Rome, Italy | AFP | The global coronavirus death toll topped 100,000 Friday as Easter celebrations around the world kicked off in near-empty churches with billions of people stuck indoors to halt the pandemic’s deadly march. The grim milestone came as the World Health Organization issued a dire warning that …
Read More »Uber to provide ‘tens of millions’ of masks in virus safety move
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Uber said Thursday it planned to give out “tens of millions” of masks to drivers worldwide as part of its efforts to boost safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. The global ridesharing giant said it shipped its first order of masks to drivers in …
Read More »World short of six million nurses, WHO says
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | As COVID-19 captures global headlines, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday that the world needs nearly six million nurses. The UN’s health agency along with partners Nursing Now and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) underscored in a report the crucial role played by nurses, …
Read More »Health ministry tracing 2000 people suspected to be exposed to COVID-19
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health is tracing more than 2000 travelers who are suspected to have been exposed to COVID-19 as they travelled to Uganda. The travelers came from Dubai and other high risk countries before the government announced restrictions on travelers from countries like …
Read More »COVID-19: Is lock-down equivalent to state of emergency?
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For now eight times in 17 days, President Yoweri Museveni has addressed the nation, announcing a raft of measures to help the country forestall the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures include those that significantly limit people’s basic rights like freedom of movement, …
Read More »Herbalist arrested in Soroti for claiming COVID-19 cure
Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police is holding a 24-year-old man who hoodwinked people in Soroti that he can cure COVID-19, with a concoction of herbal medicine. Speaking to Journalists at the Uganda Media Centre today, police spokesperson Fred Enanga said they couldn’t allow the suspect, identified as …
Read More »Kitgum Hospital runs out of protective gear
Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kitgum General Hospital in northern Uganda has run out of protective equipment (PPE) for health workers. Dr Geoffrey Okello, Kitgum General Hospital acting Medical Superintendent says protective equipment especially masks delivered by government in the fourth quarter have run out. He made the revelation …
Read More »Medical workers protest harassment during curfew
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Medical workers under their umbrella organization, the Uganda Medical Association are threatening to lay down their tools if the government doesn’t clarify how they are to operate in the wake of Coronavirus Disease (COVID -19) which came with lockdowns, in among others, public transport. …
Read More »DR Congo ‘prepared’ to take part in COVID-19 vaccine testing
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The Democratic Republic of Congo is prepared to take part in testing of any future vaccine against the coronavirus, the head of the country’s taskforce against the pandemic said on Friday. “We’ve been chosen to conduct these tests,” said the head of the national …
Read More »Test, protect, inform: what HIV can teach us about COVID-19
Paris, France | AFP | From being a killer in the shadows, to having its own international day and UN programme, HIV’s emergence into a global reality can offer many lessons in how to respond to COVID-19, the head of the International Aids Society told AFP Thursday. Kevin Osborne, who has lived with HIV for nearly half his …
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