India coronavirus
caseload nears 1,400,000
The novel coronavirus is spreading rapidly in several parts of India and the public should remain extremely
vigilant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
“We must understand that the virus is as deadly today as it was at the beginning and we need to be even more careful,” Modi said during his monthly radio address.
He advised people to continue wearing masks, washing their hands and upholding social distancing and hygiene rules, referring to the measures as “our weapons to fight the virus”. India’s Health Ministry reported 48,661 new infections and 705 deaths on Saturday.
Vietnam reports two more locallly transmitted coronavirus cases
Vietnam reported two more locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 420.
The new cases include a 17-year-old boy in the central province of Quang Ngai and a 71-year-old woman in Danang city, the government said in a statement. There have been no deaths from COVID-19.
South Korea baseball fans finally return to stands
South Korean baseball games reopened to fans as health authorities outlined a phased process to bring back spectators in professional sports amid the COVID-19 epidemic.
Both baseball and soccer teams are now allowed to sell up to 10 percent of the seats for each game as officials plan to control the level of attendance based on the progress of anti-virus efforts.
Following the guidelines, fans were screened for fevers upon entering the stadium and required to sit a safe distance during a baseball match between LG Twins and Doosan Bears in Seoul.
UK foreign secretary defends quarantine measures
The UK’s foreign secretary defended the government’s decision to immediately impose COVID-19 quarantine measures on UK travellers returning from Spain, saying it was not possible to give them more notice.
Dominic Raab told Sky News that vague advice would have created more uncertainty. He said the government must be able to take quick action to fight the virus.
Tokyo confirms 239 new COVID-19 cases
Tokyo officials confirmed 239 new coronavirus infections, Japanese media reported, as the capital struggles with a resurgence in cases after the government lifted a state of emergency.
The total marks the sixth straight day new cases in the city have exceeded 200.
While Japan was spared the kind of surge in infections that have killed tens of thousands in other countries, Tokyo has raised its coronavirus alert to the highest level after a series of new cases.
Indonesia reports 1,492 new cases, 67 deaths
Indonesia reported 1,492 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total tally to 98,778, data from the country’s Health Ministry website showed.
The number of deaths in the Southeast Asian nation related to COVID-19 rose by 67, bringing the total to 4,781, the data showed.
Italian city slaps $1,150 fines on mask rule violators
Failure to wear a mask inside stores in the southern city of Salerno has proven costly to many, the AP news agency reported.
Three people in the port city in the Campania region received 1,000-euro ($1,150) fines on Saturday, the Corriere della Sera reported.
Campania Governor Vincenzo De Luca signed an ordinance on Friday, provisioning for fines of up to 1,000 euros for not wearing masks in closed public places. Similar fines were handed out on the tourist island of Ischia, in three cafes and in a restaurant, also in the Campania region.
Campania accounted for 21 of Italy’s 275 new virus cases on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health. Five deaths were reported in the nation of 60 million since Friday, raising its COVID-19 death toll to 35,102.
Germany’s confirmed cases rise to 205,269
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 305 to 205,269, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday quoting data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.
The reported death toll was unchanged with 9,118, the tally showed.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
