COVID-19 Live Updates
Mar 16, 2020
Coronavirus: Churches Welcome Akufo-Addo's Directive
Churches in Ghana are enforcing the ban on religious activities in the country.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference, Methodist Church, Ghana, Seventh-Day Adventist Churches among other religious institutions have suspended church activities in response to the directive given by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
While addressing the nation on Sunday, March 15, 2020, President Akufo-Addo announced new public gathering advisories to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Mar 16, 2020
Coronavirus: NIA Refuses To Abort Ghana Card Registration
The National Identification Authority (NIA) says it will continue with the Ghana Card registration despite the misgivings from some of its officers of the novel coronavirus.
The NIA has released guidelines for its officers in line with the government’s new directives on public gatherings to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in Ghana.
Ghana has so far recorded six cases of coronavirus.
Some NIA officers who had reached out to Citi News anonymously expressed concern about the absence of protective measures.
Mar 16, 2020
France to mobilise 100,000 police to enforce lockdown
France will deploy 100,000 police officers to ensure that people abide by restrictions on movement to avoid the spread of coronavirus, its interior minister has said.
Christophe Castaner said people who venture outside their homes will have to justify their reason for doing so.
Speaking at a news conference, he said people may be fined if they break the rules.
Exceptions will be made in some circumstances, including for travel between home and work, Mr Castaner said.
"Too many people still disregard the health instructions given," Mr Castaner said.
His announcement comes after French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a series of drastic new measures designed to stem the spread of coronavirus.
From Tuesday, people should stay at home unless they are buying groceries, travelling to work, exercising or seeking medical care, Mr Macron said.
Mar 16, 2020
Russia bans entry to foreigners until May
Russia has temporarily banned all foreigners from entering the country, following other nations worldwide in restricting travel over the coronavirus pandemic.
The ban will come into effect on 18 March and will remain in place until 1 May, the government said on Monday.
Exceptions will be made for diplomats and permanent residents. Some 93 cases of the virus have been reported so far in Russia.
Russia has been accused of spreading disinformation about the new coronavirus outbreak on social media. It has flatly denied those allegations.
It has also been slow compared to other countries in starting testing. This has led to speculation that the real number of cases is much higher than reported.
Russia's government says up to 100,000 testing kits are being produced daily to start testing in large numbers.
Mar 16, 2020
Postponing US elections 'unnecessary', Trump says
President Trump has rebuffed growing calls for US elections to be postponed, calling such a move "unnecessary".
Four US states - Ohio, Illinois, Florida and Arizona - are scheduled to host primaries for the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday.
Ohio’s Republican governor Mike DeWine has said he will file a lawsuit to postpone the election in his state until 2 June, 2020.
In his news conference at the White House, Mr Trump did not seem open to the suggestion of postponement.
"Postponing elections is not a very good thing," Mr Trump said. "I think postponing is unnecessary."
He suggested elections could be held safely by "spreading people out".
“They have lots of room in lots of electoral places,” Mr Trump said.
President Trump said postponing US elections would be "unnecessary" - Getty Image
Mar 16, 2020
The Netherlands in lockdown deomonstrates Dutch priorities: hoarding cannabis
On Sunday, the Dutch cabinet announced, after a weekend of discussion, that from March 16 through April 6, schools, restaurants bars and clubs will have to close. This also includes the world-famous coffee shops, better known for their provision of cannabis. Soon after the announcement, long queues formed with people hunting to stock up on dope.
Mar 16, 2020
Coronavirus spreads to Tanzania, Somalia, as East Africa goes into lockdown
Tanzania and Somalia became the latest East African countries on Monday to confirm their first coronavirus cases, as neighbouring countries shut borders and schools amid fears of contagion.
A 46-year-old Tanzanian woman tested positive for the illness after returning from Belgium on 15 March, where she had been staying with a relative sick coronavirus.
Mar 16, 2020
European Union to shut borders - Macron
In his press conference just now, the French president announced that the European Union would be closing its external borders on Tuesday.
We knew this drastic measure was set to be discussed by the EU's 27 leaders but were not expecting Mr Macron to announce it this evening.
It remains unclear if all states have formally agreed to it.
Earlier, the EU Commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen said she was proposing temporary restriction on "non-essential travel to the EU" for an initial period of 30 days.
She said EU citizens and long-term residents and their family members would be exempt, along with workers who commute across borders, those delivering goods and those involved in the fight against the coronavirus.
The UK government would not be obliged to apply the ban, and UK citizens would not be affected by it, says the BBC's Brussels correspondent Adam Fleming.
The UK has left the EU but is currently in a transition period.
Several EU states including Germany and Spain have already announced border closures with EU neighbours.
Mar 16, 2020
US recession could be on horizon - Trump
President Trump has said the US could be heading for a recession due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Reporters at the White House press conference are deliberately putting empty seats between them, in a social distancing effort.
The US government has faced strong criticism for its slow pace of testing. Mr Trump said that before instituting mass testing, South Korea had experienced "tremendous problems and great numbers of death".
"This is something that is an invisible enemy," he said, adding that there was now a cross-party effort to fight it.
"My focus is on getting rid of this problem. This virus problem. After that everything else is going to fall into place."
"We're gonna back the airlines 100 percent. It's not their fault its nobody's fault," he continued, but added: "Unless you go to the regional source."
Mar 16, 2020
Coronavirus: Akufo-Addo Urges Pharmaceutical Industry To Help Fight Spread
President Akufo-Addo has urged members of the pharmaceutical industry to help the government fight the spread of the coronavirus.
The president who described the situation as a crisis says all hands must be on deck to help the country fight this novel disease.