Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 09 WHO 09 Apr 2020
• "Please quarantine politicizing COVID": WHO chief People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- "Please quarantine politicizing COVID. If we want to win, we shouldn't waste time pointing fingers," World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged here on Wednesday, saying "Unity is the only option to defeat this virus."
• WHO urges global solidarity as rising COVID-19 infection keeps hitting economy People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- As the global tally of COVID-19 cases surpassed 1.5 million on Wednesday, several governments stepped up anti-epidemic measures, notably extended wide-scale lockdown, despite the adverse effect on economy.
• UN supports frontline COVID-19 response IRNA 09 Apr 2020 -- As the coronavirus pandemic spreads to more than 200 countries and territories, killing more than 20,000 people, the United Nations is redoubling its support for frontline responders who are working around the clock to save lives.
• Chiefs of WHO, UN hit back at Trump's threat People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- "Please quarantine politicizing COVID. If we want to win, we shouldn't waste time pointing fingers...Unity is the only option to defeat this virus," World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.
• WHO works hard to ensure supplies of essential medical equipment: Tedros People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that the UN health agency is working hard to ensure supplies of essential medical equipment for front-line health workers.
• Trump using coronavirus to score political points: WHO Press TV 09 Apr 2020 -- The World Health Organization has hit back at the US president over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, saying Donald Trump is politicizing the virus.
• 5 reasons the world needs WHO, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic UN News 09 Apr 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN's health agency, has played a crucial role in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, ever since the first cases were identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. At a press conference on Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, outlined five ways the agency is leading the global response.
• Living apart, 'we must stand together' to battle coronavirus pandemic – UN rights chief UN News 09 Apr 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic is a "colossal test of leadership", the top UN rights official said on Thursday, underscoring the need for "decisive, coordinated and innovative action from all, and for all".
• 100 days on from advent of COVID-19, more action is needed: Tedros UN News 09 Apr 2020 -- With Thursday marking 100 days since the World Health Organization (WHO) was first notified about what is now officially known as COVID-19, the agency's chief said the virus has already infected more than 1.3 million people worldwide, and without action now, poor countries could suffer massive devastation.

United States

• Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing The White House 09 Apr 2020
• President Donald J. Trump Approves Idaho Disaster Declaration The White House 09 Apr 2020
• President Donald J. Trump Approves Alaska Disaster Declaration The White House 09 Apr 2020
• Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Ramón Colón-López Hold a Virtual Town Hall DoD 09 Apr 2020-- Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper; Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley; Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief Master Sergeant Ramon "CZ" Colón-López
• WH advisor offers new projection: US coronavirus deaths may be 'more like 60,000' Press TV 09 Apr 2020 -- US leading expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says that around "60,000" may die from the coronavirus pandemic in America.
• California Struggles to Keep Homeless Safe During Pandemic VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Officials in cities and counties throughout California are struggling with how best to help more than 100,000 homeless residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Treasury Underscores Commitment to Global Flow of Humanitarian Aid in Face of COVID-19 Pandemic US Treasury 09 Apr 2020 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury stands with governments and citizens around the world in the global war against the COVID-19 global pandemic. The United States is committed to ensuring the international flow of humanitarian aid continues through legitimate and transparent channels.
• DOD's Top Leadership Conducts Town Hall Meeting on COVID-19 DoD News 09 Apr 2020 -- The Defense Department has provided medical equipment to federal agencies in need, and DOD's top-tier research scientists and medical professionals are working with the private sector to develop a vaccine, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said in a live-streamed town hall meeting from the Pentagon.
• Despite COVID-19, U.S. Military Remains Ready to Fight DoD News 09 Apr 2020 -- The Defense Department is doing a lot to combat the spread of COVID-19 across the nation, but its primary mission – the defense of the nation and its interests – continues unabated, Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist said.
• Guardsmen Remain Adaptable in Face of Coronavirus DoD News 09 Apr 2020 -- More than 28,000 National Guardsmen are helping to fight the coronavirus across America, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said.
• Rush Transcript: Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Announces Five New COVID-19 Testing Facilities in Minority Communities Downstate New York State 09 Apr 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 09 Apr 2020
• US doctors 'shocked' by speed of coronavirus deaths as New York toll hits new high Press TV 09 Apr 2020 -- US doctors and nurses are expressing shock at the speed of coronavirus-related deaths in the country, as patients, even without underlying conditions, are succumbing to the disease.
• Why It May Take Months to Reopen the US Economy VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to "reopen" the United States as soon as possible to reduce the economic damage caused by widespread social distancing rules implemented as a response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 09 Apr 2020 -- In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made:
• Trump Takes Aim at WHO in Midst of Pandemic VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Thursday marks 100 days since China notified the World Health Organization that it was dealing with cases of what would later be identified as COVID-19, the deadly virus that has spread to nearly every corner of the world.
• 'More Cases to Come': Pentagon Frets at Deploying Carrier Nimitz as Roosevelt's Outbreak Worsens Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- As roughly 10% of the USS Theodore Roosevelt's crew has now tested positive for COVID-19, Pentagon leaders are questioning the wisdom of deploying another aircraft carrier. The USS Nimitz is scheduled to sail later this month, but at least one case has already been detected among her crew.
• American Coronavirus Lawsuits Seek Compensation from China VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- In less than a month, more than 5,000 Americans have joined a class-action lawsuit in Florida seeking reparations from the Chinese government for COVID-19 damages. The plaintiffs claim to have suffered huge losses due to Beijing's negligence in containing the virus. Similar class-action lawsuits also were filed in Nevada and Texas.

China

• As Restrictions Ease in Wuhan, Health Official Vigilant Against Resurgence VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- As restrictions on travel and other movement by citizens are eased in the Chinese city of Wuhan – once, the epicenter of the world-wide coronavirus outbreak – health officials say they must remain vigilant against a resurgence of the virus.
• Wuhan Residents Begin Traveling Outside City Limits VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Residents of the central Chinese city of Wuhan began traveling outside the city limits Thursday, the first day after a virtual lockdown imposed nearly three months ago to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus was lifted.
• Second wave of virus in Wuhan 'unlikely' Global Times 09 Apr 2020 -- Will the lifting of the lockdown in Wuhan, a city hit hardest in the country by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with emerging asymptomatic cases, give way to a second wave of the outbreak that had engulfed the city for the last three months?
• Doctors in Wuhan ICUs continue to save people as China moves one step closer to clearing all cases Global Times 09 Apr 2020 -- Some of China's best doctors in respiratory and infectious diseases are still in Wuhan tasked with treating COVID-19 patients in critical condition, trying their best to save more lives as the nation is close to the final stages to cure or discharge the remaining patients.
• China aids Philippines in virus prevention and control Global Times 09 Apr 2020 -- After three busy days in Manila, China's Medical Expert Team aiding the Philippines has found problems in the Philippines' COVID-19 prevention, such as lack of testing and medical staff's low awareness of self-protection.
• Silent carriers are infectious, must be reported within 2 hours after discovery: State Council Global Times 09 Apr 2020 -- China's State Council on Wednesday published new regulations on the management of silent coronavirus carriers, specifying that the group are infectious and have risks of transmission, amid mounting public worries over whether lifting Wuhan's lockdown would cause a second outbreak due to mass population flows.
• China unveils trial protocol for managing recovered COVID-19 patients People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- A trial protocol on recovered COVID-19 patients' quarantine, return visits to doctors, re-testing and health monitoring has been released by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against the novel coronavirus.
• China's border town to build temporary hospital as imported COVID-19 cases rise People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- The city of Suifenhe, at the China-Russia border in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, will build a temporary hospital as pressure mounts to stem the flow of imported novel coronavirus cases.
• China's Heilongjiang reports 40 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province reported 40 new confirmed COVID-19 cases from overseas Wednesday, the provincial health commission said Thursday.
• China intensifies screening of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- China has urged intensified detection and prompt response to people infected with the novel coronavirus but showing no symptoms, according to a circular issued by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council.
• Shanghai reports 9 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- Shanghai reported nine newly confirmed cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from overseas Wednesday, the local health authority said Thursday.
• China's Hubei reports no increase in COVID-19 cases People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported Wednesday in central China's Hubei Province, the provincial health commission said Thursday.
• China makes all-out efforts to ensure supply of key drugs against COVID-19 People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- China has made all-out efforts to ensure the production and supply of key drugs against COVID-19, an official said Wednesday.
• China's Hubei reports no increase in COVID-19 cases People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported Wednesday in central China's Hubei Province, the provincial health commission said Thursday.
• Chinese mainland reports 63 new confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- Chinese health authority said Thursday it received reports of 63 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Wednesday, of which 61 were imported.
• Chinese mainland reports 61 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- The Chinese mainland reported 61 new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Wednesday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 1,103, the National Health Commission said Thursday.
• 91 COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals on Chinese mainland People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- A total of 91 patients of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were discharged from hospitals Wednesday on the Chinese mainland, according to the National Health Commission.
• China reports new coronavirus cases after lockdown lifted Press TV 09 Apr 2020 -- China has reported 63 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus, up by one case from its last daily tally.
• China President Pledges Help to South Africa in Coronavirus Fight VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping is offering support and resources to African countries, especially South Africa, in their fight to control the COVID-19 epidemic.
• Anti-pandemic fight tests PLA's emergency response capability PLA Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic is a major public health emergency with the fastest spread, the widest infection range, and the most difficult prevention and control measures since the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC). For the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), the battle against the pandemic is a test of its emergency response capability.

Europe

• EU Finance Ministers Clinch Coronavirus Stimulus Plan RFE/RL 09 Apr 2020 -- European Union finance ministers have agreed on a 500 billion euro ($550 billion) stimulus plan to shore up paralyzed economies affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Eurogroup Agrees to Work on Recovery Fund to Tackle Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- The Eurogroup acknowledged that it has agreed to work on a temporary Recovery Fund to tackle the economic consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic for the bloc.
• German Chancellor Expresses Cautious Hope over Latest Coronavirus Data VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that the nation's latest coronavirus statistics give some reason for hope but cautioned against a "false sense of security."
• Britain Improvising As Boris Johnson Fights Virus VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in a stable condition Thursday after his third night in an intensive care ward and had improved enough to be moved back to a general ward, where he will still be closely monitored, a Downing Street spokesman said.
• Italian PM Resists Calls to Ease COVID Restrictions VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- In Italy, one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus, the debate is growing on whether it is time to downgrade the emergency and start easing restrictions after a strict five-week lockdown, now that the virus spread is showing what some see as signs of slowing down.
• Coronavirus Threatens Greek Tourism VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- After a brutal 10-year financial crisis, Greece was on course to a promising rebound. Businesses and exports were slowly but consistently growing, and tourism was booming. With the coronavirus, however, the biggest money-making industry for Europe's poorest economy, is in peril.
• COVID-19 cases in Germany up 4,974, deaths up 246 People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Germany rose by 4,974 over the past 24 hours to 108,202 on Thursday, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.
• Death toll from COVID-19 in Britain amounts to 881 for today, authorities announced SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- Health authorities in Britain announced that the death toll from COVID-19 in Britain amounted to 881 for today.
• Italy's virus deaths fall SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- Italy's daily death toll from the novel coronavirus epidemic fell to 542 on Wednesday, dpa reported.
• Scottish National Records Suggest Higher COVID-19 Related Deaths Than Previously Thought Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Until now the Scottish government's COVID-19-related fatality figures only included people who tested positive for the virus in hospitals. The newly introduced method of counting will likely be far more accurate, according to the First Minister.
• Over 7 Percent of Denmark's Population Could Be Infected With COVID-19 – Danish Health Agency Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- As many as 400,000 people in the country of 5.6 million could already be infected with the virus, the Danish State Serum Institute has estimated.

Russia

• Border Closes Between China, Russia as Fears Linger Over a Second Wave Radio Free Asia 09 Apr 2020 -- The land border between China and Russia has been closed, leaving an unknown number of Chinese nationals stranded on the Russian side of the border, China's foreign ministry said on Thursday.
• China, Russia appear to be in discord over whether to re-open land port amid pandemic Global Times 09 Apr 2020 -- As epidemic wanes in China, North East China's Heilongjiang Province recently came under the spotlight as one of its border cities with Russia, Suifenhe, recorded 118 COVID-19 cases in just 5 days, all of whom were Chinese nationals returning home from Russia.
• Putin calls on Russians to stick it out to defeat coronavirus People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on compatriots not to give in and to accept with dignity all the restrictions in order to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Russia to Send 24 Troops and 5 Vehicles to Bosnia and Herzegovina to Help Fight Coronavirus Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Russia will send 24 military personnel and equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina to help fight the coronavirus, the country's Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

India

• Updates on COVID-19 India PIB 09 Apr 2020
• GoM reviews current status, and actions for management of COVID-19 India PIB 09 Apr 2020 -- Dr. Harsh Vardhan emphasizes accessing Health Ministry and related authentic websites to avoid misinformation regarding COVID-19
• COVID-19: Trump, Others Shower Gratitude as India Opens its Stock of 'Game Changer' Drug Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Nearly 30 countries, including the USA, had approached India seeking supplies of an anti-malaria drug – Hydroxychloroquine, touted as a treatment for COVID-19. This compelled New Delhi to lift the ban on exporting the medicine and its raw material. India is one of the world's main manufacturers of the drug.
• India Begins Cluster Containment as Millions of Slum Dwellers Remain Vulnerable to COVID-19 Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Approximately 64 million people live in India's slums, in 13.8 million households, according to the 2011 census. The government had identified the slums as residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation due to overcrowding or the lack of ventilation, light, sanitation and clean water.

Pakistan

• COVID-19 Cases Rise in Pakistan to 4457 SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- The total number of confirmed cases infected by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pakistan is 4458, including 63 deaths, so far, it was reported here todoay.
• Chinese expert voices concern over increasing coronavirus in Pakistan IRNA 09 Apr 2020 -- The head of the Chinese medical team visiting Pakistan has expressed serious concerns over the rapid increase of novel coronavirus cases in the country.

Iran

• Official: COVID19 death toll hits 4,110 in Iran IRNA 09 Apr 2020 -- Head of Iran's Health Ministry's Public Relations Office Kianoush Jahanpour said on Thursday that 32,309 people out of a total of 66,220 infected by the coronavirus have survived while 4,110 have unfortunately succumbed to death.
• Rights Group Says More Than 30 Inmates Killed In Iran Coronavirus Riots RFE/RL 09 Apr 2020 -- Amnesty International says it believes more than 30 prisoners have been killed by Iranian security forces amid rioting over fears of contracting the coronavirus.
• Ayatollah Khamenei hails Iranian nation for 'shining' performance in anti-virus battle Press TV 09 Apr 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has praised the Iranian nation's "shining" performance in the fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic, which he described as a "test" facing the entire world.

South Korea

• South Korea records slowest increase of coronavirus in seven weeks SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- South Korean health authorities reported the lowest number of daily new coronavirus infections in seven weeks on Thursday, dpa reported.

Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia to support fight against COVID-19 in Yemen and Palestine SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- At the tenth virtual meeting of an ad hoc committee on combating COVID-19 in affected countries, headed by the Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, six new contracts were today signed with specialized companies to provide medical support to Yemen and Palestine to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The contracts will allow for the urgent provision of medical supplies and preventative equipment to combat the spread of the virus in at-risk communities in both countries.
• Riyadh Pledges $500Mln in Aid for Yemen, $25Mln to Fight COVID-19 – Vice Defense Minister Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Saudi Arabia will provide $500 million in humanitarian aid for Yemen and $25 million more to fight the spread of COVID-19, the kingdom's Vice Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman al Saud said on Thursday.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 1 new case of COVID-19; closes hostess clubs CNA 09 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan confirmed only one indigenous case of the COVID-19 coronavirus on Thursday and at the same time issued a temporary ban on hostess clubs, saying they are high-risk venues for the spread of the disease.
• Taiwan gives 400,000 masks to U.S. under cooperation arrangement CNA 09 Apr 2020 -- A batch of 400,000 surgical face masks was handed over to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) on Wednesday, the first part of Taiwan's pledged donation of 100,000 masks per week, under a joint effort with the U.S. to fight the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.
• Pompeo thanks Taiwan for face mask donations CNA 09 Apr 2020 -- United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Taiwan Wednesday for its pledge to donate 2 million surgical face masks to his country and praised it as a global model for combating the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
• Taiwan to donate 6 million masks to countries in Asia, Europe, Americas CNA 09 Apr 2020 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday that Taiwan has launched another round of donations of surgical face masks to countries severely affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, including some listed in its New Southbound Policy, European nations, and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Taiwan adds three COVID-19 cases, totals at 379 People's Daily 09 Apr 2020 -- The total number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Taiwan has increased by three to 379, the island's epidemic monitoring agency said Wednesday.

Palestine

• Central lab in Gaza Strip runs out of supplies to process COVID-19 tests: Ministry warns Press TV 09 Apr 2020 -- The central laboratory in the besieged Gaza Strip has run out of necessary supplies to process COVID-19 tests, the Palestinian health ministry says, as the densely-populated enclave faces a race against time to contain the fast-growing pandemic.
• Gaza Strip Runs Out of COVID-19 Test Kits, Fueling Fears of Health Sector Collapse Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Palestinian health officials have been forced to halt COVID-19 novel coronavirus testing in the Gaza Strip after the area health ministry's test kit stocks ran dry earlier this week.

NATO

• Coronavirus response: Luxembourg support to Spain NATO 09 Apr 2020 -- Today (9 April 2020), 1.440 kilos of TYVEK material, donated by Luxembourg, arrived by road in Madrid (Spain). This is part of the ongoing collective effort by NATO Allies against the global pandemic of Corona virus.
• Coronavirus response: Turkey dispatches medical supplies to Allies and partners in the Balkans NATO 09 Apr 2020 -- An A-400M cargo plane of the Turkish Air Force carrying medical supplies donated by Turkey was dispatched to a number of Allies and partners in the Balkans region on Wednesday (8 April 2020).

Other Countries

• How Will The COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Global Food Supplies? Here's What We Know. RFE/RL 09 Apr 2020 -- That strawberry you're eating while self-isolating from the coronavirus? Chances are it came from a farm. Or it may have come from a large agricultural operation many, many kilometers away from your home, harvested by hand, possibly by migrant workers brought in from other towns, cities, or even countries.
• Coronavirus-driven debt crisis threatens poor countries already at risk, says UN report UN News 09 Apr 2020 -- As governments struggle to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of people living in countries teetering on the brink of economic collapse are being threatened further by a looming debt crisis, according to a new UN report released on Thursday.
• Syria asks Russia for help to combat COVID-19 Press TV 09 Apr 2020 -- Syria has officially asked for Russia's assistance to combat the spread of the COVID-19 disease in the Arab country, which is under rounds of crippling economic sanctions imposed by the United States.
• COVID-19: Montenegrin Detained Over Patient Data Release; Thousands Of Romanians Leave For Jobs In Germany RFE/RL 09 Apr 2020 -- The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 89,000 with more than 1.5 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
• Devout Kyrgyz Infecting Others With Coronavirus After Refusing To Self-Quarantine RFE/RL 09 Apr 2020 -- Police in Kyrgyzstan's northeastern Naryn Province are preparing charges against a man infected with the coronavirus who refused to self-quarantine and as a result is believed to have spread the virus to at least three other people.
• Djibouti records its first coronavirus death - ministry of health SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- Djibouti said on Thursday it had recorded its first coronavirus death, according to a statement tweeted by the Horn of African country's health ministry. The statement said the country now had 140 people infected with COVID-19, while 28 people had recovered, according to Reuters.
• OIC Holds Emergency Virtual Meeting on Combating Novel Coronavirus SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- The Steering Committee on Health (SCH) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held here today an emergency virtual meeting at the level of health ministers on novel Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
• Morocco records 71 new COVID-19 cases SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- The Moroccan Ministry of Health has announced 71 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1346.
• Indonesia Reports 337 Cases of Coronavirus SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- Indonesian Ministry of Health reported today 337 new cases of the novel Coronavirus COVID-19, bringing the total cases in the country to 3293 cases.
• Kuwait reports 55 new Coronavirus cases SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that 55 people were infected by the coronavirus, COVID-19, in the last 24 hours.
• Oman: 38 new cases of COVID-19 SPA 09 Apr 2020 -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced today the registration of (38) new positive cases with Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Sultanate of Oman. This brings the total number of positive COVID-19 cases to (457) in addition to two death cases.
• Venezuela Received From Russia Second Batch of Tests to Diagnose Coronavirus Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Venezuela has received from Russia a second batch of test systems to diagnose the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Russian Embassy in Caracas said.
• Botswana President, Cabinet Quarantined After COVID-19 Contact VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- A special Botswana parliamentary session called to discuss an extension of a state of emergency ended with all National Assembly members and the country's president being quarantined. All had contact with an infected health worker.
• Top Ugandan Officials Arrested in COVID-19 Purchasing Scandal VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Four top Ugandan government officials were arrested Thursday following reports they inflated COVID-19 relief food prices. Analysts say the government's swift response shows the importance it has attached to the crisis.
• South Sudan's Porous Borders Reduce COVID-19 Protective Measures VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Community leaders in South Sudan's Central Equatoria state say the government is undermining its own coronavirus prevention measures by allowing people to freely enter the country from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Top Brazilian Court Bars Defiant Bolsonaro From Easing Coronavirus Restrictions Sputnik 09 Apr 2020 -- Brazil's Supreme Court has barred President Jair Bolsonaro from loosening measures taken by state authorities to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
• Ecuador's president calls for inquiry into handling of virus victims' bodies VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno is calling for an investigation into the handling of the bodies of coronavirus victims, especially in Guayaquil, the epicenter of the country's outbreak.
• On The Front Line In Ukraine, Soldiers Brace To Fight A Silent, Deadly Enemy RFE/RL 09 Apr 2020 -- Ukraine's war-weary soldiers have fought a grinding trench war against Russia-backed forces for six years. By now, said Bohdan Petryk, a soldier in the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade based near the eastern city of Volnovakha, they know their enemy's tricks, they can sense when an assault is coming, and they know how to defend themselves.
• Malawi Electoral Commission Plans July Vote Despite Coronavirus VOA 09 Apr 2020 -- Malawi's Electoral Commission (MEC) says it is pushing ahead with voter registration for July's presidential election re-run, despite a government-ordered suspension because of the coronavirus.