WHO urges globe to ‘pull out the stops’ against virus’ march
THE GLOBAL march of the new virus triggered a vigorous appeal Thursday from the World Health Organization (WHO) for governments to pull out “all the stops” to slow the epidemic that has drained colour from India’s spring festivities, closed Bethlehem’s Nativity Church and blocked Italians from visiting elderly relatives in nursing homes.
As China, after many arduous weeks, appeared to be winning its epic, costly battle against the new virus, the fight was just revving up in newly affected areas of the globe, unleashing disruptions that profoundly impacted billions of people.
The UN health agency urged all countries to “push this virus back,” a call to action reinforced by figures showing there are now about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it. To date, the virus has infected nearly 97,000 people and killed over 3,300.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time for giving up. This is not a time of for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops,”WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing in Geneva. “Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans.”
As Chinese manufacturers gradually reopened their factories, anti-virus barriers went up elsewhere.
In Italy, the epicentre of Europe’s outbreak, workers in latex gloves pinned ‘closed’ notices on school gates, enforcing a 10-day shutdown of the education system. Italy’s sports-mad fans are also barred from stadiums until April 3. Iran, which like Italy has registered 107 virus deaths, has also closed schools and universities. Now it has introduced checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. Iranians were urged to reduce their use of paper money and have gas station attendants fill their car tanks.
In the United States, where 11 have died from the virus, hundreds of people were placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb. A school district north of Seattle with 22,000 students announced it will close for up to two weeks because of coronavirus concerns.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS
Across the globe, travellers faced even greater disruptions, as countries sought to keep the virus out. But South Africa confirmed its first case Thursday, becoming the seventh African nation to report infections.
“The virus doesn’t care about race and belief or colour. It is attacking us all, equally,” said Ian MacKay, who studies viruses at the University of Queensland in Australia.
Australia banned travellers from South Korea who aren’t Australian citizens or permanent residents, following similar bans for China and Iran.
Indonesia announced restrictions on travellers from parts of Iran, Italy and South Korea after previously banning those coming in from China. The United Arab Emirates warned its people not to travel anywhere abroad.
Germany’s Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and
Swiss said they will cancel all flights to and from Israel for three weeks starting Sunday after Israeli authorities announced tough restrictions on travellers from several countries because of the new virus.
The storied Nativity Church in the biblical city of Bethlehem, built atop the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born, was being closed to the tens of thousands of visitors and worshippers who had been expected for the Easter holiday next month. Saudi Arabia has barred citizens from Islam’s holiest sites.
QUARANTINE VISITORS
Japan said visitors from China and South Korea would face a twoweek quarantine at a government facility and be barred from public transit. Sri Lankans arriving from Italy, South Korea and Iran will be quarantined at a hospital once used for leprosy patients.
In South Korea, with the highest number of infections outside China, exports of masks will be prohibited beginning Friday and people will be limited to buying two masks a week.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in to express condolences over the health crisis.
In China, where hospitals were releasing hundreds of recovered patients, officials reported 139 new cases of infection and 31 more deaths. Overall, China has reported 80,409 cases and 3,012 deaths, and authorities say about 6,000 people remained hospitalised in serious condition.
A state visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping was postponed. It was to have been the first for a Chinese leader since 2008.