Coronavirus updates As it happens (2020-08-18)
Sep 7, 2020
India overtakes Brazil with second highest number of coronavirus infections
India's Covid-19 tally of cases went past 4.2 million with a record 90,802 people being infected in a day to surpass Brazil and become the second worst-hit country after the United States.
India recorded more than 90,000 cases for the second consecutive day as the total number of deaths rose to 71,642.
Sep 7, 2020
Intensive care beds fill up around southern city of Marseille as Covid-19 spreads
The number of patients in intensive care beds in the area around France's second-largest city has more than doubled in less than a week and is reaching full capacity as vulnerable patients contact serious cases, hospital officials said Monday.
The coronavirus causing Covid-19 is circulating at a higher-than-average rate in Marseille and the surrounding Bouches-du-Rhone administrative department, where hospitals have seen a spike in serious cases over the past week, doctor and hospital official Dominique Rossi told media on Monday.
Sep 7, 2020
Australia strikes deals to roll out 85 million Covid-19 vaccine doses
Australia says it has struck deals that could see it roll out potential Covid-19 vaccines as early as January.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday his government has reached a deal that would see Australian biotechnology giant CSL manufacture two separate vaccines.
Sep 7, 2020
Takoradi Kidnappings: Court Adjourns Case After COVID-19 Hit Legal Aid Office
The Sekondi High Court today, September 7, adjourned Takoradi kidnapped/murdered girls' case due to COVID-19 infections at the Western Regional office of Legal Aid.
The court was expected to sit today to continue hearing witnesses’ accounts but had to adjourn to October 5, 2020, as one of the two defense counsel from Legal Aid, Mark Bosia, representing John Orji had gone into quarantine following a case of COVID-19 infection in his office.
Sep 7, 2020
The $150 Covid-19 Test Has Recorded Six Covid-19 Cases At KIA – Minister
Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, has justified the $150 Covid-19 test for passengers arriving at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
He indicated that six positive covid-19 cases have been recorded at the KIA with the help of the $150 Covid-19 test instituted by government.
Sep 7, 2020
French government considers reducing quarantine as Covid-19 epidemic accelerates
With nearly 25,000 new cases in three days, and deteriorating indicators, the Covid-19 epidemic is accelerating in France. Despite this worrying context, the French government is considering shortening the quarantine to one-week isolation.
After a peak of nearly 9,000 new cases on Friday, a record since the start of the epidemic and large-scale tests in France, about 8,500 cases were confirmed on Saturday and then just over 7,000 on Sunday, according to Santé Publique France.
Sep 7, 2020
Newmont Ghana Akyem Mines Supports New Abirem Government Hospital With COVID-19 Supplies
Newmont Ghana’s Akyem Mine has donated GHC 360,000 worth of medical supplies to the New Abirem Government Hospital to further support COVID-19 relief efforts in the mine’s host communities.
The donation included Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hospital equipment and consumables. The items included 270 boxes of assorted gloves, 100 coveralls, 100 packets of disposable gowns, 20 gumboots, 140 boxes of surgical and N95 nose masks, 150 pieces of rebreather face masks, 30 bottles of disinfectant, 1 automatic external defibrillator.
Sep 7, 2020
Tokyo Olympics will be the 'Games that conquered Covid', vows IOC boss
Tokyo will host the Olympic Games next year regardless of how the coronavirus pandemic plays out, the vice president of the International Olympics Committee has said.
Speaking to AFP, John Coates said the Tokyo Games would start “with or without Covid” on 23 July, 2021 adding that they would be the "Games that conquered Covid".
Sep 6, 2020
France moves seven more departments into Covid-19 'red zone'
French health authorities have put seven more departments, which include key hubs like Lille, Strasbourg and Dijon, on high alert as Covid-19 infections continue to rise nationwide.
Of France's 101 mainland and overseas departments, 28 are now considered "red zones" where authorities will be able to impose exceptional measures to slow the number of new coronavirus cases.
Sep 6, 2020
‘How we spent N31bn in 4 months to fight COVID-19’, FG replies SERAP, CODE
The Federal Government of Nigeria has disclosed that it “spent N30,540,563,571.09, representing 84% of the N36.3 billion public funds and donations received to respond to COVID-19 between 1st April, 2020 and 31st July, 2020, leaving the balance of N5.9 billion.”
The Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris stated this in response to the Freedom of Information request dated 10 August, 2020 and sent to him by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Connected Development (CODE).