to identify additional reductions , and reconsider our pledges to future donor conferences for Afghanistan , '' Pompeo said in a statement .
Pompeo 's statement came as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort in Kabul to end competing claims to the presidency by Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah and win their agreement to form `` an inclusive government . ''
The harshly worded announcement at the end of the mission he undertook despite the spreading global coronavirus pandemic underscored how badly stalled the U.S.-led effort to end America 's longest war and decades of strife in Afghanistan has become .
The United States `` deeply regrets '' that Ghani and Abdullah were `` unable to agree on an inclusive government , '' said Pompeo , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations and , sadly , dishonors those Afghan , Americans , and Coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure . ''
`` We are today announcing a responsible adjustment to our spending in Afghanistan and immediately reducing assistance by $ 1 billion this year .
We are prepared to reduce by another $ 1 billion in 2021 , '' he said .
`` We will also initiate a review of all of our programs and projects to identify additional reductions . ''
On his way back to Washington , Pompeo landed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 75-minute meeting with Taliban officials , including their top negotiator , Mullah Baradar Akhund .
Speaking to reporters after departing Qatar , Pompeo declined to detail how the $ 1 billion in aid cuts would be apportioned or whether he set a deadline for Ghani and Abdullah , who had served as the country 's chief executive , to settle their dispute .
But he indicated that the aid cut could be cancelled if they came to an agreement .
`` We are hopeful , frankly , that they will get their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to do it .
But we ’ re prepared to do that , '' he said .
In the meantime , he said , the United States would continue backing Afghan security forces while continuing a phased `` conditions-based '' troop withdrawal as specified in a deal signed with the Taliban in Doha on Feb. 29 .
He said that despite ongoing fighting , the Taliban largely have fulfilled a commitment to reduce violence and were working to form a team for intra-Afghan peace talks .
Pompeo 's mission came nearly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the signing of the Feb. 29 deal with Taliban .
Ghani 's government was not a party to the agreement .
The agreement was to have been followed by the opening by March 10 of negotiations on a political settlement to decades of strife between the insurgents and a delegation of Afghans that would include government officials .
But the process stalled over a Taliban demand for the release by Kabul of 5,000 prisoners and the feud between Ghani and Abdullah , both of whom claimed the presidency following a disputed September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While in Kabul , Pompeo met with Ghani and Abdullah , both separately and together .
Absent from the meetings was the chief U.S. negotiator , U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad , an Afghan-born veteran diplomat .
It was not immediately known why Khalilzad was not included .
A senior State Department official , speaking before the meetings ended , said the purpose of Pompeo 's visit was to try to mediate a solution between the two men .
`` The fear is that unless this crisis gets resolved ... soon , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement with the Talibs could be put at risk , '' the official said .
A spokesman for Ghani declined to comment , saying details of the meetings had not yet been released .
Omid Maisam , a spokesman for Abdullah , said that if there were more meetings a solution was `` not impossible '' and that they wanted a peaceful end to the crisis .
Khalilzad , who has spent much of his time in Kabul since the deal was signed , made a plea to both sides last week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Taliban and Afghan government spoke for more than two hours on prisoner releases on Sunday in a Skype call facilitated by the United States and Qatar , offering some hope of progress .
But domestic politics have been a complicating factor .
In February , Afghanistan 's Electoral Commission announced incumbent Ghani as the winner of the presidential election , but Abdullah said he and his allies had won and insisted that he would form a government .
Key sticking points in recent weeks between the two men have included Abdullah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief executive , which he held in the previous government , and that his camp be given more ministerial roles than Ghani was offering , according to the diplomat and an aide to Abdullah .

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced a $1 billion cut in U.S. aid to Afghanistan after he failed to convince Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political foe to end a feud that has helped jeopardise a U.S.-led peace effort.
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The United States also is prepared to cut 2021 assistance by the same amount and is conducting "a review of all of our programs and projects to identify additional reductions, and reconsider our pledges to future donor conferences for Afghanistan," Pompeo said in a statement.
Pompeo's statement came as he flew home from a fruitless day-long effort in Kabul to end competing claims to the presidency by Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah and win their agreement to form "an inclusive government."
The harshly worded announcement at the end of the mission he undertook despite the spreading global coronavirus pandemic underscored how badly stalled the U.S.-led effort to end America's longest war and decades of strife in Afghanistan has become.
The United States "deeply regrets" that Ghani and Abdullah were "unable to agree on an inclusive government," said Pompeo, adding that "their failure has harmed U.S.-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonors those Afghan, Americans, and Coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure."
"We are today announcing a responsible adjustment to our spending in Afghanistan and immediately reducing assistance by $1 billion this year. We are prepared to reduce by another $1 billion in 2021," he said. "We will also initiate a review of all of our programs and projects to identify additional reductions."
Pompeo met with Taliban's top negotiator
On his way back to Washington, Pompeo landed at a military base in Qatar for a 75-minute meeting with Taliban officials, including their top negotiator, Mullah Baradar Akhund.
Speaking to reporters after departing Qatar, Pompeo declined to detail how the $1 billion in aid cuts would be apportioned or whether he set a deadline for Ghani and Abdullah, who had served as the country's chief executive, to settle their dispute.
But he indicated that the aid cut could be cancelled if they came to an agreement.
"We are hopeful, frankly, that they will get their act together and we won’t have to do it. But we’re prepared to do that," he said.
In the meantime, he said, the United States would continue backing Afghan security forces while continuing a phased "conditions-based" troop withdrawal as specified in a deal signed with the Taliban in Doha on Feb. 29.
He said that despite ongoing fighting, the Taliban largely have fulfilled a commitment to reduce violence and were working to form a team for intra-Afghan peace talks.
Pompeo's mission came nearly a month after his last visit to Doha for the signing of the Feb. 29 deal with Taliban. Ghani's government was not a party to the agreement.
The agreement was to have been followed by the opening by March 10 of negotiations on a political settlement to decades of strife between the insurgents and a delegation of Afghans that would include government officials.
Process stalled
But the process stalled over a Taliban demand for the release by Kabul of 5,000 prisoners and the feud between Ghani and Abdullah, both of whom claimed the presidency following a disputed September election marred by allegations of fraud.
While in Kabul, Pompeo met with Ghani and Abdullah, both separately and together.
Absent from the meetings was the chief U.S. negotiator, U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-born veteran diplomat. It was not immediately known why Khalilzad was not included.
A senior State Department official, speaking before the meetings ended, said the purpose of Pompeo's visit was to try to mediate a solution between the two men.
"The fear is that unless this crisis gets resolved ... soon, that could affect the peace process ... our agreement with the Talibs could be put at risk," the official said.
A spokesman for Ghani declined to comment, saying details of the meetings had not yet been released.
Omid Maisam, a spokesman for Abdullah, said that if there were more meetings a solution was "not impossible" and that they wanted a peaceful end to the crisis.
Skype call
Khalilzad, who has spent much of his time in Kabul since the deal was signed, made a plea to both sides last week to act quickly on the release of prisoners.
The Taliban and Afghan government spoke for more than two hours on prisoner releases on Sunday in a Skype call facilitated by the United States and Qatar, offering some hope of progress. But domestic politics have been a complicating factor.
In February, Afghanistan's Electoral Commission announced incumbent Ghani as the winner of the presidential election, but Abdullah said he and his allies had won and insisted that he would form a government.
Key sticking points in recent weeks between the two men have included Abdullah's desire to retain the role of chief executive, which he held in the previous government, and that his camp be given more ministerial roles than Ghani was offering, according to the diplomat and an aide to Abdullah.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-24--France's coronavirus death toll tops 1,000, lockdown likely to be extended

A deserted Champ de Mars in Paris as France enters the second week of a lockdown to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus outbreak .
France on Tuesday reported a daily coronavirus death toll rise of 240 , taking the total number of fatalities from the outbreak to 1,100 , according to health officials .
The increase makes France the fifth country to cross the 1,000 death toll mark since the epidemic originated in China late last year .
France now has 22,300 confirmed coronavirus cases , including an increase of 2,444 in the past 24 hours , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health , Jerome Salomon , at a press briefing Tuesday .
Across the country , 10,176 people were hospitalised for coronavirus , including 2,516 in a serious condition , said Salomon .
Tuesday ’ s death toll rise made France the fifth country to exceed a grim 1,000 fatalities milestone after Italy , China , Spain and Iran .
The spike in coronavirus cases and deaths came after the country ’ s scientific council , which advises French President Emmanuel Macron on the coronavirus crisis , said a lockdown to contain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks since it was put in place .
France has been under a strict lockdown since March 17 , when Macron announced restrictive measures , including fines for people violating the rules .
The lockdown was initially expected to last 15 days .
In its statement , France ’ s scientific council said the lockdown was at present the only really efficient strategy .
The council also said it was “ necessary to strengthen ” the containment measures without providing details .
Responding to the council ’ s lockdown recommendations , French Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible to put a clear time frame just yet .
“ The members of the scientific council are n't able to say with precision if the confinement should be for such a set duration .
They said , may be we need to prepare for the confinement to last longer .
Beyond 15 days we know , but perhaps it could extend past that - another five or six weeks , ” he said .
“ It will only end when the epidemic curve allows it , this is the basic principle .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the French people .
It will last as long as it has to last.
” Noting that three weeks were needed to obtain an initial estimate of the impact of the lockdown , the council said , `` Containment is currently the only truly operational strategy , as the alternative policy of large-scale screenings and isolation of those detected is not currently feasible on a national scale . ''
A decision to end the lockdown `` could be taken on the basis of epidemiological indicators .
in particular the saturation of hospital services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The government will also have to ensure that the elements of a post-confinement strategy are operational , the council added .
Members of the council also issued an `` alert ” on `` the real or perceived shortage of various types of equipment , starting with essential health protection equipment '' .
They recommended that the government “ should provide full transparency and clarity ” to answer questions from hospitals and health care providers about existing stocks and how services will be supplied .

France on Tuesday reported a daily coronavirus death toll rise of 240, taking the total number of fatalities from the outbreak to 1,100, according to health officials. The increase makes France the fifth country to cross the 1,000 death toll mark since the epidemic began in China late last year.
A deserted Champ de Mars in Paris as France enters the second week of a lockdown to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
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France now has 22,300 confirmed coronavirus cases, including an increase of 2,444 in the past 24 hours, said the country’s Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon, at a news briefing Tuesday.
Across the country, 10,176 people were hospitalised for coronavirus, including 2,516 in a serious condition, said Salomon.
Tuesday’s death toll rise made France the fifth country to exceed a grim 1,000 fatalities milestone after Italy, China, Spain and Iran.
The spike in coronavirus cases and deaths came after the country’s scientific council, which advises French President Emmanuel Macron on the coronavirus crisis, said a lockdown to contain the epidemic should last a total of six weeks since it was put in place.
France has been under a strict lockdown since March 17, when Macron announced restrictive measures, including fines for people violating the rules. The lockdown was initially expected to last 15 days.
In its statement, France’s scientific council said the lockdown was at present the only really efficient strategy.
The council also said it was “necessary to strengthen” the containment measures without providing details.
Responding to the council’s lockdown recommendations, French Health Minister Olivier Véran said it was not possible to put a clear time frame just yet.
“The members of the scientific council aren’t able to say with precision if the confinement should be for such a set duration. They said, maybe we need to prepare for the confinement to last longer. Beyond 15 days we know, but perhaps it could extend past that – another five or six weeks,” he said.
“It will only end when the epidemic curve allows it, this is the basic principle. Confinement has a purpose, to protect the French people. It will last as long as it has to last.”
‘Only truly operational strategy’
Noting that three weeks were needed to obtain an initial estimate of the impact of the lockdown, the council said, “Containment is currently the only truly operational strategy, as the alternative policy of large-scale screenings and isolation of those detected is not currently feasible on a national scale.”
A decision to end the lockdown “could be taken on the basis of epidemiological indicators. in particular the saturation of hospital services and especially of intensive care units”. The government will also have to ensure that the elements of a post-confinement strategy are operational, the council added.
‘Full transparency’ on medical equipment
Members of the council also issued an “alert” on "the real or perceived shortage of various types of equipment, starting with essential health protection equipment”.
They recommended that the government “provide full transparency and clarity” to answer questions from hospitals and health care providers about existing stocks and how services will be supplied.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-24--New York’s coronavirus cases spike, but Trump favours reopening US economy

New York City reported 14,776 coronavirus cases and 131 deaths , Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday as New York state governor , Andrew Cuomo , warned the epidemic could hit harder and faster than previously thought with the World Health Organization warning the US could emerge as the epicenter of the global pandemic .
As President Donald Trump pressed his case for a reopening of the US economy within a few weeks , Cuomo said that being too hasty to ease the limits on travel , socializing and working together would cost lives .
`` If you ask the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the economy , then it 's no contest .
No American is going to say accelerate the economy at the cost of human life , '' he said at a convention center in Manhattan that is being converted into a 1,000-bed temporary hospital .
Cuomo 's state , home to the most populous US city , is the worst hit by the outbreak , which has infected more than 50,000 people in the United States and killed at least 660 .
The death toll in New York from the COVID-19 respiratory illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The expected need for hospital beds in New York at the peak of the outbreak has jumped to 140,000 , Cuomo said , compared with 110,000 projected recently .
Only 53,000 beds are now available .
The rate of infection is now doubling every three days in New York and the worst of the outbreak , known as the apex , could arrive in 14 to 21 days , putting huge pressure on health services , Cuomo said .
A week after New Yorkers and millions of other Americans began taking shelter at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and financial investors warned on Tuesday against easing restrictions too soon even though the clampdown is devastating the US economy .
Trump said on Monday he was considering how to restart business life when a 15-day shutdown ends next week , even as the highly contagious virus spreads rapidly and poorly equipped hospitals struggle with a wave of deadly cases .
The Republican president is seeking to win re-election in November on a promise of economic growth .
Trump told Fox News Channel that he would like to see U.S. businesses opening their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year in mid-April .
`` I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter , '' he said , playing down the pandemic as he did in its early stages when he compared it to the seasonal flu .
Trump said the restrictions could themselves lead to suicides or other fatalities but cited no evidence to support the assertion .
`` You 're going to lose more people by putting a country into a massive recession or depression .
You 're going to lose people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the thousands , '' he said .
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan , also a Republican , pushed back on the notion that an easing of restrictions should start anytime soon .
`` We do n't think that we 're going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so , or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock , '' he told CNN on Tuesday .
The World Health Organization on Tuesday warned that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic , citing a `` very large acceleration '' in infections .
There were signs that nerves had begun fraying after days of people working from home , looking after children whose schools are shut and severely scaling back on everyday activities .
At a Brooklyn playground , architect Carolyn Straub , 48 , and her family took a break from their new lives working and schooling from home .
`` That 's actually been hard , '' Straub said .
`` The internet is not always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's impossible for us to have four separate audio zones in the house . ''
A rapid reopening of the economy might backfire , with higher deaths and people remaining fearful of going out , according to investors who remain anxious about the uncertain trajectory of the coronavirus and its economic toll .
`` Markets will react badly because they have learned that this approach doesn ’ t work , ” Axel Merk , chief investment officer of Merk Investments , said .
“ From a medical point of view , you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do that with shelter in place policies.
” Wall Street snapped back from three-year lows on Tuesday , after US lawmakers said they were close to a deal for an economic rescue package .
All three main U.S. stock indexes rebounded strongly from a brutal selloff on Monday .
Negotiators in the US Senate said the upper chamber of Congress could pass the $ 2 trillion stimulus bill , which includes financial aid for ordinary Americans , small businesses and critically affected industries , as soon as Tuesday .
Senior Democrats and Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal on the bill .
Despite the huge changes to daily life , many Americans still say they are willing to make sacrifices .
Holly Huelster , 33 , a full-time nanny who was pushing the toddler she cares for in a stroller down 11th Avenue in New York City , said she believes Trump ’ s rhetoric about the economy threatens real harm to human lives .
“ It ’ s horrible for the economy but I would put health as a priority always , ” she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live on less , I think you can make it work .
”

New York City has reported 14,776 coronavirus cases and 131 deaths, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday, as the World Health Organization warned that the US could emerge as the epicenter of the global pandemic.
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As President Donald Trump pressed his case for a reopening of the US economy within a few weeks, the governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, said that being too hasty to ease the limits on travel, socializing and working together would cost lives.
“If you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy, then it’s no contest. No American is going to say accelerate the economy at the cost of human life,” he said at a convention center in Manhattan that is being converted into a 1,000-bed temporary hospital.
My mother is not expendable. Your mother is not expendable.
We will not put a dollar figure on human life.
We can have a public health strategy that is consistent with an economic one.
No one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 24, 2020
Cuomo’s state, home to the most populous US city, is the worst hit by the outbreak, which has infected more than 50,000 people in the United States and killed at least 660. The death toll in New York from the COVID-19 respiratory illness caused by coronavirus has reached 157.
The expected need for hospital beds in New York at the peak of the outbreak has jumped to 140,000, Cuomo said, compared with 110,000 projected recently. Only 53,000 beds are now available.
The rate of infection is now doubling every three days in New York and the worst of the outbreak, its apex, could arrive in 14 to 21 days, putting huge pressure on health services, Cuomo said.
A week after New Yorkers and millions of other Americans began taking shelter at home from the coronavirus, state officials and financial investors warned on Tuesday against easing restrictions too soon even though the clampdown is devastating the US economy.
Trump said on Monday he was considering how to restart business life when a 15-day shutdown ends next week, even as the highly contagious virus spreads rapidly and poorly equipped hospitals struggle with a wave of deadly cases.
The Republican president is seeking to win re-election in November on a promise of economic growth.
Trump told Fox News Channel that he would like to see US businesses opening their doors by Easter, to be celebrated this year in mid-April.
"I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter," he said, playing down the pandemic as he did in its early stages when he compared it to the seasonal flu. Trump said the restrictions could themselves lead to suicides or other fatalities but cited no evidence to support the assertion.
"You're going to lose more people by putting a country into a massive recession or depression. You're going to lose people. You're going to have suicides by the thousands," he said.
00:42
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, also a Republican, pushed back on the notion that an easing of restrictions should start anytime soon.
"We don't think that we're going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so, or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock," he told CNN on Tuesday.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday warned that the United States has the potential to become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, citing a "very large acceleration" in infections.
Frayed nerves
There were signs that nerves had begun fraying after days of people working from home, looking after children whose schools are shut and severely scaling back on everyday activities.
At a Brooklyn playground, architect Carolyn Straub, 48, and her family took a break from their new lives working and schooling from home.
"That's actually been hard," Straub said. "The internet is not always reliable, goes down, and it's impossible for us to have four separate audio zones in the house."
A rapid reopening of the economy might backfire, with higher deaths and people remaining fearful of going out, according to investors who remain anxious about the uncertain trajectory of the coronavirus and its economic toll.
"Markets will react badly because they have learned that this approach doesn’t work,” Axel Merk, chief investment officer of Merk Investments, said. “From a medical point of view, you have to break the exponential growth and you do that with shelter in place policies.”
Wall Street snapped back from three-year lows on Tuesday, after US lawmakers said they were close to a deal for an economic rescue package. All three main US stock indexes rebounded strongly from a brutal selloff on Monday.
Negotiators in the US Senate said the upper chamber of Congress could pass the $2 trillion stimulus bill, which includes financial aid for ordinary Americans, small businesses and critically affected industries, as soon as Tuesday. Senior Democrats and Republicans in Congress said they were close to a deal on the bill.
Despite the huge changes to daily life, many Americans still say they are willing to make sacrifices.
Holly Huelster, 33, a full-time nanny who was pushing the toddler she cares for in a stroller down 11th Avenue in New York City, said she believed Trump’s rhetoric about the economy threatened real harm to human lives.
“It’s horrible for the economy but I would put health as a priority always,” she said. “I think it’s not that hard to live on less, I think you can make it work.”
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-24--Chloroquine ‘can work,’ some insist, as debate on using anti-malaria drug against coronavirus rages

French health authorities on Monday recommended not using the anti-malaria drug chloroquine to treat COVID-19 cases , except under very restricted circumstances .
But not everyone agrees with the decision .
French public biomedical research agency , Inserm , on Sunday announced it would coordinate a European trial , named Discovery , to evaluate four experimental treatments to fight the coronavirus .
The trial would include 3,200 patients from at least seven countries , including 800 from France , the research agency announced .
Discovery would also notably include testing for chloroquine , an anti-malaria treatment that yielded promising results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of patients by Didier Raoult , director of IHU Méditerranée Infection in the southern French city of Marseille .
> > Read more : Can an old anti-malaria drug help fight coronavirus ?
But chloroquine is also a subject of intense debate within the medical community .
In addition to chloroquine , the Discovery trial is set to evaluate remesivir , and a combination of the HIV drugs , lopinavir and ritonavir , with interferon-beta , an immune system messenger that can help cripple viruses .
‘ We know this product can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the infectious diseases department at the Raymond-Poincaré Hospital near Paris , says he is already using these treatments .
`` But the problem is , the stocks are very limited .
There are n't many drugs available , which is a pity .
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are the most active , '' he told FRANCE 24 .
`` Professor Raoult 's team has done a very preliminary study , but on 24 patients , it 's still quite convincing .
It shows the reduction of the virus in the patients ' secretions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread , '' he explained , referring to the research in Marseille .
Raoult explained that his team had conducted a clinical trial during which he had treated people infected with COVID-19 with chloroquine .
After six days , only 25 percent of the patients who had taken the drug still had the virus in their bodies , according to the physician-microbiologist .
In contrast , 90 per cent of those who had not taken chloroquine continued to have the coronavirus .
For Perronne , that should make it possible to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with the authorities and my colleagues that further studies are needed to find out more about this .
What I am asking is that , as of today , the factories that manufacture hydroxychloroquine are working day and night to provide millions of treatments for patients who , today , are isolated in their hospitals and do not have antiviral treatments .
We know this product can work and will probably prevent many people from going into intensive care , '' he explained ‘ We have to go to war ’ Responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perronne noted that , `` There are millions of people who have taken it a few times over the years for chronic diseases .
I do n't see the hesitation for a second .
What 's more , it does n't cost much and it 's easy to make '' .
Most important though , Perronne notes that the treatment will be given to “ people who are hospitalised and under surveillance .
People have been making unfounded noise about all this .
I admit that for the moment , the scientific demonstration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way it is , we 're at war , we have to go to war , '' he insisted .
`` I do n't see the point of waiting another two or three weeks to tell ourselves that it 's worth it .
It 's now - because the sick are coming to hospitals and they 're dying , ” he said .
At a press conference Monday , French Health Minister Olivier Véran announced that France ’ s High Council of Public Health had recommended not using hydroxychloroquine “ in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exception of serious forms of hospitalisation and on the collegial decision of doctors and under strict medical supervision ” .
Véran added that the High Council of Public Health “ excludes any prescription in the general population or for forms not severe at this stage , in the absence of any conclusive data ” .
Following this opinion , Véran noted that in the coming hours he would issue a decree precisely framing and regulating the use of this treatment outside the traditional marketing authorisations for hydroxychloroquine , `` which will be accessible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , he added Monday at a press briefing .
This article is an adapt of the original in French .

French health authorities on Monday recommended against using the anti-malaria drug chloroquine to treat COVID-19 cases, except under very restricted circumstances. But not everyone agrees with the decision.
Advertising Read more
French public biomedical research agency, Inserm, on Sunday announced it would coordinate a European trial, named Discovery, to evaluate four experimental treatments to fight the coronavirus.
The trial would include 3,200 patients from at least seven countries, including 800 from France, the research agency announced. Discovery would also notably include testing for chloroquine, an anti-malaria treatment that yielded promising results in a study conducted on a small number of patients by Didier Raoult, director of IHU Méditerranée Infection in the southern French city of Marseille.
>> Read more: Can an old anti-malaria drug help fight coronavirus?
But chloroquine is also a subject of intense debate within the medical community. In addition to chloroquine, the Discovery trial is set to evaluate remesivir, and a combination of the HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, with interferon-beta, an immune system messenger that can help cripple viruses.
‘We know this product can work’
Christian Perronne, head of the infectious diseases department at the Raymond-Poincaré Hospital near Paris, says he is already using these treatments. "But the problem is, the stocks are very limited. There aren't many drugs available, which is a pity. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are the most active," he told FRANCE 24.
"Professor Raoult's team has done a very preliminary study, but on 24 patients, it's still quite convincing. It shows the reduction of the virus in the patients' secretions. We hope that this will slow down the spread," he explained, referring to the research in Marseille.
Raoult explained that his team had conducted a clinical trial during which he had treated people infected with COVID-19 with chloroquine. After six days, only 25 percent of the patients who had taken the drug still had the virus in their bodies, according to the physician-microbiologist. In contrast, 90 per cent of those who had not taken chloroquine continued to have the coronavirus.
For Perronne, that should make it possible to use this treatment today. "I fully agree with the authorities and my colleagues that further studies are needed to find out more about this. What I am asking is that, as of today, the factories that manufacture hydroxychloroquine are working day and night to provide millions of treatments for patients who, today, are isolated in their hospitals and do not have antiviral treatments. We know this product can work and will probably prevent many people from going into intensive care," he explained
‘We have to go to war’
Responding to concerns about potential side effects, Perronne noted that, "There are millions of people who have taken it a few times over the years for chronic diseases. I don't see the hesitation for a second. What's more, it doesn't cost much and it's easy to make".
Most important though, Perronne notes that the treatment will be given to “people who are hospitalised and under surveillance. People have been making unfounded noise about all this. I admit that for the moment, the scientific demonstration is not perfect, but that's the way it is, we're at war, we have to go to war," he insisted.
"I don't see the point of waiting another two or three weeks to tell ourselves that it's worth it. It's now - because the sick are coming to hospitals and they're dying,” he said.
No recommendation, say French health officials
At a press conference Monday, French Health Minister Olivier Véran announced that France’s High Council of Public Health had recommended not using hydroxychloroquine “in the absence of a recommendation, with the exception of serious forms of hospitalisation and on the collegial decision of doctors and under strict medical supervision”.
Véran added that the High Council of Public Health “excludes any prescription in the general population or for forms not severe at this stage, in the absence of any conclusive data”.
Following this opinion, Véran noted that in the coming hours he would issue a decree precisely framing and regulating the use of this treatment outside the traditional marketing authorisations for hydroxychloroquine, "which will be accessible to hospital medical teams who wish it", he added Monday at a press briefing.
This article is an adapt of the original in French.
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france24--2020-03-24--Italy's coronavirus deaths rise by 743 in 24 hours, reversing recent decline in daily fatalities

Medical workers treat a coronavirus patient in an intensive care unit at the Casalpalocco hospital , a hospital in Rome , Italy , March 24 , 2020 .
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has grown by 743 to 6,820 , the head of the Civil Protection Agency said on Tuesday , reversing a decline in fatalities seen over the last two days .
On Monday 602 people died .
That followed 650 deaths on Sunday and 793 on Saturday -- the highest daily figure since the coronavirus contagion came to light on February 21 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy rose to 69,176 from a previous 63,927 , an increase of 8.2 percent , in line with Monday 's growth rate , the Civil Protection Agency said .
Of those originally infected nationwide , 8,326 had fully recovered on Tuesday compared to 7,432 the day before .
There were 3,396 people in intensive care against a previous 3,204 .
The hardest-hit northern region of Lombardy remained in a critical situation , with a total of 4,178 deaths and 30,703 cases .
That compared with 3,776 deaths and 28,761 cases reported up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Italian Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri on Tuesday said the government would ask parliament in the first weeks of April to authorise a new hike in this year 's deficit levels .
Speaking to parliament , Gualtieri had said earlier that the Treasury forecast a major contraction in gross domestic product in the first half of this year .
Gualtieri also said the euro zone 's bailout fund , the European Stability Mechanism , should be used to help economies hit by the coronavirus crisis , with no strings attached .
Some richer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about making the fund available without policy conditions aimed at making its recipients more economically competitive .
`` We must use all the resources available at the EU level , including the ESM , without any conditionality , '' Gualtieri told parliament .
Gualtieri 's position is also different to that of some members of the ruling coalition in Rome , who do not want Italy to use the ESM at all , arguing it would saddle the country with long term debt that would be hard to repay .
Italy has borne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and earlier on Tuesday Antonio Misiani , Gualtieri 's deputy minister , told Reuters the only acceptable conditionality should be that the ESM cash is used `` to manage the health and economic emergency '' .
Misiani , like Gualtieri , is from the centre-left Democratic Party , but its coalition partner , the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement , is reluctant to deploy the ESM , fearing it would place tougher fiscal obligations on Rome and impinge on national sovereignty .
`` The ESM does n't work .
Using this instrument to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in our interests , '' Raphael Raduzzi , a 5-Star member of the parliamentary finance committee , told Reuters .

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has grown by 743 to 6,820, the head of the Civil Protection Agency said on Tuesday, reversing a decline in fatalities seen over the last two days.
Medical workers treat a coronavirus patient in an intensive care unit at the Casalpalocco hospital, a hospital in Rome, Italy, March 24, 2020.
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On Monday 602 people died. That followed 650 deaths on Sunday and 793 on Saturday -- the highest daily figure since the coronavirus contagion came to light on February 21.
The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 69,176 from a previous 63,927, an increase of 8.2 percent, in line with Monday's growth rate, the Civil Protection Agency said.
Of those originally infected nationwide, 8,326 had fully recovered on Tuesday compared to 7,432 the day before. There were 3,396 people in intensive care against a previous 3,204.
The hardest-hit northern region of Lombardy remained in a critical situation, with a total of 4,178 deaths and 30,703 cases. That compared with 3,776 deaths and 28,761 cases reported up to Monday.
Italy calls for eurozone bailout
The spike in numbers came as Italian Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri on Tuesday said the government would ask parliament in the first weeks of April to authorise a new hike in this year's deficit levels.
Speaking to parliament, Gualtieri had said earlier that the Treasury forecast a major contraction in gross domestic product in the first half of this year.
Gualtieri also said the euro zone's bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, should be used to help economies hit by the coronavirus crisis, with no strings attached.
Some richer northern euro zone nations have expressed unease about making the fund available without policy conditions aimed at making its recipients more economically competitive.
"We must use all the resources available at the EU level, including the ESM, without any conditionality," Gualtieri told parliament.
Gualtieri's position is also different to that of some members of the ruling coalition in Rome, who do not want Italy to use the ESM at all, arguing it would saddle the country with long term debt that would be hard to repay.
Italy has borne the brunt of the outbreak in Europe, and earlier on Tuesday Antonio Misiani, Gualtieri's deputy minister, told Reuters the only acceptable conditionality should be that the ESM cash is used "to manage the health and economic emergency".
Misiani, like Gualtieri, is from the centre-left Democratic Party, but its coalition partner, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, is reluctant to deploy the ESM, fearing it would place tougher fiscal obligations on Rome and impinge on national sovereignty.
"The ESM doesn't work. Using this instrument to take on a debt for decades is absolutely not in our interests," Raphael Raduzzi, a 5-Star member of the parliamentary finance committee, told Reuters.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-24--Spain transforms ice rink into makeshift mortuary to cope with coronavirus deaths

A member of the Spanish army talks with Spanish National policemen outside an ice rink which will be used as a morgue , during the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak in Madrid , Spain , March 24 , 2020 .
Madrid 's ice rink has been hastily transformed into a makeshift mortuary as Spanish authorities scrambled on Tuesday to cope with soaring numbers of deaths and new infections from the coronavirus .
The first hearse arrived on Tuesday at Madrid 's ice rink , which was transformed into a makeshift mortuary , as Spanish authorities scrambled to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Health workers accounted for nearly 14 percent of Spain 's total reported coronavirus cases as of Tuesday , up from 12 percent the previous day , according to data presented by health emergency chief Fernando Simon at a news conference .
Some 5,400 health care workers have been diagnosed with the virus , Simon said .
Spain is Europe 's second-worst hit country after Italy , with 2,696 deaths and nearly 40,000 confirmed cases .
Overnight Monday , 6,600 cases of infection and more than 500 deaths were reported , the sharpest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Authorities said facilities could not cope and agreed to transform the Palacio de Hielo mall , home to an Olympic-sized ice rink , into a morgue .
Footage from Reuters TV showed vehicles at the building cordoned off by police officers in masks .
The military disinfected 179 nursing homes on Monday and plan to clean another 96 on Tuesday , officials said .
The state prosecutor has opened an investigation after Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the army had found unattended bodies at nursing homes .
She did not say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the southern region of Andalusia , the mayor of a small town pleaded for help after reporting 38 of 42 residents at the local nursing home had tested positive for the virus , along with 60 % of staff .
`` The virus does n't kill people ... what 's killing people is the system , '' Rafael Aguilera , mayor of Alcala del Valle told a news conference .
`` Our seniors need a permanent solution now .
We need oxygen , ambulances and hospitals , '' he said in a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` A person died in our arms because we could n't get hold of oxygen . ''
Most Madrid , Barcelona airport terminals to be closed While Madrid long accounted for around half of Spain 's coronavirus cases , new data published on Tuesday showed it now had just under a third of the total , in a sign that the epidemic is spreading throughout the country .
Spanish airport operator Aena said it would close most terminals at Madrid and Barcelona 's main airports as air traffic plummeted due to travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said traffic through Aena 's airports had fallen by 82 % since the state of emergency was enforced on March 14 .
Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told Cadena Ser Catalan radio station the government was working to return Spaniards who were travelling abroad at the time of the outbreak and have struggled to fly home .
Around 1,200 people were brought back last weekend and the government is in touch with airlines for the return of Spaniards from Honduras , Guatemala , El Salvador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .

Madrid's ice rink has been hastily transformed into a makeshift mortuary as Spanish authorities scrambled on Tuesday to cope with soaring numbers of deaths and new infections from the coronavirus.
A member of the Spanish army talks with Spanish National policemen outside an ice rink which will be used as a morgue, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Madrid, Spain, March 24, 2020.
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The first hearse arrived on Tuesday at Madrid's ice rink, which was transformed into a makeshift mortuary, as Spanish authorities scrambled to deal with a rising death toll from the coronavirus.
Health workers accounted for nearly 14 percent of Spain's total reported coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, up from 12 percent the previous day, according to data presented by health emergency chief Fernando Simon at a news conference.
Some 5,400 health care workers have been diagnosed with the virus, Simon said.
Europe's second-worst hit country
Spain is Europe's second-worst hit country after Italy, with 2,696 deaths and nearly 40,000 confirmed cases. Overnight Monday, 6,600 cases of infection and more than 500 deaths were reported, the sharpest daily increase since the start of the crisis.
Authorities said facilities could not cope and agreed to transform the Palacio de Hielo mall, home to an Olympic-sized ice rink, into a morgue.
Footage from Reuters TV showed vehicles at the building cordoned off by police officers in masks.
The military disinfected 179 nursing homes on Monday and plan to clean another 96 on Tuesday, officials said.
The state prosecutor has opened an investigation after Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the army had found unattended bodies at nursing homes. She did not say what had caused their deaths.
In the southern region of Andalusia, the mayor of a small town pleaded for help after reporting 38 of 42 residents at the local nursing home had tested positive for the virus, along with 60% of staff.
"The virus doesn't kill people ... what's killing people is the system," Rafael Aguilera, mayor of Alcala del Valle told a news conference.
"Our seniors need a permanent solution now. We need oxygen, ambulances and hospitals," he said in a video posted on the town's Facebook page. "A person died in our arms because we couldn't get hold of oxygen."
Most Madrid, Barcelona airport terminals to be closed
While Madrid long accounted for around half of Spain's coronavirus cases, new data published on Tuesday showed it now had just under a third of the total, in a sign that the epidemic is spreading throughout the country.
Spanish airport operator Aena said it would close most terminals at Madrid and Barcelona's main airports as air traffic plummeted due to travel restrictions imposed to limit the spread of the virus.
Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said traffic through Aena's airports had fallen by 82% since the state of emergency was enforced on March 14.
Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told Cadena Ser Catalan radio station the government was working to return Spaniards who were travelling abroad at the time of the outbreak and have struggled to fly home.
Around 1,200 people were brought back last weekend and the government is in touch with airlines for the return of Spaniards from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru, Indonesia and the Philippines, she said.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)
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france24--2020-03-24--French military field hospital starts peacetime combat against coronavirus

French soldiers take part in a drill at the military field hospital set up outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse , France , March 24 , 2020 .
A military field hospital set up by the French army began operations on Tuesday seeking to take the pressure off intensive care units in an eastern region badly hit by the coronavirus .
The field hospital , a temporary structure of tents usually employed to assist the wounded in a war zone , has been erected in the eastern French city of Mulhouse where the intensive care unit of the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told parliament that the field hospital could admit up to 30 patients in intensive care and had now already admitted its first patient .
Construction of the hospital began on Saturday in a parking lot next to the main hospital in Mulhouse .
It will be reserved for severe coronavirus cases that need respiratory help .
The construction of such a facility , usually used in war , in mainland France during peacetime is unprecedented .
The Haut-Rhin region in eastern France where Mulhouse is located has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country by the coronavirus , after an evangelical church meeting in the city in February where many people were infected .
In another hugely unusual move , France will on Wednesday use a specially set-up TGV high speed train to evacuate 30 coronavirus patients from the east to other parts of France , Health Minister Olivier Veran announced .
Smaller numbers have already been evacuated from the overwhelmed hospitals of the east by air to other locations in France and also over the border into Germany or Switzerland .
According to official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus in eastern France , accounting for over one third of the national death toll of 860 .

A military field hospital set up by the French army began operations on Tuesday seeking to take the pressure off intensive care units in an eastern region badly hit by the coronavirus.
French soldiers take part in a drill at the military field hospital set up outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, France, March 24, 2020.
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The field hospital, a temporary structure of tents usually employed to assist the wounded in a war zone, has been erected in the eastern French city of Mulhouse where the intensive care unit of the main hospital has been overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.
Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told parliament that the field hospital could admit up to 30 patients in intensive care and had now already admitted its first patient.
Construction of the hospital began on Saturday in a parking lot next to the main hospital in Mulhouse. It will be reserved for severe coronavirus cases that need respiratory help.
The construction of such a facility, usually used in war, in mainland France during peacetime is unprecedented.
The Haut-Rhin region in eastern France where Mulhouse is located has been one of the worst hit in the country by the coronavirus, after an evangelical church meeting in the city in February where many people were infected.
In another hugely unusual move, France will on Wednesday use a specially set-up TGV high speed train to evacuate 30 coronavirus patients from the east to other parts of France, Health Minister Olivier Veran announced.
Smaller numbers have already been evacuated from the overwhelmed hospitals of the east by air to other locations in France and also over the border into Germany or Switzerland.
According to official figures, 335 people have died of the coronavirus in eastern France, accounting for over one third of the national death toll of 860.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-24--100,000 cameras: Moscow uses facial recognition to enforce quarantine

In Moscow , a network of 100,000 cameras equipped with facial recognition technology are being used to make sure anyone @ @ @ @ @ the streets .
Russia is just one of several countries using high-tech surveillance in the @ @ @ @ @ .
The cameras are controlled from a purpose-built coronavirus control centre .
Images and personal @ @ @ @ @ are put on a database so they can be recognised by the cameras .
The @ @ @ @ @ to monitor social media for ‘ fake news ’ on the coronavirus , according to @ @ @ @ @ arrivals from virus hotspots .
Russia is not the only country to enlist high-tech surveillance @ @ @ @ @ raising questions about how states balance civil liberties with the need to control the virus @ @ @ @ @ using surveillance cameras , mobile phone location data and credit card records to track movements @ @ @ @ @ is using phone location-tracking to ensure quarantined people stay in their homes and in Hong @ @ @ @ @ being made to wear location-tracking wristbands .

In Moscow, a network of 100,000 cameras equipped with facial recognition technology are being used to make sure anyone placed under quarantine stays off the streets. Russia is just one of several countries using high-tech surveillance in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
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The cameras are controlled from a purpose-built coronavirus control centre.
Images and personal details of those under quarantine are put on a database so they can be recognised by the cameras.
The centre can also be used to monitor social media for ‘fake news’ on the coronavirus, according to officials, and track international arrivals from virus hotspots.
Russia is not the only country to enlist high-tech surveillance amid the coronavirus pandemic, raising questions about how states balance civil liberties with the need to control the virus.
South Korea has been using surveillance cameras, mobile phone location data and credit card records to track movements of coronavirus patients.
Taiwan is using phone location-tracking to ensure quarantined people stay in their homes and in Hong Kong those under quarantine are being made to wear location-tracking wristbands.
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