france24--2020-03-09--Two US congressmen exposed to coronavirus before meeting Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Georgia Governor Brian Kemp ( R-GA ) beside Rep. Doug Collins ( R-GA ) at Dobbins Air National Guard Base in Marietta , Georgia , U.S. , March 6 , 2020 .
Picture taken March 6 , 2020 .
Two US lawmakers with recent close contacts with President Donald Trump announced Monday that they were in self-quarantine after being exposed to the new coronavirus at a late-February conservative conference .
Republican Representative Doug Collins , who met and shook hands with Trump last Friday at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with a person who tested positive for the new coronavirus at the conference last month .
A second representative , Matt Gaetz , who travelled with Trump on Air Force One on Monday , likewise announced his self-quarantine after being notified that he too had come in close contact with the infected person at the Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) 11 days ago .
Neither Collins nor Gaetz reported any symptoms of the virus .
`` I have decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today and expects results soon , '' Gaetz 's office said on his Twitter account .
Collins was with Trump last Friday visiting the Atlanta , Georgia CDC headquarters where they were briefed on the virus 's spread .
A photograph published by the Atlanta Constitution-Journal shows the two shaking hands at what appears to be an airport during the visit .
The newspaper said Collins was also in close contact with the state 's governor , Brian Kemp , and Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler -- who Collins is challenging for election in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the White House .
Five US lawmakers have now said they are distancing themselves from others after coming in contact with coronavirus-infected individuals .
The other three are Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Republican Representative Paul Gosar , both of whom also were exposed at the CPAC conference , and Democratic congresswoman Julia Brownley .
Earlier Monday Trump downplayed the threat of the disease , which has recorded more than 600 cases of the COVID-19 virus in the US , and 26 deaths .
`` So last year 37,000 Americans died from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27,000 and 70,000 per year .
Nothing is shut down , life & the economy go on .
At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus , with 22 deaths .

Two US lawmakers with recent close contacts with President Donald Trump announced Monday that they were in self-quarantine after being exposed to the new coronavirus at a late-February conservative conference.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) beside Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) at Dobbins Air National Guard Base in Marietta, Georgia, U.S., March 6, 2020. Picture taken March 6, 2020.
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Republican Representative Doug Collins, who met and shook hands with Trump last Friday at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control, said he had been informed he had been in contact with a person who tested positive for the new coronavirus at the conference last month.
A second representative, Matt Gaetz, who travelled with Trump on Air Force One on Monday, likewise announced his self-quarantine after being notified that he too had come in close contact with the infected person at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 11 days ago.
Neither Collins nor Gaetz reported any symptoms of the virus.
"I have decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution," Collins said.
"He received testing today and expects results soon," Gaetz's office said on his Twitter account.
Collins was with Trump last Friday visiting the Atlanta, Georgia CDC headquarters where they were briefed on the virus's spread.
A photograph published by the Atlanta Constitution-Journal shows the two shaking hands at what appears to be an airport during the visit.
The newspaper said Collins was also in close contact with the state's governor, Brian Kemp, and Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler -- who Collins is challenging for election in November.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Five US lawmakers have now said they are distancing themselves from others after coming in contact with coronavirus-infected individuals.
The other three are Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Republican Representative Paul Gosar, both of whom also were exposed at the CPAC conference, and Democratic congresswoman Julia Brownley.
Earlier Monday Trump downplayed the threat of the disease, which has recorded more than 600 cases of the COVID-19 virus in the US, and 26 deaths.
"So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-10--Israel announces two-week quarantine for everyone entering the country

A woman wearing a mask looks on at a terminal at Ben Gurion International airport in Lod , near Tel Aviv , Israel February 27 , 2020 .
Israel will impose a two-week quarantine on all travellers entering the country , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday , toughening already significant travel restrictions .
`` After a day of difficult discussions , we have taken a decision : all those coming to Israel from abroad will be placed in isolation for 14 days , '' Netanyahu said in a video broadcast on his Twitter account .
`` This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintaining public health , which takes precedence over everything , '' he added , according to a statement .
He noted that the measure would be implemented for two weeks and promised steps to support the Israeli economy .
Israel had already imposed major restrictions on travellers arriving from several countries .
On Wednesday , the Jewish state had barred entry to almost all non-residents arriving from France , Germany , Spain , Austria and Switzerland , declaring that arrivals from those nations could only enter if they could prove they had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures had come on top of restrictions previously imposed on arrivals from mainland China , Hong Kong , Thailand , Singapore , Macau , South Korea , Japan and Italy .
But restrictions had not until now extended to travellers from the United States , which last year contributed nearly 890,000 tourist arrivals to Israel -- more than double that of France , in second place .
Israel has so far recorded 50 cases of the illness .
The Palestinian Authority , which on Thursday declared a 30-day state of emergency in parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has reported 25 cases .
The latest measures come a month ahead of the Passover festival , which usually sees tens of thousands of Jews head to Israel to celebrate .
Since the novel coronavirus first emerged in late December , 113,255 cases have been recorded in 101 countries and territories , killing 3,964 people , according to an AFP toll based on official sources on Monday around 1700 GMT .

Israel will impose a two-week quarantine on all travellers entering the country, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, toughening already significant travel restrictions.
A woman wearing a mask looks on at a terminal at Ben Gurion International airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel February 27, 2020.
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"After a day of difficult discussions, we have taken a decision: all those coming to Israel from abroad will be placed in isolation for 14 days," Netanyahu said in a video broadcast on his Twitter account.
"This is a difficult decision but it is essential to maintaining public health, which takes precedence over everything," he added, according to a statement.
He noted that the measure would be implemented for two weeks and promised steps to support the Israeli economy.
Israel had already imposed major restrictions on travellers arriving from several countries.
On Wednesday, the Jewish state had barred entry to almost all non-residents arriving from France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland, declaring that arrivals from those nations could only enter if they could prove they had a place to stay in quarantine.
Those measures had come on top of restrictions previously imposed on arrivals from mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Macau, South Korea, Japan and Italy.
But restrictions had not until now extended to travellers from the United States, which last year contributed nearly 890,000 tourist arrivals to Israel -- more than double that of France, in second place.
Israel has so far recorded 50 cases of the illness.
The Palestinian Authority, which on Thursday declared a 30-day state of emergency in parts of the West Bank it administers, has reported 25 cases.
The latest measures come a month ahead of the Passover festival, which usually sees tens of thousands of Jews head to Israel to celebrate.
Since the novel coronavirus first emerged in late December, 113,255 cases have been recorded in 101 countries and territories, killing 3,964 people, according to an AFP toll based on official sources on Monday around 1700 GMT.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-10--Macron says EU leaders will take 'all measures necessary' to tackle coronavirus

French President Macron said on Tuesday that EU leaders had agreed to take all measures necessary to avoid financial and economic instability that could be sparked by the coronavirus outbreak .
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Tuesday evening after a conference call with EU leaders on the coronavirus outbreak , saying that European nations will do everything that is needed to slow the disease ’ s spread .
He also argued that “ we musn ’ t give in to panic ” , criticising Austria and Slovenia for closing their borders with Italy .
Macron said EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures necessary '' to avoid economic instability caused by the coronavirus crisis , adding that `` at the European level we will be more flexible in terms of state aid '' and that countries ' health ministers will speak to the European Commission on a daily basis .
Nevertheless the French president also reiterated that `` we mus n't give in to panic '' .
Earlier on Tuesday Macron declared that `` we are only at the beginning of this epidemic '' , after a surprise visit to the SAMU ambulance service at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second-worst-affected country in Europe after Italy – which has effectively gone into lockdown to stop the spread of the virus – and Culture Minister Franck Riester and five MPs are among those who have tested positive .
Overall , the virus has killed 30 people and infected 1,606 in France .
European Council President Charles Michel said much the same after a video conference attended by EU leaders including Macron : `` We stand ready to make use of all instruments necessary . ''
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing that a special EU investment fund will be set up for the coronavirus with €25 billion of funding , with €7.5 billion to be released immediately .
Reiterating that “ we mustn ’ t give in to panic ” , Macron took aim at Austria and Slovenia for closing the border with Italy , Europe ’ s most affected country , saying they were making “ bad decisions in doing so ” .
Slovenia on Tuesday said it would close its 232-kilometre ( 144-miles ) -long border with Italy , while Austria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the country that is the worst hit by the virus outside of China .
Macron said France , which also shares a long border with Italy , did not yet need containment measures as drastic as those taken in Italy or China , where the deadly novel coronavirus first erupted .
`` Today for France , there is no need to go further than what we have determined ... we are taking appropriate measures , '' he said .
But , he added , `` if tomorrow or the day after there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drastic measures , `` we would take them '' .
Macron said that taking `` disproportionate measures '' when France was `` only at the beginning of the crisis '' would be `` counterproductive '' .
The French leader emphasised that it was `` much more effective '' to take containment measures in affected regions .
Italy recorded its deadliest day of the virus outbreak on Tuesday , its toll rising by 168 to 631 , with a total of 10,149 infected .

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Tuesday evening after a conference call with EU leaders on the coronavirus outbreak, saying that European nations will do everything that is needed to slow the disease’s spread. He also argued that “we musn’t give in to panic”, criticising Austria and Slovenia for closing their borders with Italy.
French President Macron said on Tuesday that EU leaders had agreed to take all measures necessary to avoid financial and economic instability that could be sparked by the coronavirus outbreak.
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Macron said EU leaders have agreed to take "all measures necessary" to avoid economic instability caused by the coronavirus crisis, adding that "at the European level we will be more flexible in terms of state aid" and that countries' health ministers will speak to the European Commission on a daily basis. Nevertheless the French president also reiterated that "we musn't give in to panic".
Earlier on Tuesday Macron declared that "we are only at the beginning of this epidemic", after a surprise visit to the SAMU ambulance service at Necker hospital in Paris.
France is the second-worst-affected country in Europe after Italy – which has effectively gone into lockdown to stop the spread of the virus – and Culture Minister Franck Riester and five MPs are among those who have tested positive. Overall, the virus has killed 30 people and infected 1,606 in France.
European Council President Charles Michel said much the same after a video conference attended by EU leaders including Macron: "We stand ready to make use of all instruments necessary."
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen adopted a similar approach on Tuesday evening, announcing that a special EU investment fund will be set up for the coronavirus with €25 billion of funding, with €7.5 billion to be released immediately.
Reiterating that “we mustn’t give in to panic”, Macron took aim at Austria and Slovenia for closing the border with Italy, Europe’s most affected country, saying they were making “bad decisions in doing so”.
Slovenia on Tuesday said it would close its 232-kilometre (144-miles)-long border with Italy, while Austria ordered a halt to flights and trains to the country that is the worst hit by the virus outside of China.
Macron said France, which also shares a long border with Italy, did not yet need containment measures as drastic as those taken in Italy or China, where the deadly novel coronavirus first erupted.
"Today for France, there is no need to go further than what we have determined... we are taking appropriate measures," he said.
But, he added, "if tomorrow or the day after there was a reason" to take more drastic measures, "we would take them".
Macron said that taking "disproportionate measures" when France was "only at the beginning of the crisis" would be "counterproductive".
The French leader emphasised that it was "much more effective" to take containment measures in affected regions.
Italy recorded its deadliest day of the virus outbreak on Tuesday, its toll rising by 168 to 631, with a total of 10,149 infected.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-10--Coronavirus: Italy says infections have topped 10,000, marks highest single-day death toll of 168

A waiter stands by empty tables outside a restaurant at St Mark 's Square after the Italian government imposed a virtual lockdown on the north of Italy including Venice to try to contain a coronavirus outbreak , in Venice , Italy , March 9 , 2020 .
Italy recorded 168 deaths Tuesday from the coronavirus , its highest single-day toll to date , pushing the number of fatalities outside China to more than 1,000 .
Overall in Italy , 631 people have died from the disease and 10,149 have been infected in just over two weeks .
Italy 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decree signed late Monday by Premier Giuseppe Conte ordered the nationwide restrictions on movement .
Panic buying erupted , prompting the government to assure citizens that supermarkets will remain open and stocked .
Conte 's office said runs on supermarkets went counter to the intent of the new decree , which aims to prevent Italians from congregating .
Soldiers and police enforced the travel ban and Carabinieri teams patrolled cafes to make sure owners were keeping customers a metre apart .
`` Our civic duty is the only thing that can save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 , a teacher from the northern town of San Fiorano , which was placed under quarantine last month .
‘ It looks like an apocalypse ’ Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ’ s move to expand the so-called red zone to encompass the entire country on Monday night shocked many small businesses , which fear for their future .
`` It looks like an apocalypse has struck , there is no one around , '' said Mario Monfreda , who runs Larys restaurant in a smart Rome residential area .
Under the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now have to close at 6pm .
`` It is a total disaster .
This will reduce us to nothing ... More people are going to die as a result of the economic crisis that this lockdown is going to cause than the virus itself . ''
However , the prosperous northern region of Lombardy , centred on 's financial capital Milan , called on the government to introduce even more stringent measures .
`` I would shut down all the shops .
I would certainly closed down public transport and I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut without creating excessive damage to the economy , '' said Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana .
While Lombardy accounts for 74 % of all the fatalities , the disease has now touched all of the country and the government is worried that if it worsens , the health system in the less developed south will collapse , causing deaths to spike .
St. Peter 's Square and St. Peter 's Basilica have also been closed to tourists and guided groups because of coronavirus -- although individual members of the faithful can enter the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday .
A statement said the Vatican would also be closing its post office in the square , which draws many tourists , as well as its bookstore and photo service .
A cafeteria inside the Vatican for employees would also close .
All measures will remain in effect until April .
3 .
Italy 's transport links with the outside were thrown into chaos Tuesday -- but not shut down totally -- in the wake of the government 's drastic restrictions on travel to contain the coronavirus .
British Airways cancelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air said that they would be scrapping flights from Italian airports until early April .
The Spanish government said Tuesday that it was suspending all air traffic from Italy for two weeks while Austria said it would be introducing new restrictions on arrivals from Italy .
However , at Rome 's main Fiumicino airport there were still services running to destinations in Europe and beyond on Tuesday afternoon , as well as to domestic Italian destinations .
Flights were also still taking off from the smaller Ciampino airport , @ @ @ @ @ @

Italy recorded 168 deaths Tuesday from the coronavirus, its highest single-day toll to date, pushing the number of fatalities outside China to more than 1,000. Overall in Italy, 631 people have died from the disease and 10,149 have been infected in just over two weeks.
A waiter stands by empty tables outside a restaurant at St Mark's Square after the Italian government imposed a virtual lockdown on the north of Italy including Venice to try to contain a coronavirus outbreak, in Venice, Italy, March 9, 2020.
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Italy's first day under a nationwide lockdown came after a decree signed late Monday by Premier Giuseppe Conte ordered the nationwide restrictions on movement. Panic buying erupted, prompting the government to assure citizens that supermarkets will remain open and stocked.
Conte's office said runs on supermarkets went counter to the intent of the new decree, which aims to prevent Italians from congregating. Soldiers and police enforced the travel ban and Carabinieri teams patrolled cafes to make sure owners were keeping customers a metre apart.
"Our civic duty is the only thing that can save us," said Marzio Tonilo, 35, a teacher from the northern town of San Fiorano, which was placed under quarantine last month.
03:20
‘It looks like an apocalypse’
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s move to expand the so-called red zone to encompass the entire country on Monday night shocked many small businesses, which fear for their future.
"It looks like an apocalypse has struck, there is no one around," said Mario Monfreda, who runs Larys restaurant in a smart Rome residential area. Under the government order, all bars and restaurants will now have to close at 6pm.
"It is a total disaster. This will reduce us to nothing ... More people are going to die as a result of the economic crisis that this lockdown is going to cause than the virus itself."
However, the prosperous northern region of Lombardy, centred on Italy 's financial capital Milan, called on the government to introduce even more stringent measures.
"I would shut down all the shops. I would certainly closed down public transport and I would seek out all businesses that could be shut without creating excessive damage to the economy," said Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana.
01:21
While Lombardy accounts for 74% of all the fatalities, the disease has now touched all of the country and the government is worried that if it worsens, the health system in the less developed south will collapse, causing deaths to spike.
St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica have also been closed to tourists and guided groups because of coronavirus -- although individual members of the faithful can enter the basilica to pray, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
A statement said the Vatican would also be closing its post office in the square, which draws many tourists, as well as its bookstore and photo service. A cafeteria inside the Vatican for employees would also close. All measures will remain in effect until April. 3.
Italy's transport links in chaos
Italy's transport links with the outside were thrown into chaos Tuesday -- but not shut down totally -- in the wake of the government's drastic restrictions on travel to contain the coronavirus.
British Airways cancelled all its Italian flights Tuesday while low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air said that they would be scrapping flights from Italian airports until early April.
The Spanish government said Tuesday that it was suspending all air traffic from Italy for two weeks while Austria said it would be introducing new restrictions on arrivals from Italy.
However, at Rome's main Fiumicino airport there were still services running to destinations in Europe and beyond on Tuesday afternoon, as well as to domestic Italian destinations.
Flights were also still taking off from the smaller Ciampino airport, used mostly by low-cost carriers.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-10--'We are only at the beginning' of the coronavirus epidemic, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron , French Health Minister Olivier Véran ( 2nd from right ) and others listen to professor Pierre Carli ( at left ) , the director of Necker hospital ’ s SAMU-SMUR emergency services , during a visit to the hospital on March 10 , 2020 .
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Tuesday that France was `` only at the beginning '' of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 30 people in the country and infected 1,606 .
`` We are only at the beginning of this epidemic , '' Macron said after a surprise visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Paris , while urging the public not to panic and saying the authorities were well organised to face the crisis .
France is the second-worst-affected country in Europe after Italy – which has effectively gone into lockdown to stop the spread of the virus – and Culture Minister Franck Riester and five MPs are among those who have tested positive .
Preventive measures have also been stepped up at the Élysée presidential palace , with Macron 's cabinet chief ordered to work from home after having been in contact with an infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 463 deaths reported by Italy , France has thus far refrained from taking the draconian measures ordered by the Italian state .
Clusters of cases have been identified in half a dozen French regions , with schools closed in three – the northern Oise area , the northeastern Haut-Rhin area and the city of Ajaccio on the Mediterranean island of Corsica .
> > Read more : Fear , hoarding and Gallic shrugs as French brace for coronavirus Gatherings of more than 1,000 people have been prohibited since the weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louvre – and several sporting events and concerts being called off .
Madonna 's Paris concerts this week as part of her `` Madame X '' tour were among those cancelled .
Macron said France was taking a region-by-region approach to the outbreak .
`` One must not expect that at a given moment , at a given hour in the country , there will be a big shift when everything changes , '' he said , adding that the government would continue to adopt a `` proportional '' response to the epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of measures aimed at keeping certain businesses afloat as consumers stay at home .

French President Emmanuel Macron warned Tuesday that France was "only at the beginning" of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 30 people in the country and infected 1,606.
French President Emmanuel Macron, French Health Minister Olivier Véran (2nd from right) and others listen to professor Pierre Carli (at left), the director of Necker hospital’s SAMU-SMUR emergency services, during a visit to the hospital on March 10, 2020.
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"We are only at the beginning of this epidemic," Macron said after a surprise visit to the SAMU ambulance service at Necker hospital in Paris, while urging the public not to panic and saying the authorities were well organised to face the crisis.
France is the second-worst-affected country in Europe after Italy – which has effectively gone into lockdown to stop the spread of the virus – and Culture Minister Franck Riester and five MPs are among those who have tested positive.
Preventive measures have also been stepped up at the Élysée presidential palace, with Macron's cabinet chief ordered to work from home after having been in contact with an infected person.
01:29
But with only a fraction of the 463 deaths reported by Italy, France has thus far refrained from taking the draconian measures ordered by the Italian state.
Clusters of cases have been identified in half a dozen French regions, with schools closed in three – the northern Oise area, the northeastern Haut-Rhin area and the city of Ajaccio on the Mediterranean island of Corsica.
>> Read more: Fear, hoarding and Gallic shrugs as French brace for coronavirus
Gatherings of more than 1,000 people have been prohibited since the weekend, leading to museum closures – including the Louvre – and several sporting events and concerts being called off. Madonna's Paris concerts this week as part of her "Madame X" tour were among those cancelled.
Macron said France was taking a region-by-region approach to the outbreak.
"One must not expect that at a given moment, at a given hour in the country, there will be a big shift when everything changes," he said, adding that the government would continue to adopt a "proportional" response to the epidemic.
France has already unveiled a raft of measures aimed at keeping certain businesses afloat as consumers stay at home.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-03-10--Leipzig eliminate Tottenham for first ever last eight spot

RB Leipzig 's Marcel Sabitzer scored two early goals as they eased past last year 's finalists Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 in their Champions League last 16 second leg on Tuesday to reach their first quarter-finals by 4-0 on aggregate .
Sabitzer fired the German side in front with a low shot from about 20 metres after 10 minutes and they never looked back , pinning the visitors , who were without injured strikers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min , in their own half .
Leipzig 's captain was given far too much space in the 21st to head home Angelino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serge Aurier 's poor clearance , as the Spurs ' players heads started to drop .
Emil Forsberg completed the win with a third in the 87th .
Injury-ravaged Tottenham , who were also missing winger Steven Bergwijn and full back Ben Davies , struggled to keep up with Leipzig 's pace and were constantly exposed at the back while posing no threat up front .
Jose Mourinho 's team , without a win in any competition since their 1-0 first-leg defeat by Leipzig in London last month , did manage a shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first half but the absence of Kane and Son proved costly .

RB Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer scored two early goals as they eased past last year's finalists Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 in their Champions League last 16 second leg on Tuesday to reach their first quarter-finals by 4-0 on aggregate.
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Sabitzer fired the German side in front with a low shot from about 20 metres after 10 minutes and they never looked back, pinning the visitors, who were without injured strikers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, in their own half.
Leipzig's captain was given far too much space in the 21st to head home Angelino's cross at the near post after Serge Aurier's poor clearance, as the Spurs' players heads started to drop. Emil Forsberg completed the win with a third in the 87th.
Injury-ravaged Tottenham, who were also missing winger Steven Bergwijn and full back Ben Davies, struggled to keep up with Leipzig's pace and were constantly exposed at the back while posing no threat up front.
Jose Mourinho's team, without a win in any competition since their 1-0 first-leg defeat by Leipzig in London last month, did manage a shot on goal through Giovani Lo Celso late in the first half but the absence of Kane and Son proved costly.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-10--Barred by Brexit: France’s British elected officials forced to step down

Maggie Gorman is among hundreds of British town councillors in France no longer eligible for election following Brexit .
France ’ s local elections get underway on March 15 , but hundreds of currently serving town councillors will not be on the ballot .
No longer European Union citizens following Brexit and so ineligible to hold office , British elected officials across the country are being forced to step down .
There are around 760 British councillors in towns across France , many in communities popular with expats from the United Kingdom .
Some have been living in France for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years .
But unless they take French citizenship , or that of another EU nation , this will be their last term in office .
Only EU citizens can stand or vote in the country 's local elections .
“ Because a village has shown you so much support and been so warm , it was really an honour to feel that there was possibly a way that you could give something back , ” says Maggie Gorman , who has been on the town council in the village of Sainte-Alvère in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not bragging but I got more votes than any other member on the list .
And that was just such a show of faith and confidence and trust that now it just feels terrible.
” Mark Lawrence , who is on the council in the nearby town of Plazac , will also be stepping down after this month ’ s elections .
That is despite his attempt to take French citizenship post-Brexit to keep his position .
A resident in France for 27 years , his application was rejected over his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he says .
“ I felt I ’ d been badly judged by the French government , not by my friends or the local community.
” For many residents of Plazac , it means losing a trusted and valued representative .
“ I think it ’ s a real shame when someone who puts a lot into the town … to kick them out just because they don ’ t have French nationality , ” says bar worker Odile , “ because at a European level they have taken a decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whether English or French .
”

France’s local elections get underway on March 15, but hundreds of currently serving town councillors will not be on the ballot. No longer European Union citizens following Brexit and so ineligible to hold office, British elected officials across the country are being forced to step down.
Maggie Gorman is among hundreds of British town councillors in France no longer eligible for election following Brexit.
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There are around 760 British councillors in towns across France, many in communities popular with expats from the United Kingdom. Some have been living in France for decades and serving on their town councils for years.
But unless they take French citizenship, or that of another EU nation, this will be their last term in office. Only EU citizens can stand or vote in the country's local elections.
“Because a village has shown you so much support and been so warm, it was really an honour to feel that there was possibly a way that you could give something back,” says Maggie Gorman, who has been on the town council in the village of Sainte-Alvère in the Dordogne since 2001.
“It’s not bragging but I got more votes than any other member on the list. And that was just such a show of faith and confidence and trust that now it just feels terrible.”
Mark Lawrence, who is on the council in the nearby town of Plazac, will also be stepping down after this month’s elections.
That is despite his attempt to take French citizenship post-Brexit to keep his position. A resident in France for 27 years, his application was rejected over his financial situation.
“I was gutted,” he says. “I felt I’d been badly judged by the French government, not by my friends or the local community.”
For many residents of Plazac, it means losing a trusted and valued representative.
“I think it’s a real shame when someone who puts a lot into the town … to kick them out just because they don’t have French nationality,” says bar worker Odile, “because at a European level they have taken a decision, without taking into account the citizens, whether English or French.”
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france24--2020-03-10--Putin backs amendment allowing him to stay in power beyond 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses lawmakers debating on the second reading of the constitutional reform bill during a session of the State Duma , Russia 's lower house of parliament , in Moscow on March 10 , 2020 .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday backed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek re-election after his current term ends in 2024 , ending uncertainty about his future .
Putin gave his support to the amendment put forward by lawmaker Valentina Tereshkova , who as a Soviet cosmonaut in 1963 became the first woman to fly to space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-term limit for presidents or resetting the clock so Putin 's four terms would n't count .
Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled State Duma quickly endorsed Tereshkova 's proposal , along with a sweeping set of constitutional changes proposed by Putin .
In a speech to lawmakers Tuesday , Putin spoke against scrapping presidential term limits altogether but backed the idea that if the constitution is revised , the two-term limit only would apply from 2024 on .
The president 's current six-year term expires in 2024 .
Putin , 67 , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , becoming Russia 's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin .
After serving two presidential terms in 2000-2008 , he shifted to the Russian prime minister 's office while protege Dmitry Medvedev served as a placeholder president .
Putin reclaimed the presidency in 2012 and won another term in 2018 .
A series of constitutional amendments Putin proposed in January were widely seen by Kremlin foes as part of his efforts to stay in power .
However , it was n't clear until Tuesday how Putin could achieve that goal .
Observers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes to scrap term limits ; move into the prime minister 's seat with strengthened powers ; or continue calling the shots as the head of the State Council .
He rejected all those options and finally revealed his cards Tuesday after Tereshkova , a legendary figure widely revered for her pioneering space flight , offered her ideas .
“ I propose to either lift the presidential term limit or add a clause that after the revised constitution enters force , the incumbent president , just like any other citizen , has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said to a raucous applause .
After Tereshkova spoke , Putin quickly came to parliament to address lawmakers .
He said he was aware of public calls for him to stay on as preisdent and emphasized that Russia needs stability above all .
“ The president is a guarantor of security of our state , its internal stability and evolutionary development , ” Putin said .
“ We have had enough revolutions.
” However , he said that since the constitution is a long-term document , scrapping the term limit was n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bombshell , saying he positively viewed Tereshkova 's alternate proposal to restart the term count when the revamped constitution enters force .
“ As for the proposal to lift restrictions for any person , including the incumbent , to allow running in elections , this option is possible , ” Putin said .
He added that the Constitutional Court would need to judge if the move would be legal , although the court 's assent is all but guaranteed .
Putin 's statement came as lawmakers were considering the amendments in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document are made .
The Kremlin-controlled lower house , the State Duma , quickly endorsed the proposed amendments by a 382-0 vote with 44 abstentions .
A vote on a third reading will be a quick formality .
A nationwide vote on the proposed amendments is set for April 22 .

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday backed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek re-election after his current term ends in 2024, ending uncertainty about his future.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses lawmakers debating on the second reading of the constitutional reform bill during a session of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in Moscow on March 10, 2020.
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Putin gave his support to the amendment put forward by lawmaker Valentina Tereshkova, who as a Soviet cosmonaut in 1963 became the first woman to fly to space. She proposed either scrapping Russian's two-term limit for presidents or resetting the clock so Putin's four terms wouldn't count.
Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled State Duma quickly endorsed Tereshkova's proposal, along with a sweeping set of constitutional changes proposed by Putin.
In a speech to lawmakers Tuesday, Putin spoke against scrapping presidential term limits altogether but backed the idea that if the constitution is revised, the two-term limit only would apply from 2024 on. The president's current six-year term expires in 2024.
01:37
Putin, 67, has been in power for more than 20 years, becoming Russia's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. After serving two presidential terms in 2000-2008, he shifted to the Russian prime minister's office while protege Dmitry Medvedev served as a placeholder president.
Putin reclaimed the presidency in 2012 and won another term in 2018.
A series of constitutional amendments Putin proposed in January were widely seen by Kremlin foes as part of his efforts to stay in power. However, it wasn't clear until Tuesday how Putin could achieve that goal.
Observers had speculated that Putin could use the changes to scrap term limits; move into the prime minister's seat with strengthened powers; or continue calling the shots as the head of the State Council.
He rejected all those options and finally revealed his cards Tuesday after Tereshkova, a legendary figure widely revered for her pioneering space flight, offered her ideas.
“I propose to either lift the presidential term limit or add a clause that after the revised constitution enters force, the incumbent president, just like any other citizen, has the right to seek the presidency,” she said to a raucous applause.
After Tereshkova spoke, Putin quickly came to parliament to address lawmakers.
He said he was aware of public calls for him to stay on as preisdent and emphasized that Russia needs stability above all.
“The president is a guarantor of security of our state, its internal stability and evolutionary development,” Putin said. “We have had enough revolutions.”
However, he said that since the constitution is a long-term document, scrapping the term limit wasn't a good idea.
Then he dropped the bombshell, saying he positively viewed Tereshkova's alternate proposal to restart the term count when the revamped constitution enters force.
“As for the proposal to lift restrictions for any person, including the incumbent, to allow running in elections, this option is possible,” Putin said.
He added that the Constitutional Court would need to judge if the move would be legal, although the court's assent is all but guaranteed.
Putin's statement came as lawmakers were considering the amendments in a crucial second reading when changes in the document are made.
The Kremlin-controlled lower house, the State Duma, quickly endorsed the proposed amendments by a 382-0 vote with 44 abstentions. A vote on a third reading will be a quick formality. A nationwide vote on the proposed amendments is set for April 22.
(AP)
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france24--2020-03-10--Anxiety, isolation, boredom: The side effects of coronavirus in China

Anxiety , isolation , boredom : The side effects of coronavirus in China The coronavirus epidemic may be slowing in @ @ @ @ @ crisis , but another problem is taking hold in the country : anxiety .
Isolation @ @ @ @ @ by the virus have given way to loneliness , especially among the residents of Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ quarantine .
A recent poll puts the number of people suffering from anxiety in China @ @ @ @ @ correspondents Antoine Védeilhé , Charlie Wang and Charles Pellegrin report .

Anxiety, isolation, boredom: The side effects of coronavirus in China
04:22 FOCUS © FRANCE 24
By: Charles PELLEGRIN Follow | Charlie WANG | Antoine VÉDEILHÉ
The coronavirus epidemic may be slowing in China after three months of crisis, but another problem is taking hold in the country: anxiety. Isolation and fear of being infected by the virus have given way to loneliness, especially among the residents of Wuhan, who are still under quarantine. A recent poll puts the number of people suffering from anxiety in China at 42 percent. Our correspondents Antoine Védeilhé, Charlie Wang and Charles Pellegrin report.


france24--2020-03-10--All Ligue 1 matches to be played at empty stadiums until April over coronavirus

The Olympique Marseille game ahead of a match played without an audience , December 21 , 2019 .
All French Ligue 1 and second division matches will be played behind closed doors until April 15 , the French football league announced Tuesday .
The decision comes after the French government on Sunday announced measures to cope with the spread of the coronavirus , including banning all gatherings of more than 1,000 people .
On Monday , Paris Saint-Germain 's Champions League match at the Parc des Princes against Borussia Dortmund this week was ordered to be played behind closed doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 infections have been recorded and 30 deaths .
Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games would be `` fully behind closed doors '' , the league said in a statement with further details on arrangements provided following a board meeting on Wednesday .
All Serie A matches in Italy , the world 's second most-affected country with coronavirus , have also been suspended until April 3 and La Liga games in Spain will be played behind closed doors for at least two weeks .
Lille hosted Olympique Lyonnais in front of over 40,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ligue 2 home game against Orleans on Monday was played in an empty stadium .

All French Ligue 1 and second division matches will be played behind closed doors until April 15, the French football league announced Tuesday.
The Olympique Marseille game ahead of a match played without an audience, December 21, 2019.
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The decision comes after the French government on Sunday announced measures to cope with the spread of the coronavirus, including banning all gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
On Monday, Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League match at the Parc des Princes against Borussia Dortmund this week was ordered to be played behind closed doors in a country where 1,606 cases of COVID-19 infections have been recorded and 30 deaths.
Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games would be "fully behind closed doors", the league said in a statement with further details on arrangements provided following a board meeting on Wednesday.
All Serie A matches in Italy, the world's second most-affected country with coronavirus, have also been suspended until April 3 and La Liga games in Spain will be played behind closed doors for at least two weeks.
Lille hosted Olympique Lyonnais in front of over 40,000 fans on Sunday but RC Lens's Ligue 2 home game against Orleans on Monday was played in an empty stadium.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)
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france24--2020-03-10--Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley star in Marie Curie biopic 'Radioactive'

A pioneer in the field of science , and the first woman to win two Nobel prizes , Marie Curie @ @ @ @ @ important historical figures of the 20th century .
A new biopic starring Rosamund Pike and @ @ @ @ @ defining moments in her life : meeting her husband and lifelong research partner Pierre Curie @ @ @ @ @ the elements polonium and radium .
The actors sat down with FRANCE 24 's Louise @ @

Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley star in Marie Curie biopic 'Radioactive'
10:29 ENCORE! © France 24
A pioneer in the field of science, and the first woman to win two Nobel prizes, Marie Curie is one of the most important historical figures of the 20th century. A new biopic starring Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley looks at two defining moments in her life: meeting her husband and lifelong research partner Pierre Curie, and the discovery of the elements polonium and radium. The actors sat down with FRANCE 24's Louise Dupont.


france24--2020-03-10--Judge in Paraguay orders football icon Ronaldinho to stay in prison

Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will remain in pre-trial detention in Paraguay after a judge on Tuesday rejected his lawyer 's request that he be released on bail or to house arrest .
Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will remain in pre-trial detention in Paraguay after a judge on Tuesday rejected his lawyer 's request that he be released on bail or to house arrest .
The 39-year-old World Cup winner and his brother Roberto were arrested on Friday , accused of being in possession of fake Paraguayan passports .
`` The judge rejected the defense 's request for conditional release or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legal .
Judge Gustavo Amarilla cited the seriousness of the case and the discovery of new evidence , as well as the involvement of public officials and business people who facilitated Ronaldinho 's arrival in Paraguay .
Those factors meant the former footballer needed to be kept in Asuncion `` so that there is no obstruction to the investigation , '' he said .
Amarilla acknowledged the measures taken against the brothers were harsh but said it was his `` responsibility not to hinder an investigation , '' which could be the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the country .
Legal said he opposed house arrest because the property offered as a guarantee was only valued at $ 750,000 to $ 800,000 .
`` It 's a tiny amount given the economic solvency of one of the '' accused , he said .
Ronaldinho and his brother are spending a fifth day in a police cell in Asuncion .
They arrived in Asuncion from Brazil on Wednesday and showed their passports to immigration police , who did not immediately notice any problem with the documents .
Hours later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake , investigators raided the football star 's hotel room and seized the brothers ' identity cards and travel documents .
Ronaldinho said the passports had been given to him by people who had invited him to attend conferences sponsored by charities working with disadvantaged children .
A Brazilian businessman has also been arrested in connection with the fake passports , while two Paraguayan women have been placed under house arrest and Paraguay 's migration director has resigned .
Ronaldinho 's Brazilian lawyer Sergio Queiroz has said the brothers were given the Paraguayan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing business '' in Paraguay .
`` Ronaldinho did not commit a crime because he did not know that the passport they gave him was faked , '' he said .
The administrator of the charity that invited Ronaldinho , Dalia Lopez , has admitted requesting the passports but said she did n't know they were forged .
A warrant has been issued for her arrest .
Amarilla said the investigation is looking into possible criminal association and money laundering .
Ronaldinho , considered one of the greatest footballers of all time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's 2002 World Cup win and played for European giants Barcelona , Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan , among others .

Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will remain in pre-trial detention in Paraguay after a judge on Tuesday rejected his lawyer's request that he be released on bail or to house arrest.
Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will remain in pre-trial detention in Paraguay after a judge on Tuesday rejected his lawyer's request that he be released on bail or to house arrest.
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The 39-year-old World Cup winner and his brother Roberto were arrested on Friday, accused of being in possession of fake Paraguayan passports.
"The judge rejected the defense's request for conditional release or house arrest," said prosecutor Osmar Legal.
Judge Gustavo Amarilla cited the seriousness of the case and the discovery of new evidence, as well as the involvement of public officials and business people who facilitated Ronaldinho's arrival in Paraguay.
Those factors meant the former footballer needed to be kept in Asuncion "so that there is no obstruction to the investigation," he said.
Amarilla acknowledged the measures taken against the brothers were harsh but said it was his "responsibility not to hinder an investigation," which could be the case if the suspects "were to flee" the country.
Legal said he opposed house arrest because the property offered as a guarantee was only valued at $750,000 to $800,000.
"It's a tiny amount given the economic solvency of one of the" accused, he said.
Ronaldinho and his brother are spending a fifth day in a police cell in Asuncion.
They arrived in Asuncion from Brazil on Wednesday and showed their passports to immigration police, who did not immediately notice any problem with the documents.
Hours later, when the passports were determined to be fake, investigators raided the football star's hotel room and seized the brothers' identity cards and travel documents.
Fake passports
Ronaldinho said the passports had been given to him by people who had invited him to attend conferences sponsored by charities working with disadvantaged children.
A Brazilian businessman has also been arrested in connection with the fake passports, while two Paraguayan women have been placed under house arrest and Paraguay's migration director has resigned.
Ronaldinho's Brazilian lawyer Sergio Queiroz has said the brothers were given the Paraguayan passports "to facilitate the possibility of doing business" in Paraguay.
"Ronaldinho did not commit a crime because he did not know that the passport they gave him was faked," he said.
The administrator of the charity that invited Ronaldinho, Dalia Lopez, has admitted requesting the passports but said she didn't know they were forged.
A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
Amarilla said the investigation is looking into possible criminal association and money laundering.
Ronaldinho, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was one of the stars of Brazil's 2002 World Cup win and played for European giants Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, among others.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-12--Live: US takes sudden and extreme measures a day after Trump's coronavirus warning

Live : US takes sudden and extreme measures a day after Trump 's coronavirus warning A day after US President @ @ @ @ @ his coronavirus measures , the US reacted swiftly both locally and nationally : Disneyland is @ @ @ @ @ is in a state of emergency .

Live blog
As it happened: US declares state of emergency, WHO warns Europe now 'epicentre' of coronavirus
US President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to make up to $50 billion available for US states and territories to fight its spread. Earlier in the day, the World Health Organization warned that Europe was now the "epicentre" of the pandemic, reporting more daily cases than China did at the height of its outbreak. Review our FRANCE 24 live blog for the news as it happened.
Police check cars at the exit of the Paznaun Valley on March 13, 2020 in Tyrol, Austria. © Jakob Gruber, AFP
Advertising Read more US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency that he said makes up to $50 billion in aid available for US states and territories.
Thousands of Algerians marched against the country’s ruling elite despite the coronavirus pandemic. In downtown Algiers, police wore face masks and a group of youngsters sold protective gear and liquid soap.
In the US Democratic presidential race, former Vice President Joe Biden is holding a town hall for Illinois voters from 800 miles away in Delaware, while Senator Bernie Sanders has ceased holding rallies around the country and is staging daily news conferences in his home state of Vermont.
Egypt reported 13 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the country’s total to 93.
"Europe has now become the epicentre of the pandemic," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual press conference, describing the more than 5,000 deaths worldwide as "a tragic milestone".
In France, 79 people have died of the coronavirus (up from 61 on Thursday), while the number of cases has climbed to 3,661. All schools, crèches and universities across France will be closed from Monday.
Stock markets rebounded after Thursday’s plunge with European stocks staging a comeback, rising 8 percent by Friday afternoon after recording early losses. The Dow rose 773.20 points, or 3.6 percent, at opening to 21,973.82.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a two-week state of emergency beginning Saturday.
Italy remains on a nationwide lockdown as its coronavirus death toll jumped by 250 in one day to 1,266, an increase of 25 percent. The country's total number of cases rose to 17,660 from 15,113, an increase of 17 percent.
China reported its lowest-ever number of new coronavirus cases: just eight on Friday, with no new domestic infections outside Hubei province.
Major sports events have been cancelled, including Champions League and Premier League matches. Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app


france24--2020-03-12--Coronavirus is France’s 'greatest health crisis in a century', says Macron

A French family watches in Lille , on March 12 , 2020 , the declaration of France 's President Emmanuel Macron , made from The Elysee Palace in Paris , about the situation of the COVID-19 outbreak , caused by the novel coronavirus .
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that the coronavirus epidemic was France 's worst health crisis in a century and announced that schools throughout the country would close from next week .
Creches , schools and also universities would close from Monday `` until further notice '' , Macron said in an address to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also urged all people older than 70 , those who suffer chronic diseases , respiratory troubles and the handicapped , `` to stay at home '' if possible .
But the president also said that nationwide local elections scheduled for Sunday will not be postponed .
`` We are just at the beginning of this crisis , '' Macron said .
`` In spite of all our efforts to break it , this virus is continuing to propagate and to accelerate . ''
As for the elections , Macron said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were of the opinion that `` there is nothing to prevent the French , even the most vulnerable , from going to the ballot box . ''
The French president said Europe will have to react `` fast , and strongly '' to `` relaunch '' the economy in the wake of the epidemic , adding that any steps to close borders will have to be jointly decided `` at the European level '' .
He said the measures against the virus were needed so that `` we continue to win time against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no passport '' .

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that the coronavirus epidemic was France's worst health crisis in a century and announced that schools throughout the country would close from next week.
A French family watches in Lille, on March 12, 2020, the declaration of France's President Emmanuel Macron, made from The Elysee Palace in Paris, about the situation of the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus.
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Creches, schools and also universities would close from Monday "until further notice", Macron said in an address to the nation on the fight against the coronavirus. He also urged all people older than 70, those who suffer chronic diseases, respiratory troubles and the handicapped, "to stay at home" if possible.
But the president also said that nationwide local elections scheduled for Sunday will not be postponed.
"We are just at the beginning of this crisis," Macron said.
"In spite of all our efforts to break it, this virus is continuing to propagate and to accelerate."
01:26
As for the elections, Macron said he had consulted scientists and other experts who were of the opinion that "there is nothing to prevent the French, even the most vulnerable, from going to the ballot box."
The French president said Europe will have to react "fast, and strongly" to "relaunch" the economy in the wake of the epidemic, adding that any steps to close borders will have to be jointly decided "at the European level".
He said the measures against the virus were needed so that "we continue to win time against this epidemic" which he emphasised "has no passport".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-03-12--Is Africa, with its low rates so far, ready to face the coronavirus pandemic?

As the global coronavirus outbreak continues to evolve , Africa , so far , has been spared the infection rates seen in countries such as China , Italy , Iran and France .
Are these remarkably low rates a matter of alarm , relief , socio-economic factors , fluke , none – or all – of the above ?
FRANCE 24 spoke to Mathias Altmann , an epidemiologist at the Bordeaux School of Public Health and one of the co-authors of a study of African preparedness and vulnerability to COVID-19 importations .
Months after the coronavirus outbreak , which appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread to parts of Asia , Europe , the Middle East and the US , Africa did not record a single case of the infection .
The continent ’ s first confirmed case was only recorded on February 14 2020 in Egypt .
The pandemic has since spread , with South Africa reporting the continent ’ s first case of local transmission on Wednesday , March 12 .
All previous cases had been patients who had travelled abroad , the South African health ministry revealed .
The development raised concerns of sub-Saharan African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accelerate .
The rates on the African continent though have been notably lower than in other areas .
As of Thursday , the number of cases across the globe had risen to 126,000 with 4,600 deaths worldwide , according to Johns Hopkins University .
In Africa , the number of cases was still in the dozens .
Ivory Coast confirmed its first case on Wednesday while Egypt registered seven new cases , bringing the total to 67 .
South Africa has reported 13 cases so far .
Other African countries that have confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo .
East Africa has not reported any COVID-19 cases so far , but countries have already implemented strategic plans to deal with the outbreak including strengthening health security checks at borders .
The governments of Kenya and Rwanda have suspended international gatherings and events until further notice as a precautionary measure .
Systematic quarantines have also been imposed on travelers from high-risk countries by several states , including Burundi and Uganda , while many African airlines such as RwandAir and Kenya Airways , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries such as China and Italy .
Although the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) warned on February 22 that African health systems were ill-equipped to deal with the epidemic if the contamination accelerates , a study published in the Lancet medical journal on February 27 noted that the African countries most likely to import new cases – Algeria , Egypt and South Africa – also had the best prepared health systems in the continent .
FRANCE 24 interviewed Mathias Altmann , an epidemiologist at the Bordeaux School of Public Health and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How do you explain the relatively low number of recorded COVID-19 cases in Africa ?
Mathias Altmann : There are several hypotheses , and only hypotheses can explain this situation .
One of them is Africa ’ s low-travel exposure to China compared to Europe , which is around one Africa-China travel exchange to every 10 Europe-China travel exposures .
This could explain the slow introduction of the virus on the continent when the epicentre of the epidemic was in China .
Since then , the situation has changed as the coronavirus has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposes Africa to importations of the virus from Europe .
The first confirmed and recorded cases on the continent were imported from Europe , mainly from Italy and France .
Another hypothesis , which remains to be validated , concerns the presumed existence of many undetected cases , which are the subject of many rumours .
Except that if this was the case , there would have been numerous alerts in hospitals in African capitals and local intensive care units , which would have recorded a massive influx of patients .
This , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not happen .
We saw this during the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone and Liberia , which are not the best-equipped countries on the continent in terms of infrastructure and human resources .
Therefore , the idea that there would be unknown chains of transmission seems unlikely to me .
The WHO has recently expressed concern about Africa in the event of massive contamination since the health systems , particularly in countries with pervasive poverty , are weak .
Is Africa ready to face the pandemic ?
MA : We must remain cautious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases will explode , as is currently the case in Italy and some European countries .
No one can predict this .
We know that severe cases mainly affect the elderly , but Africa has a younger population than Europe , so that is rather reassuring for the continent , and it ’ s possible that there will be fewer severe cases .
From a general point of view , the overall mortality rate remains quite high in Africa , especially in terms of infant and maternal mortality as well as endemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Should we be concerned ?
There is no need to panic since there are few sick people at the moment , although the risk of propagation does exist and it is almost certain that other cases will appear due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 .
We will have to be concerned if the epidemic affects a large number of people with many severe cases .
It should be remembered , however , that only 15 percent of the confirmed cases worldwide are severe .
It should also be noted that not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a global point of view I mean , because it is difficult to talk about all African countries at once .
The requirements are quite diverse , but overall there are fairly big material needs in most African countries .
There are still , for example , many shortfalls in terms of infrastructure , isolation rooms , treatment protocols , breathing apparatus and medicine stocks .
There is also a lack of capacity in a number of countries to make diagnoses linked as closely as possible to health management services , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite this situation , do you think many African countries appear to have taken prompt action in response to the crisis ?
MA : Yes , and it should be remembered that there is already a level of preparedness on this continent , which has had its share of epidemics , and where countries have a huge amount of knowledge on the ground , particularly in West Africa .
They have taken risk measures since the influenza pandemic preparedness plans , but especially since the Ebola crisis , and have adopted coordination systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ability to detect the first cases is essential , indeed key , and it ’ s known to be difficult because most patients are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms .
Since the risk of importation into Africa is currently lower than elsewhere because several countries have taken the right measures at the right time – such as reducing flights from abroad to limit the risk of importing COVID-19 – if they are able to detect the first cases and isolate them each time , there will be less risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to work on a day-to-day basis to strengthen all elements of the response , from surveillance coordination to early warnings , diagnosis and public health management .
This article has been adapted from the original , which appeared in French .

As the global coronavirus outbreak continues to evolve, Africa, so far, has been spared the infection rates seen in countries such as China, Italy, Iran and France. Are these remarkably low rates a matter of alarm, relief, socio-economic factors, fluke, none – or all – of the above? FRANCE 24 spoke to Mathias Altmann, an epidemiologist at the Bordeaux School of Public Health and one of the co-authors of a study of African preparedness and vulnerability to COVID-19 importations.
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Months after the coronavirus outbreak, which appeared in China in late December, had spread to parts of Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, Africa did not record a single case of the infection. The continent’s first confirmed case was only recorded on February 14 2020 in Egypt.
The pandemic has since spread, with South Africa reporting the continent’s first case of local transmission on Wednesday, March 12. All previous cases had been patients who had travelled abroad, the South African health ministry revealed. The development raised concerns of sub-Saharan African health systems being overwhelmed if local transmissions accelerate.
The rates on the African continent though have been notably lower than in other areas. As of Thursday, the number of cases across the globe had risen to 126,000 with 4,600 deaths worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In Africa, the number of cases was still in the dozens. Ivory Coast confirmed its first case on Wednesday while Egypt registered seven new cases, bringing the total to 67. South Africa has reported 13 cases so far. Other African countries that have confirmed cases include Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
East Africa has not reported any COVID-19 cases so far, but countries have already implemented strategic plans to deal with the outbreak including strengthening health security checks at borders. The governments of Kenya and Rwanda have suspended international gatherings and events until further notice as a precautionary measure. Systematic quarantines have also been imposed on travelers from high-risk countries by several states, including Burundi and Uganda, while many African airlines such as RwandAir and Kenya Airways, have suspended flights to a number of high-risk countries such as China and Italy.
Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on February 22 that African health systems were ill-equipped to deal with the epidemic if the contamination accelerates, a study published in the Lancet medical journal on February 27 noted that the African countries most likely to import new cases – Algeria, Egypt and South Africa – also had the best prepared health systems in the continent.
FRANCE 24 interviewed Mathias Altmann, an epidemiologist at the Bordeaux School of Public Health and one of the co-authors of the study.
How do you explain the relatively low number of recorded COVID-19 cases in Africa?
Mathias Altmann: There are several hypotheses, and only hypotheses can explain this situation. One of them is Africa’s low-travel exposure to China compared to Europe, which is around one Africa-China travel exchange to every 10 Europe-China travel exposures. This could explain the slow introduction of the virus on the continent when the epicentre of the epidemic was in China.
Since then, the situation has changed as the coronavirus has spread globally, with a pandemic that exposes Africa to importations of the virus from Europe. The first confirmed and recorded cases on the continent were imported from Europe, mainly from Italy and France.
Another hypothesis, which remains to be validated, concerns the presumed existence of many undetected cases, which are the subject of many rumours. Except that if this was the case, there would have been numerous alerts in hospitals in African capitals and local intensive care units, which would have recorded a massive influx of patients. This, as far as I know, did not happen. We saw this during the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are not the best-equipped countries on the continent in terms of infrastructure and human resources. Therefore, the idea that there would be unknown chains of transmission seems unlikely to me.
The WHO has recently expressed concern about Africa in the event of massive contamination since the health systems, particularly in countries with pervasive poverty, are weak. Is Africa ready to face the pandemic?
MA: We must remain cautious and wait to see if the number of cases will explode, as is currently the case in Italy and some European countries. No one can predict this. We know that severe cases mainly affect the elderly, but Africa has a younger population than Europe, so that is rather reassuring for the continent, and it’s possible that there will be fewer severe cases.
From a general point of view, the overall mortality rate remains quite high in Africa, especially in terms of infant and maternal mortality as well as endemic diseases such as malaria or measles. Should we be concerned? There is no need to panic since there are few sick people at the moment, although the risk of propagation does exist and it is almost certain that other cases will appear due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19. We will have to be concerned if the epidemic affects a large number of people with many severe cases. It should be remembered, however, that only 15 percent of the confirmed cases worldwide are severe. It should also be noted that not all health services are currently ready, from a global point of view I mean, because it is difficult to talk about all African countries at once.
The requirements are quite diverse, but overall there are fairly big material needs in most African countries. There are still, for example, many shortfalls in terms of infrastructure, isolation rooms, treatment protocols, breathing apparatus and medicine stocks. There is also a lack of capacity in a number of countries to make diagnoses linked as closely as possible to health management services, which can cause delays and block beds.
Despite this situation, do you think many African countries appear to have taken prompt action in response to the crisis?
MA: Yes, and it should be remembered that there is already a level of preparedness on this continent, which has had its share of epidemics, and where countries have a huge amount of knowledge on the ground, particularly in West Africa. They have taken risk measures since the influenza pandemic preparedness plans, but especially since the Ebola crisis, and have adopted coordination systems that are valid for any health emergency. The ability to detect the first cases is essential, indeed key, and it’s known to be difficult because most patients are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.
Since the risk of importation into Africa is currently lower than elsewhere because several countries have taken the right measures at the right time – such as reducing flights from abroad to limit the risk of importing COVID-19 – if they are able to detect the first cases and isolate them each time, there will be less risk of secondary transmission. The idea is to continue to work on a day-to-day basis to strengthen all elements of the response, from surveillance coordination to early warnings, diagnosis and public health management.
This article has been adapted from the original, which appeared in French.
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france24--2020-03-12--Paris, Frankfurt stocks plunge further, European Central Bank avoids rate cuts

A street cleaning operative walks past the London Stock Exchange Group building in the City of London 's financial district , in London , UK , March 9 , 2020 .
The European stocks index has ended the day with its biggest loss on record.after the European Central Bank unveiled a series of measures to shore up the eurozone economy but did not cut rates .
This followed US President Donald Trump 's announcement Wednesday of a month-long ban on travel from mainland Europe to the US .
The Stoxx Europe 600 index , which measures major stocks across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its worst day on record .
It eclipsed the 8.5 % drop during the 1987 stock market crash .
France 's CAC 40 fell by 12.3 % and Italy 's FTSE MIB a massive 16.9 % .
Britain 's FTSE 100 fell 10.9 % , its worst loss since 1987 .
Germany 's DAX plunged 12.2 % , which is more than it lost after the attacks of Sept. 11 , 2001 .
Some analysts also noted how European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde underscored how it was mainly up to governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy through the disruption of the outbreak .
Europe 's major stock markets had already fallen through the floor on Thursday after Donald Trump banned all travel from mainland Europe to the US for a month to fight the coronavirus – with the London , Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges all falling by more than 5 percent – ramping up fears the global economy will careen into recession .
Shortly after the open , London 's benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 5.3 percent , Frankfurt 's DAX 30 plunged 5.8 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent and Madrid 's stock exchange down by 5.5 percent .
Switzerland 's bourse got off a little more lightly , falling by 4.8 percent .
The news came after the World Health Organization officially labelled the outbreak a pandemic and hit out at `` alarming levels of inaction '' for its spread .
Earlier on Thursday morning , Asian equity markets , already deep in the red in reaction to the WHO announcement , also cratered after Trump 's address .
Tokyo ended down 4.4 percent , while Sydney lost 7.4 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the 2008 financial crisis .
Hong Kong fell 3.5 percent in the afternoon while Shanghai was off 1.5 percent .
Seoul , Singapore and Jakarta each lost more than three percent , while Mumbai tanked more than six percent and Bangkok more than eight percent .
Manila crashed almost 10 percent after it emerged Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte would undergo a precautionary test for the virus , while his finance minister and head of the central bank were among several officials who were to go into quarantine .
The New Zealand stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's retreated by 4.3 percent .
The Japanese yen , a key haven in times of crisis , jumped more than one percent against the dollar .
`` Travel restrictions equal slower global economic activity , so if you need any more coaxing to sell ... after a massively negative signal from trading in US markets it just fell in your lap , '' said AxiCorp 's Stephen Innes .
The losses followed another brutal session on Wall Street , with wave after wave of bad news , including Hilton withdrawing its earnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most hiring and overtime pay .
The Dow fell into a bear market having lost more than 20 percent since its recent high , and futures pointed Thursday to another rout in New York and Europe .
The coronavirus outbreak has left virtually no sector untouched , though travel and tourism have been particularly hard-hit as countries institute travel bans and quarantine requirements , with Italy in a country-wide lockdown .
The number of cases across the globe has risen to more than 124,000 with 4,500 deaths , according to an AFP tally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which excludes the UK and Ireland – Trump said the continent had seen a surge in new cases because governments failed to stop travel from China , where the COVID-19 epidemic began .
He said the prohibitions would also `` apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo '' , and `` various other things as we get approval '' .
However , the White House afterwards clarified that `` the people transporting goods will not be admitted into the country , but the goods will be '' .
Oil prices were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling around six percent at one point before edging back slightly .
The oil market was already under pressure after Saudi Arabia and Gulf partner UAE stepped up a price war with plans to flood global markets .
`` We are now staring at the whole world going into a lockdown , '' Vandana Hari , of Vanda Insights , said .
`` Oil demand can be expected to crash through the floor and all previous projections on oil consumption are now out the door . ''
The Saudi move was the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Russia balked at an OPEC-backed plan to cut production in response to lost demand because of the coronavirus .
`` Markets are crying out for a co-ordinated response to COVID-19 headwinds and a lack of concrete US policy action is rattling markets , '' said Tapas Strickland , senior analyst at National Australia Bank .
Trump 's address included several measures intended to ease the financial burden particularly for small business , including payroll tax relief and deferred tax payments .
But he did not unveil any large-scale tax cuts , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably disappointed markets more than anything '' .
The bloodbath across global trading floors has come despite a raft of measures by governments worth at least $ 150 billion to offset the impact of the outbreak , while central banks will be called upon to cut already low interest rates and introduce other fiscal measures .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will do `` whatever is necessary '' to help the economy , while the European Central Bank is to hold a policy meeting later in the day at which it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taps .

The European stocks index has ended the day with its biggest loss on record after the European Central Bank unveiled a series of measures to shore up the eurozone economy but did not cut rates. This followed US President Donald Trump's announcement Wednesday of a month-long ban on travel from mainland Europe to the US.
A street cleaning operative walks past the London Stock Exchange Group building in the City of London's financial district, in London, UK, March 9, 2020.
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The Stoxx Europe 600 index, which measures major stocks across the region, fell 11.5% on Thursday, its worst day on record. It eclipsed the 8.5% drop during the 1987 stock market crash. France's CAC 40 fell by 12.3% and Italy's FTSE MIB a massive 16.9%.
Britain's FTSE 100 fell 10.9%, its worst loss since 1987. Germany's DAX plunged 12.2%, which is more than it lost after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Some analysts also noted how European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde underscored how it was mainly up to governments, not central banks, to help the economy through the disruption of the outbreak.
Europe's major stock markets had already fallen through the floor on Thursday after Donald Trump banned all travel from mainland Europe to the US for a month to fight the coronavirus – with the London, Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges all falling by more than 5 percent – ramping up fears the global economy will careen into recession.
Shortly after the open, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 5.3 percent, Frankfurt's DAX 30 plunged 5.8 percent, the Paris CAC 40 tumbled 5.1 percent and Madrid's stock exchange down by 5.5 percent. Switzerland's bourse got off a little more lightly, falling by 4.8 percent.
The news came after the World Health Organization officially labelled the outbreak a pandemic and hit out at "alarming levels of inaction" for its spread.
Earlier on Thursday morning, Asian equity markets, already deep in the red in reaction to the WHO announcement, also cratered after Trump's address.
Tokyo ended down 4.4 percent, while Sydney lost 7.4 percent in the ASX 200's worst day since the 2008 financial crisis. Hong Kong fell 3.5 percent in the afternoon while Shanghai was off 1.5 percent.
Seoul, Singapore and Jakarta each lost more than three percent, while Mumbai tanked more than six percent and Bangkok more than eight percent.
Manila crashed almost 10 percent after it emerged Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte would undergo a precautionary test for the virus, while his finance minister and head of the central bank were among several officials who were to go into quarantine.
The New Zealand stock market lost five percent, while Taiwan's retreated by 4.3 percent.
The Japanese yen, a key haven in times of crisis, jumped more than one percent against the dollar.
"Travel restrictions equal slower global economic activity, so if you need any more coaxing to sell ... after a massively negative signal from trading in US markets it just fell in your lap," said AxiCorp's Stephen Innes.
Wave after wave of bad news
The losses followed another brutal session on Wall Street, with wave after wave of bad news, including Hilton withdrawing its earnings forecast and Boeing saying it would suspend most hiring and overtime pay.
The Dow fell into a bear market having lost more than 20 percent since its recent high, and futures pointed Thursday to another rout in New York and Europe.
The coronavirus outbreak has left virtually no sector untouched, though travel and tourism have been particularly hard-hit as countries institute travel bans and quarantine requirements, with Italy in a country-wide lockdown.
The number of cases across the globe has risen to more than 124,000 with 4,500 deaths, according to an AFP tally.
In announcing the Europe ban – which excludes the UK and Ireland – Trump said the continent had seen a surge in new cases because governments failed to stop travel from China, where the COVID-19 epidemic began.
He said the prohibitions would also "apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo", and "various other things as we get approval".
However, the White House afterwards clarified that "the people transporting goods will not be admitted into the country, but the goods will be".
'Crying out for a response'
Oil prices were also hammered, with both main contracts falling around six percent at one point before edging back slightly. The oil market was already under pressure after Saudi Arabia and Gulf partner UAE stepped up a price war with plans to flood global markets.
"We are now staring at the whole world going into a lockdown," Vandana Hari, of Vanda Insights, said. "Oil demand can be expected to crash through the floor and all previous projections on oil consumption are now out the door."
The Saudi move was the latest escalation of a fight among oil producers after Russia balked at an OPEC-backed plan to cut production in response to lost demand because of the coronavirus.
"Markets are crying out for a co-ordinated response to COVID-19 headwinds and a lack of concrete US policy action is rattling markets," said Tapas Strickland, senior analyst at National Australia Bank.
Trump's address included several measures intended to ease the financial burden particularly for small business, including payroll tax relief and deferred tax payments.
But he did not unveil any large-scale tax cuts, which OANDA's Jefrey Halley said "has probably disappointed markets more than anything".
The bloodbath across global trading floors has come despite a raft of measures by governments worth at least $150 billion to offset the impact of the outbreak, while central banks will be called upon to cut already low interest rates and introduce other fiscal measures.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will do "whatever is necessary" to help the economy, while the European Central Bank is to hold a policy meeting later in the day at which it is under pressure to open up the taps.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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france24--2020-03-12--ECB unveils fresh stimulus to counter coronavirus 'major shock'

European Central Bank ( ECB ) President Christine Lagarde gestures during a news conference on the outcome of the meeting of the Governing Council , in Frankfurt , Germany on March 12 , 2020 .
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned on Thursday that the coronavirus had delivered a `` major shock '' to the global economy that required urgent , coordinated action , as she unveiled fresh stimulus to keep credit flowing .
The latest major central bank to jump into the fray , the ECB launched a flurry of measures to cushion the impact of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loans to banks .
But it surprised observers by leaving key interest rates unchanged .
The Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges extended earlier losses after Lagarde 's announcements to post drops of more than 10 percent in the early afternoon .
`` The spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 has been a major shock to the growth prospects of the global economy and the euro area , '' Lagarde told reporters in Frankfurt .
`` Even if ultimately temporary by nature , it will have a significant impact on economic activity . ''
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their bit alongside monetary policymakers as fears mount of a credit crunch that could destabilise banks and hurt small businesses .
`` Governments and all other policy institutions are called upon to take timely and targeted actions , '' she said .
`` In particular , an ambitious and coordinated fiscal policy response is required to support businesses and workers at risk . ''
Whether the eurozone manages to avoid a recession will `` clearly depend on the speed , the strength and the collective approach that will be taken by all players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its stimulus package , the ECB 's governing council agreed a new round of cheap loans to banks , known as long-term refinancing operations ( LTROs ) `` to provide immediate support to the euro area financial system '' .
They also eased conditions on an existing `` targeted '' LTRO programme , aiming to `` support bank lending to those affected most by the spread of the coronavirus , in particular small- and medium-sized enterprises '' .
And the ECB will pile an extra 120 billion euros ( $ 135 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ QE ) asset purchases this year on top of its present 20 billion per month .
The QE scheme will include `` a strong contribution from the private sector , '' the ECB said , as room to buy government debt while respecting self-imposed limits has grown tight .
On top of the monetary measures , the ECB 's banking supervision arm said it would allow banks to run down some of the capital buffers they must build up in good times to weather crises .
Its teams supervising individual lenders may provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as giving them more time to patch up shortfalls in their risk management , while a broader range of assets will count towards the watchdog 's capital requirements .
Stock markets had plunged again early Thursday on President Donald Trump 's announcement that travellers from much of Europe would be barred from entering the US , after a Monday rout triggered by an oil price war combined with virus fears .
Ahead of Thursday 's meeting , analysts had highlighted tweaks to the ECB 's bank lending scheme in particular as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Bravo ! ''
Pictet Wealth Management analyst Frederik Ducrozet tweeted after the statement , hailing the ECB 's `` bold decisions '' .
Ducrozet noted that under the changes to the TLTRO programme , lenders that loan the cash they get from the central bank on to the real economy will enjoy an interest rate potentially as low as -0.75 percent .
At 0.25 percentage points below the rate the ECB charges on banks ' deposits in Frankfurt , the difference represents an effective subsidy to the financial system .
Meanwhile the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be a purely symbolic interest rate cut of just 0.1 or 0.2 percentage points .
The US Federal Reserve last week and Bank of England on Tuesday had space to cut interest rates by half a percentage point each to ease financial conditions .
But the ECB 's already-negative deposit rate robbed it of that option .
Lagarde again reiterated the ECB 's long-standing call on governments to do more with their fiscal powers to buttress the eurozone economy .
In a conference call Tuesday with European heads of government , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head `` drew comparisons with past crises '' like the 2008 financial crisis , a European source told AFP .
Such past trials were overcome by central banks and governments working in concert .
In mid-February , Lagarde reiterated that `` monetary policy can not , and should not , be the only game in town '' to stimulate the economy .
Italy on Wednesday announced 25 billion euros of support to its economy and the European Union has also mobilised up to 25 billion euros .

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned on Thursday that the coronavirus had delivered a "major shock" to the global economy that required urgent, coordinated action, as she unveiled fresh stimulus to keep credit flowing.
European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde gestures during a news conference on the outcome of the meeting of the Governing Council, in Frankfurt, Germany on March 12, 2020.
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The latest major central bank to jump into the fray, the ECB launched a flurry of measures to cushion the impact of the virus, including increased bond purchases and cheap loans to banks.
But it surprised observers by leaving key interest rates unchanged.
The Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges extended earlier losses after Lagarde's announcements to post drops of more than 10 percent in the early afternoon.
"The spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 has been a major shock to the growth prospects of the global economy and the euro area," Lagarde told reporters in Frankfurt.
"Even if ultimately temporary by nature, it will have a significant impact on economic activity."
She urged governments to step up and do their bit alongside monetary policymakers as fears mount of a credit crunch that could destabilise banks and hurt small businesses.
"Governments and all other policy institutions are called upon to take timely and targeted actions," she said.
"In particular, an ambitious and coordinated fiscal policy response is required to support businesses and workers at risk."
Whether the eurozone manages to avoid a recession will "clearly depend on the speed, the strength and the collective approach that will be taken by all players," she said.
Super-cheap loans
As part of its stimulus package, the ECB's governing council agreed a new round of cheap loans to banks, known as long-term refinancing operations (LTROs) "to provide immediate support to the euro area financial system".
They also eased conditions on an existing "targeted" LTRO programme, aiming to "support bank lending to those affected most by the spread of the coronavirus, in particular small- and medium-sized enterprises".
And the ECB will pile an extra 120 billion euros ($135 billion) of "quantitative easing" (QE) asset purchases this year on top of its present 20 billion per month.
The QE scheme will include "a strong contribution from the private sector," the ECB said, as room to buy government debt while respecting self-imposed limits has grown tight.
On top of the monetary measures, the ECB's banking supervision arm said it would allow banks to run down some of the capital buffers they must build up in good times to weather crises.
Its teams supervising individual lenders may provide more flexibility to institutions under their remit, such as giving them more time to patch up shortfalls in their risk management, while a broader range of assets will count towards the watchdog's capital requirements.
Stock markets had plunged again early Thursday on President Donald Trump's announcement that travellers from much of Europe would be barred from entering the US, after a Monday rout triggered by an oil price war combined with virus fears.
'Bravo'
Ahead of Thursday's meeting, analysts had highlighted tweaks to the ECB's bank lending scheme in particular as a critical tool for virus response.
"Bravo!" Pictet Wealth Management analyst Frederik Ducrozet tweeted after the statement, hailing the ECB's "bold decisions".
Ducrozet noted that under the changes to the TLTRO programme, lenders that loan the cash they get from the central bank on to the real economy will enjoy an interest rate potentially as low as -0.75 percent.
At 0.25 percentage points below the rate the ECB charges on banks' deposits in Frankfurt, the difference represents an effective subsidy to the financial system.
Meanwhile the central bank dispensed with what many expected would be a purely symbolic interest rate cut of just 0.1 or 0.2 percentage points.
The US Federal Reserve last week and Bank of England on Tuesday had space to cut interest rates by half a percentage point each to ease financial conditions.
But the ECB's already-negative deposit rate robbed it of that option.
Governments on hook
Lagarde again reiterated the ECB's long-standing call on governments to do more with their fiscal powers to buttress the eurozone economy.
In a conference call Tuesday with European heads of government, the former International Monetary Fund (IMF) head "drew comparisons with past crises" like the 2008 financial crisis, a European source told AFP.
Such past trials were overcome by central banks and governments working in concert.
In mid-February, Lagarde reiterated that "monetary policy cannot, and should not, be the only game in town" to stimulate the economy.
Italy on Wednesday announced 25 billion euros of support to its economy and the European Union has also mobilised up to 25 billion euros.
(AFP)
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