World Leaders Urge Cooperation in Vaccine Hunt, Raise $8 Billion
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GLOBAL BACKLASH TNA SAYS PM’S MEETING CORONA AND TUESDAY BUILDS AGAINST CHINA NOT A SUBSTITUTE CURTAILED MAY 05, 2020 OVER CORONAVIRUS FOR RECONVENING HUMAN RIGHTS VOL: 4 - ISSUE 355 PARLIAMENT PAGE 02 HOT TOPICS GLOCAL PAGE 04 REALITY CHECK 30. PAGE 03 Registered in the Department of Posts of Sri Lanka under No: QD/146/News/2020 COVID-19 and curfew in Sri Lanka • Sri Lanka recorded its eighth COVID-19 death yester- day (4). The health ministry identified the deceased as a 72-year-old woman from the Polpithigama area in the Kurunegala District who had been receiving treatment at the Homagama hospital. The body was cremated at the Kotikawatta Crematorium following COVID-19 death pro- cedure. • Forteen people were confirmed as COVID-19 positive yesterday (4), taking Sri Lanka’s tally of the novel corona- virus infection to 732. 530 individuals are receiving treat- ment, 194 have been deemed completely recovered. • Police curfew in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kal- utara and Puttalam to continue until further notice. • Curfew relaxed from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in other dis- tricts to be re-imposed fully from 8:00 p.m. Wednesday (6) until 5:00 a.m. Monday (11). • Civilian life in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalu- tara and Puttalam to resume on Monday • The National Identity Card (NIC) numerical system, in- troduced for the public to be adhered whilst stepping out of the house for essential purpose, to effect from Monday. The system is to be applicable only for areas where the cur- few is in force. • Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said the govern- ment had not received any financial aid from foreign coun- tries for its COVID-19 campaign. • Dambulla police launch an investigation into the sudden death of a 23-year-old soldier from Pallepola at the Dam- bulla Bus Terminal. The soldier, attached to the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force at Kosgama, is purported to have been hospitalized and undergone treatment for epilepsy from April 16 to 30. • Those with suspected COVID-19 symptoms are urged to -FARSHAD USYAN / AFP call 1390 - emergency hotline- set up for free medical ad- vice and assistance, and to facilitate hospital admissions. Internally displaced families wait to receive the US government on February 29. The fight- Afghanistan, a country of 37 million people, has free aid during the Holy month of Ramadan in ing also defies an appeal from international aid recorded just 2,900 cases of COVID-19 and 90 a refugee camp on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sha- agencies for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds deaths but these low numbers are thought to be Coronavirus toll rif, Afghanistan yesterday (4). Clashes between to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. a reflection of low testing. Ongoing war, poverty, Taliban fighters and Afghan forces intensified in Health officials believe the contagious virus may poor healthcare and a large number of internal northern Balkh and southern Logar province as be circulating undetected in the country after a refugees all add up to make it one of the most ex- 247,503 deaths at warring sides fought to control checkpoints amid random sample of residents in the capital found posed countries to the virus on the planet. The an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in nearly a third were infected with the disease. The country has only 400-odd ventilators. Afghani- 1100 GMT yesterday Afghanistan. In recent weeks, the Taliban has at- prospect of widespread infection in a country stan has imposed bans on movement and gather- tacked several provinces, ignoring a pledge to re- where the health system has been shattered by ings to try to stop the spread of COVID-19, but PARIS - The novel coronavirus has killed at least 247,503 duce violence as part of a peace deal signed with war and low funding has alarmed health officials. the measures are being widely flouted people since the outbreak first emerged in China last De- cember, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT yesterday (4). More than 3,521,600 cases were registered in 195 coun- tries and territories. Of these, at least 1,073,568 are now World leaders urge cooperation in vaccine hunt, considered recovered. The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections. raise $8 billion Many countries are testing only the most serious cases. BRUSSELS - World leaders called powerful show of "global solidarity." much more would be needed, putting - fighting for re-election in Novem- The United States has the highest number of total deaths yesterday (4) for cooperation not Major European powers, along with the final sum required near 38 bil- ber - said Sunday (3) that the United with 67,682 out of 1,158,041 cases. At least 180,152 have competition in the quest for a coro- Japan and Canada, made the biggest lion euros. "These funds are a kind of States will have a coronavirus vac- been declared recovered. navirus vaccine, as they pledged 7.4 pledges from around 40 countries, down payment for the development cine ready by the end of the year. Italy has the second highest toll with 28,884 deaths out billion euros ($8.1 billion) at a fun- but there was no official US repre- of new tools at the speed needed," His prediction was met with scep- of 210,717 cases, followed by Britain with 28,446 deaths draising telethon snubbed by the sentation, weakening the event and Guterres told the conference. "But to ticism in some quarters, with Ger- from 186,599 cases, Spain 25,428 deaths and 218,011 cas- United States. raising the prospect of an uncoor- reach everyone everywhere we likely many's Health Minister Jens Spahn es and France with 24,895 deaths and 168,693 cases. COVID-19 has killed nearly a quar- dinated competition to develop and need five times that amount." warning it could take years for any- China - excluding Hong Kong and Macau - has to date ter of a million people around the produce a vaccine. In total around 40 countries, along one to develop a vaccine. declared 4,633 deaths and 82,880 cases. It has 77,766 re- world - 140,000 of them in Europe Some wealthy American individu- with UN and philanthropic bodies - While putting an upbeat gloss on covered cases. Europe has a total of 143,981 deaths from - and Ursula von der Leyen, head of als did take part, and pop star Ma- including the Bill and Melinda Gates the event in public, privately EU of- 1,562,776 cases, the United States and Canada have 71,456 the European Commission and the donna's million-dollar contribution Foundation - and research institutes ficials were disappointed the US did deaths and 1,217,515 cases, Latin America and the Car- host of the videoconference, said a was feted by EU officials. made donations. not take part. ibbean have 13,877 deaths and 257,988 cases, Asia has vaccine is the best chance of beating The conference narrowly missed But the initiative was undermined "The EU responded favourably to a 9,235 deaths and 244,381 cases, the Middle East has 7,025 the disease. its target of 7.5 billion euros - al- by the absence of the United States, call for global action, the US refused. deaths and 186,403 cases, Africa has 1,806 deaths from World Health Organization though a handful of contributors did with President Donald Trump in They are the ones who are isolating 44,391 cases, and Oceania 123 deaths from 8,153 cases. (WHO) chief TedrosAdhanom Ghe- not put a sum on their pledges - but open warfare with the WHO over its themselves," one official said. -AFP breyesus hailed the fundraising as a UN chief Antonio Guterres warned handling of the pandemic. Trump -AFP We are on the eve of a genocide’ Outrage after India asks migrants Trump administration models predicts Brazil urged to save Amazon tribes from COVID-19 to pay for train journey Near doubling of daily death RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil’s leaders lands to stop them importing an illness NEW DELHI - The Indian government has been criticized for must take immediate action to save that has killed more than 240,000 peo- charging stranded migrants, travelling by special trains to their toll by June the country’s indigenous peoples from ple around the world, including 6,750 home states, for the journey. Millions of workers in the informal sector were rendered job- a COVID-19 “genocide,” a global coali- in Brazil. WASHINGTON - As Presi- The numbers underscore less after businesses across the country were closed following the tion of artists, celebrities, scientists and “We are on the eve of a genocide,” dent Donald Trump presses for a sobering reality: While the implementation of a nationwide lockdown on March 25 in an at- intellectuals has said. Salgado, who has spent nearly four dec- states to reopen their econo- United States has been hun- tempt to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. In an open letter to the Brazilian ades documenting the Amazon and its mies, his administration is kered down for the past seven The first batch of migrants left the southern city of Hyderabad president, Jair Bolsonaro, figures in- inhabitants, told the Guardian. privately projecting a steady weeks, not much has changed. on May 1 for the eastern state of Jharkhand after the government cluding Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, Brad Even before COVID-19, Brazil’s in- rise in the number of cases and And the reopening to the econ- last week allowed special interstate trains and buses to transport Pitt, David Hockney and Paul McCa- digenous peoples were locked in what deaths from the coronavirus omy will make matters worse.