International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
Luxembourg on Saturday announced its first case of infection by the new coronavirus: a man who recently returned from Italy, Health Minister Paulette Lenert told reporters. The man in his 40s returned to Luxembourg “at the beginning of the week” and, after “more recently” exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, had a test that confirmed the disease, she
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was ready to aid Iran with its outbreak of novel coronavirus if the country asked for assistance. “If we can help the Iranians with this problem, we are certainly willing to do so… All they have to do is ask. We will have great professionals over there,” Trump
The first fatality from the novel coronavirus has been confirmed on US soil, as President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Americans not to panic. Health officials said the man who died in Washington state was one of a handful with no known links to global hot zones to have contracted the virus — indicating that
US health officials on Friday reported a third case of the new coronavirus transmitted to a person who did not travel overseas or come in contact with anyone known to be ill, indicating the disease was spreading in the country. Authorities said the new case concerned a person living in the western state of Oregon.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health today announced the country’s 42nd confirmed COVID-19 case, as health officials attempt to trace his family, colleagues and anyone else with whom the patient has been in recent contact, so they can be screened. Public health permanent secretary Dr. Sukhum Kanchanapimai said that the new patient is a 21-year old
Thailand’s Disease Control Department has stepped up efforts to locate some of the passengers who travelled on flight XJ621, from Japan’s Sapporo to Bangkok, on February 20th, because 2 of their fellow passengers are now confirmed infected with the COVID-19 virus. It is important that the passengers make contact as soon as possible, so they
The coronavirus epidemic in Iran has cost 26 lives, the health ministry announced Thursday, with a vice president becoming the latest top official to be infected as the spread appeared to accelerate. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a news conference that the tally of infections had risen to 245 with 106 more cases confirmed
Saudi Arabia on Thursday suspended visas for pilgrims wishing to visit Mecca over coronavirus fears, the foreign ministry said. The government is “suspending entry to the Kingdom for the purpose of Umrah and visiting the Prophet’s Mosque temporarily”, the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at
Iran’s deputy health minister has been infected with the new coronavirus, a ministry official said on Tuesday, amid a major outbreak in the Islamic republic. “The coronavirus test for Mr Harirchi, the deputy health minister who was on the front lines combating the coronavirus, was positive,” Alireza Vahabzadeh, a media adviser to the health minister,
Thailand’s National Committee for the Control Infectious Diseases has decided to designate COVID-19 as a dangerous infectious disease, as a precautionary measure to prevent further spread. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said, after the committee’s meeting, that the COVID-19 situation in Thailand has not yet reached the level that warrants Stage 3 escalation, but the
The National Committee to Control Infectious Diseases is expected to upgrade Thailand’s preparedness to cope with COVID-19 to Stage 3, as a strengthened precautionary measure to prevent the further spread of the disease. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnviral, in his capacity as chair of the committee, said that he expects the committee, at the meeting