Coronavirus updates As it happens (2020-10-08)
Oct 14, 2020
Detention Of Ghanaians Unable To Pay COVID-19 Testing Fees Is Kidnapping — Kofi Kapito Threatens Law Suit
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Consumer Protection Agency, Kofi Kapito says government and its agencies responsible for COVID-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport must immediately desist from detaining people who are unable to pay the testing fees at the airport.
In a statement copied to Citi News, Mr. Kapito said such detentions are “unlawful” and “tantamount to kidnapping.”
Oct 14, 2020
Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, closed by Covid, back in business after 70 days
Turkey claims to have one of Europe's lowest Covid-19 mortality rates. The Turkish government is, as a result, rapidly easing restrictions. The reopening of Istanbul's world-famous Grand Bazaar is one of the most dramatic signs of the country's determination to get back to business.
The ancient green doors of the Grand Bazaar, which have welcomed customers for over five hundred years, are again open after 70 days of closure.
Oct 14, 2020
Macron under pressure to clarify Covid-19 strategy in televised interview
French President Emmanuel Macron was to outline and clarify his government's strategy for dealing with a surging wave of Covid-19 infections during a televised interview on Wednesday evening, the first time the public will hear him speak at length about the epidemic since July.
Macron will speak with two journalists for about 45 minutes in a televised interview in the Elysée presidential palace Wednesday evening, his first long intervention since a similar interview on the 14 July national holiday.
Oct 14, 2020
New year's French Agricultural Fair cancelled over Covid-19 fears
The 2021 Salon de l'Agriculture, one of the showpiece events of the French farming calendar, has been cancelled because of the continuing spread of coronavirus.
While there'll be no public show of agricultural produce at the Paris exhibition centre, originally scheduled to run between 27 February and 7 March next, the traditional competitions will be maintained in all categories.
Oct 14, 2020
Thousands sign up for Covid-19 vaccine clinical trials in France
In less than ten days, 25,000 volunteers have signed up to be part of the Covid-19 vaccine testing programme coordinated by France's medical research facility Inserm.The recruitment drive is the first of its kind ever launched on such as scale in France and will open the way to testing before the end of 2020.
Since enrollments started on 1st October, 25,000 people have signed up via the online platform known as 'Covireivac', coordinated by France's medical research body Inserm.
Oct 14, 2020
World Bank approves $12 bln for Covid-19 vaccines
The World Bank said Tuesday that it approved $12 billion for developing countries to finance the purchase and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatment.
The financing "aims to support vaccination of up to a billion people," the bank said in a statement.
Oct 14, 2020
Dale Vince: Coronavirus And Climate Crisis Are Consequences Of Energy, Transport And Food
Dale Vince, the chairman of Forest Green Rovers football club has stated that coronavirus and the climate crisis are consequences of how humans produce energy, transport themselves, and consume food.
Speaking at the first edition of the Sport Positive Summit (virtual) held from October(1-2), Dale Vince said: “Three out of four zoonotic viruses come straight out of factory farms, so it’s caused by our diets. It was exacerbated by the rate at which we fly around the world in a crazy fashion, and the mortality rate of the virus was exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels – you are at much more risk of death if you’ve been exposed to air pollution. Studies have shown that."
Oct 13, 2020
Gov't Orders NCCE To Return 25 Vehicles Meant For Covid-19 Campaign
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) says government has ordered the commission to return 25 of its 50 vehicles meant for the COVID-19 safety campaign.
The commission in June 2020 received 50 Isuzu vehicles from the government to support its public education campaign on COVID-19.
Oct 13, 2020
Reboot on the way for France's failed coronavirus tracking app
France is to reboot its StopCovid contact tracing app, which has proved a failure since going live four months ago, while coronavirus infections across the country continue to hit record highs.
In an interview with France Info this week, Prime Minister Jean Castex revealed the government was working on a “new version” of the tracking tool, to be rolled out during school holidays on 22 October.
Oct 13, 2020
French departments call for delay of March 2021 poll due to Covid-19
The leaders of seven administrative departments across France are calling for the government to postpone departmental elections set for next March due to the Covid-19 epidemic. They feel it is inappropriate to begin campaigning while managing a national health crisis.
In France there are two levels of governance between municipal and national: departmental and regional.