‘This is not a drill’: WHO urges the world to fight virus
North Korea ends quarantine of some foreigners in virus move
(about 4 hours later)
BANGKOK — The global march of the new virus triggered a vigorous appeal from the World Health Organization for governments to pull out “all the stops” to slow the epidemic, as it drained color from India’s spring festivals, closed Bethlehem’s Nativity Church and blocked Italians from visiting elderly relatives in nursing homes.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Friday it has released about 220 foreigners from a quarantine imposed as part of its vigilant prevention efforts to avoid an outbreak of the coronavirus that has spread around the world.
As China, after arduous weeks, appeared to be winning its epic, costly battle against the coronavirus, the fight was revving up in newly affected areas of the globe, unleashing disruptions that profoundly impacted billions of people.
The country has not publicly disclosed any cases of COVID-19, but outsiders are skeptical it escaped the virus that erupted in its neighbor and closest ally China and has infected more than 98,000 people globally.
The U.N. health agency urged all countries to “push this virus back,” a call to action reinforced by dramatic surges in new cases. The virus has infected 98,000 people and killed over 3,300.
About 380 foreigners in North Korea had been placed under medical surveillance, state radio had previously reported. The Korean Central News Agency said Friday that 221 of them were released from quarantine. It gave no further details.
“This is not a drill. This is not the time for giving up. This is not a time for excuses. This is a time for pulling out all the stops,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva. “Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans.”
Some foreign media outlets including Russia’s state-run Tass news agency have reported that some foreigners in Pyongyang were to be evacuated out of the country soon.
As Chinese manufacturers gradually reopened their factories, anti-virus barriers went up elsewhere.
North Korea has said at least 7,000 of its people were in medical surveillance as well. It has said it was strengthening its screening of those who came back from overseas trips or had contacts with foreigners.
In Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s outbreak, workers in latex gloves pinned “closed” notices on school gates, enforcing a 10-day shutdown of the education system. Italy’s sports-mad fans are also barred from stadiums until April 3.
COVID-19 has proven challenging to identify, contain and treat in well-off countries, and experts worry an outbreak could be devastating in impoverished North Korea, which has a malnourished population and a chronic shortage of medical supplies.
A government decree urged the country’s famously demonstrative citizens to stay at least 1 meter (3 feet) apart from each other, restricted visits to nursing homes and urged the elderly not to go outside unless absolutely necessary.
The country has banned foreign tourists, virtually closed off its borders, delayed the school year and mobilized health workers for disease-prevention efforts. It has closed a liaison office with South Korea indefinitely.
That directive appeared to be widely ignored, as school closures left many Italian children in the care of their grandparents. Parks in Rome overflowed with young and old, undercutting attempts to shield older Italians from the virus that has proven riskier with age. Italy has the world’s second-oldest population after Japan.
South Korea has the world’s second-biggest outbreak, with 6,284 cases. Most are in the southeastern city of Daegu, where a cluster was connected to a local church. Escalating outbreaks around the world prompted the World Health Organization chief to call on governments to pull out “all the stops” to slow the epidemic.
“It’s an absolute paradox!” said Mauro Benedetti, a 73-year-old retiree called upon to watch his grandson. “They tell us to stay home. How can we help our kids and grandkids at the same time?”
“Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva.
“Grandparents are now at risk,” he said.
Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s outbreak, restricted visits to nursing homes and urged the elderly not to go outside unless absolutely necessary. Italy has the world’s second-oldest population after Japan. Research in China has shown COVID-19 to be more severe in the elderly.
Italy’s death toll climbed Thursday to 148, and its confirmed cases to 3,858, third behind South Korea and China, where the virus was first detected in December.
Iran also closed schools and universities and introduced checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. President Hassan Rouhani urged state television to offer “happier” programs to entertain those stuck at home.
Iran, which has registered 107 deaths from COVID-19, also closed schools and universities and introduced checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. Iranians were urged to reduce their use of paper money. Iranian state TV also reported that Hossein Sheikholeslam, a 68-year-old diplomat who was an adviser to Iran’s foreign minister, had died of the virus.
Palestinian officials closed the storied Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem indefinitely, weeks ahead of the Easter holiday. And virus fears may dull India’s vibrantly colorful spring festival of Holi. Japan on Friday canceled this year’s memorial for victims of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.
Amid the string of bad news, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged state television to offer “happier” programs to entertain those stuck at home.
In the United States, where 12 have died from COVID-19, hundreds of people were in self-quarantines due to infections in a New York suburb. A cruise ship off California was ordered to stay put until its passengers and crew could be tested for the virus after four cases were confirmed in previous travelers.
Palestinian officials closed the storied Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem indefinitely, weeks ahead of the Easter holiday. And virus fears may dull India’s vibrantly colorful spring festival of Holi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders said they wouldn’t attend Holi events and the Holi Moo Festival in New Delhi was canceled.
China still has more than 80% of the world’s cases, though its outbreak is steadying. On Friday, it reported 143 new infections and 30 new deaths, almost all in the epicenter city of Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province. China now has 3,042 deaths and 80,552 cases.
In the United States, where 12 have died from the virus, hundreds were placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb. A suburban Seattle school district with 22,000 students will close for up to two weeks because of coronavirus concerns, and Seattle’s highways were nearly vacant for Thursday’s morning commute as large tech employers like Amazon encouraged employees to work from home.
More and more patients are being released from the virus-dedicated hospitals hastily built at the peak of its crisis. It has released 53,726 people who were declared cured, while about 6,000 virus patients are still hospitalized in serious condition.
In Seattle, health officials recommended that the elderly and people with weak immune systems not attend games after an employee at the 72,000-seat football stadium tested positive for the coronavirus.
Off the coast of California, a cruise ship carrying about 3,500 people was ordered to stay put until passengers and crew could be tested because a traveler from its previous voyage died and another three were infected. A helicopter lowered testing kits by rope to the Grand Princess, where people on board have flu-like symptoms.
Financial markets remained volatile, as investors continued to weigh the size of the epidemic’s dent on the global economy. Outbreak fears led to a sharp U.S. stock selloff, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 969 points, or 3.6%, nearly wiping out gains from a day earlier. Analysts said more yo-yo moves on global markets are likely.
OPEC called for a deep production cut to keep crude oil prices from falling further as business disruptions globally slash demand from air travel and industry — deciding Thursday to push for a cut of 1.5 million barrels a day, or about 1.5% of total world supply.
As travelers faced ever-greater disruptions, the outlook for the industry was increasingly grim. The International Air Transport Association said the outbreak could cost airlines as much as $113 billion in lost revenue. British airline Flybe collapsed amid sinking demand.
Australia, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates banned entry of travelers coming from countries with large outbreaks. Japan announced a quarantine of people from China and South Korea, prompting Seoul to warn of countermeasures for the “excessive” restrictions.
Germany’s Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss warned of flight cancellations to and from Israel after it announced tough restrictions on travelers from several countries because of the virus.
As the impact deepened globally, China is releasing more and more patients from the virus-dedicated hospitals it hastily built at the peak of its crisis. It has released 53,726 people who were declared cured, while about 6,000 virus patients are still hospitalized in serious condition.
On Friday, China reported 143 new cases of infection and 30 new deaths, almost all in the epicenter of Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province. That brings China’s totals to 3,042 deaths and 80,552 cases, more than 80% of the world’s cases.
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Sedensky is an AP National Writer. Leicester reported from Paris. Contributing to this report were Kim Tong-Hyung and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea; Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo; Ken Moritsugu in Beijing; Aniruddha Ghosal and Ashok Sharma in New Delhi; Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Nicole Winfield in Rome, Geir Moulson in Berlin; Stan Choe in New York; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Elaine Ganley in Paris, and Danica Kirka in London.
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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
