Kitguma, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A six-month expectant mother and her husband are expected to be discharged from an isolation unit and quarantine centre in Kitgum Municipality today, after being admitted mistakenly as COVID-19 suspects five days ago. The couple from Omiya Anyima Sub County was reportedly admitted to St …
Read More »Rocky road ahead for ‘sharing economy’ platforms amid pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | “Sharing economy” firms like Uber and Airbnb were seeing surging growth and predictions they would reshape several economic sectors. Then the pandemic hit. These companies are now bleeding more cash than ever, shedding workers and scaling back expectations for profitability amid heightened uncertainty about consumer trends …
Read More »Coronavirus creeps along East Africa’s trucking corridors
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Every day hundreds of trucks fan out from East Africa’s main ports in Kenya and Tanzania carrying cargo to the landlocked hinterland, and fears are rising they are becoming a major vector for the coronavirus. Their drivers gather at truckstops, weighbridges and customs points, socialising …
Read More »As countries begin reopening, US virus expert warns of dangers
Washington, United States | AFP | France began reopening schools on Tuesday and Russia and India started getting back to work as the top US infectious disease expert warned that relaxing coronavirus lockdowns too quickly could have serious consequences. Government immunologist Anthony Fauci’s stark words fed concerns that even a cautious …
Read More »113-year-old Spanish woman survives coronavirus
Madrid, Spain | AFP | A 113-year-old woman, believed to be the oldest person living in Spain, has beat the coronavirus at retirement home where several other residents died from the pandemic, the residence said Tuesday. Maria Branyas, who was born in the US, was infected with the virus in April at the Santa Maria …
Read More »EAC: Truckers to get COVID-19 test before departure
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Truck drivers will be required to have tested and carry certificates before they depart to different countries in the region, East African Community heads of state have said. In a video conference summit on Tuesday morning, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, …
Read More »Pallisa district struggling to establish quarantine center
Pallisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Pallisa district COVID-19 task force is yet to establish a quarantine centre for isolating and managing suspects. The District Health Officer Dr Geoffrey Mulekwa says that they had identified Kamuge health center III to host the quarantine centre but faced resistance from residents saying …
Read More »World leaders pledge €7.4bn to research Covid-19 vaccine
EU-hosted talks tout cooperation but is not addressed by India, Russia or US PATRICK WINTOUR | World leaders, with the notable exception of Donald Trump, stumped up nearly €7.4bn (£6.5bn) to research Covid-19 vaccines and therapies at a virtual event convened by the EU, pledging the money will also be …
Read More »Europe, New York start emerging from lockdown as fresh cases hit Asia
New York, United States | AFP | Swathes of Europe as well as New York began the long process of reopening from coronavirus lockdowns on Monday, but a resurgence of infections in China and South Korea offered a sobering reminder of the dangers of a second wave of cases. The mixed …
Read More »Virus symptoms multiply as pandemic deepens
Paris, France | AFP | Every week, it seems, the list of coronavirus symptoms — ranging from disagreeable to deadly, from “COVID toes” to toxic shock — grows longer. What began as a familiar flu-like cluster of chills, headaches and fever has rapidly expanded over the last three months into a …
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