San Francisco, United States | AFP | Google and Apple unveiled a joint initiative Friday to develop a coronavirus smartphone “contact tracing” tool that could potentially alert people when they have crossed paths with an infected person. The move brings together the largest mobile operating systems in an effort to …
Read More »Despite virus, Pentagon warns enemies: don’t test us
Washington, United States | AFP | With an aircraft carrier forced into port and staff at bases handling nuclear missiles hit by COVID-19, the US military wants rivals to understand: don’t test us, we have not been weakened. Statement after statement from the Pentagon has sought to deliver that …
Read More »COVID-19 deaths top 100,000 ahead of locked-down Easter
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 »COVID-19: British PM Johnson in intensive care
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in intensive care on Monday after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, prompting concern for his health and well-wishes from political friends and foes in Britain and abroad, as the country battles to control the outbreak. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab …
Read More »Malawi president takes wage cut to fund virus fight
Blantyre, Malawi | AFP | Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika said Saturday he was taking a wage cut to help fund the fight against the coronavirus, and ordered his government to the same. Mutharika said in a statement he had ordered the treasury to cut his own salary and the wages …
Read More »FULL SPEECH: Queen Elizabeth II says collective effort will defeat COVID-19
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday thanked healthcare workers on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, promising that a united effort would help defeat the disease. In a rare special televised address, the 93-year-old monarch drew on her experience in World War …
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 »Coronavirus: All that you need to know
Paris, France | AFP | Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: – More than one million cases – At least 1,082,470 cases of infection, including 57,474 deaths have been reported in 188 countries and territories around the world since the epidemic started in December, according to an …
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 …
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