Paris, France | AFP | Whether it came from a bat or a pangolin is not certain, but one thing is: the coronavirus outbreak that has killed tens of thousands and turned the world upside down comes from the animal world. It is human activity enabled the virus to jump to …
Read More »Homeless taste ‘luxury’ at Geneva hotel during pandemic
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Sofiane Rahmani can hardly believe his luck. After several years of living on the street and bouncing between shelters, he now has his own hotel room, personal bathroom and all meals provided. “It’s true luxury,” the 16-year-old Algerian illegal migrant told AFP at the three-star Bel …
Read More »‘We could die in our homes’: Malawians resist virus lockdown
Blantyre, Malawi | AFP | While much of the world labours under strict coronavirus lockdowns, Malawi has bucked the trend after a court blocked attempts to restrict its population’s movements — much to the relief of some residents. “Had the lockdown been implemented, we would certainly have died of hunger and …
Read More »Virus turns health workers in Egypt into ‘outcasts’
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | After showing symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus, Egyptian doctor Ahmed Negm went into self-isolation in an old apartment, but before long he was hounded out by fearful neighbours. While health workers in many countries are getting cheers and applause for risking their lives in …
Read More »Centenary Bank joins COVID-19 fight with Shs200million
Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | Centenary Bank has joined the list of corporate companies that have responded to President Yoweri Museveni’s call for well-wishers to donate money and relief items to aid the fight against the spread of coronavirus pandemic. The bank has contributed protective gear to upcountry health centres and …
Read More »Kadaga wants relief food distributed across the country
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga has tasked able members of the public to contribute towards aiding the vulnerable people within their communities overcome the challenges that came with COVID-19 restrictions. Kadaga observed that the national taskforce is currently concentrating its’ food aid campaigns …
Read More »US Treasury sends first airline aid payments
Washington, United States | AFP | The Trump administration on Monday sent out the first payments meant to help save airline jobs as the industry is ravaged by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The US Treasury sent the first $2.9 billion of the plan — agreed upon last week after …
Read More »Main market in Burkina capital reopens as virus lockdown lifts
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | AFP | It was back to business at the sprawling central market of Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, on Monday after a closure of nearly a month in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s a joy to see the market reopen its doors,” said fabric dealer …
Read More »Kabale University offers UGX 72m to renovate regional hospital ICU
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kabale University has donated 72 million Shillings towards the rehabilitation of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital. The intervention follows concern about the sorry state of the ICU at a time when the country is battling an outbreak of coronavirus …
Read More »What we know about the ‘devious’ coronavirus
Paris, France | AFP | Will the novel coronavirus leave you short of breath or make you lose your sense of smell? And if you have had it once, can you be confident you are immune? So far, the research on COVID-19 has raised as many questions as it has answered. …
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