The US notched over 57,800 COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours. The cases are surging even as many hard-hit countries are easing lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the virus while making extensive alterations to work and social life that could last for a year or more until a vaccine is available.

Four major US states witness record surge in COVID-19 cases

Dear President Xi,

Hope this finds you well and safe from the ravages of the virus you’ve gifted us. You’ll appreciate that thanks are not in order and shall not be extended. Suffice to say, we’re doing the best we can, given the soup, a&nbsp;certain kind of soup has landed us in. This has been the most unsavoury business in a century and might I add that your conduct isn’t helping at all. &nbsp;

The pandemic was bad enough, and for a while, at least in the beginning, the world seemed prepared to concede that it may not have been entirely your fault. But you did not play a straight bat, if you know what I mean, and now find yourself on a sticky wicket. Play wisely now, dear Sir, or you shall be out.

If I may be so impertinent to suggest that the first thing you must do is give your advisors the marching orders, preferably not towards any border towns, as you may have already realized the futility of such ill-advised adventures. Your courtiers have not been telling you the truth, not even a close estimation of it. Quite the contrary, in fact. They’ve led you to believe that China is at the centre of the world and your wish is the world’s command. I’m afraid that’s not the case, and fervently hope it never is.&nbsp;

In keeping with our neighbourly duties, we at WION decided to apprise you of the cracks appearing in your propaganda walls, and forewarn you about your roof leaking with falsehoods. Our forthrightness seems to have not agreed with your team for they have now blocked us. While we suffered your intrusions into our borders, our phones, our homes, even our Diwali decorations in the spirit of neighbourly forbearance, your blocking of our channel was most unbecoming and graceless. Nonetheless, all’s not lost and you’re in luck that you’re dealing with the land of Buddha where people are blessed with the faculty of immense patience.&nbsp;

So let me start by introducing you to the concept of free speech. Fret not, it may be new to you and may take a while to understand, but once you do you shall find yourself discovering its joys. Free speech operates on the principle that every human being, Communist or otherwise, Han Chinese or Uighur Chinese, has the right to say what he or she thinks. It often involves thoughts that you’d much rather not be acquainted with, or in your particular case would want to erase any traces of. Free speech has its advantages, like rendering water canons and the security law in Hong Kong redundant. Imagine the possibilities!

It is on the concept of free speech that a free press works. It tells you stories, ideally based on facts, that your deputies won’t. Blocking it is a disservice to yourself and your people. You’ve boxed yourself in an echo chamber of yes-men; I imagine it can be frustrating, an existence devoid of varied opinion, emotion and vigour. Your belligerence betrays this frustration. So as the first sign of making amends, which our persistent hope is that you want to, you must unblock WION.&nbsp;

Mr President, you like to show the world that you’re an avid reader of the classics. Why, you share reading lists comprising Greek, French, German and Russian writers, which people in China dutifully like! As a teenager working in the poor yellow earth of Northern Shaanxi, you were reportedly obsessed by the Shakespearean question “to be, or not to be.” I urge you to ask yourself that question again and decide not to be the leader who goes down in history as the one who led his country to ruin to fulfill his ambition, and satiate his hunger for power and land. May I recommend a reading of the Bhagwad Gita to douse your lust for what doesn’t belong to you. You had a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the largest country in the world, but your greed is whittling it away, one dispute at a time.&nbsp;

I’m not holding my breath for you to see the point I’m making, but I’ll be none the worse for trying to make you see it.&nbsp;

Sincerely, 
Palki Sharma&nbsp; 
Executive Editor,&nbsp; 
WION - WORLD IS ONE

Dear President Xi, Hope this finds you well and safe from the ravages of the virus you’ve gifted us. You’ll appreciate that thanks are not in order and shall not be extended.

Dear President Xi, Hope this finds you well and safe from the ravages of the virus you’ve gifted us. You’ll appreciate that thanks are not in order and shall not be extended. Suffice to say, we’re doing the best we can, given the soup, a certain kind of soup has landed us in. This has been the most unsavoury business in a century and might I add that your conduct isn’t helping at all. The pandemic was bad enough, and for a while, at least in the beginning, the world seemed prepared to concede that it may not have been entirely your fault. But you did not play a straight bat, if you know what I mean, and now find yourself on a sticky wicket. Play wisely now, dear Sir, or you shall be out. If I may be so impertinent to suggest that the first thing you must do is give your advisors the marching orders, preferably not towards any border towns, as you may have already realized the futility of such ill-advised adventures. Your courtiers have not been telling you the truth, not even a close estimation of it. Quite the contrary, in fact. They’ve led you to believe that China is at the centre of the world and your wish is the world’s command. I’m afraid that’s not the case, and fervently hope it never is. In keeping with our neighbourly duties, we at WION decided to apprise you of the cracks appearing in your propaganda walls, and forewarn you about your roof leaking with falsehoods. Our forthrightness seems to have not agreed with your team for they have now blocked us. While we suffered your intrusions into our borders, our phones, our homes, even our Diwali decorations in the spirit of neighbourly forbearance, your blocking of our channel was most unbecoming and graceless. Nonetheless, all’s not lost and you’re in luck that you’re dealing with the land of Buddha where people are blessed with the faculty of immense patience. So let me start by introducing you to the concept of free speech. Fret not, it may be new to you and may take a while to understand, but once you do you shall find yourself discovering its joys. Free speech operates on the principle that every human being, Communist or otherwise, Han Chinese or Uighur Chinese, has the right to say what he or she thinks. It often involves thoughts that you’d much rather not be acquainted with, or in your particular case would want to erase any traces of. Free speech has its advantages, like rendering water canons and the security law in Hong Kong redundant. Imagine the possibilities! It is on the concept of free speech that a free press works. It tells you stories, ideally based on facts, that your deputies won’t. Blocking it is a disservice to yourself and your people. You’ve boxed yourself in an echo chamber of yes-men; I imagine it can be frustrating, an existence devoid of varied opinion, emotion and vigour. Your belligerence betrays this frustration. So as the first sign of making amends, which our persistent hope is that you want to, you must unblock WION. Mr President, you like to show the world that you’re an avid reader of the classics. Why, you share reading lists comprising Greek, French, German and Russian writers, which people in China dutifully like! As a teenager working in the poor yellow earth of Northern Shaanxi, you were reportedly obsessed by the Shakespearean question “to be, or not to be.” I urge you to ask yourself that question again and decide not to be the leader who goes down in history as the one who led his country to ruin to fulfill his ambition, and satiate his hunger for power and land. May I recommend a reading of the Bhagwad Gita to douse your lust for what doesn’t belong to you. You had a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the largest country in the world, but your greed is whittling it away, one dispute at a time. I’m not holding my breath for you to see the point I’m making, but I’ll be none the worse for trying to make you see it. Sincerely, Palki Sharma Executive Editor, WION - WORLD IS ONE

An open letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping

Spain will approve a new package of measures worth around 50 billion euros ($56.41 billion) aimed at boosting companies’ investment capacity and solvency to help revive the country’s coronavirus-battered economy, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told private news channel La Sexta.

Spain to approve $56.41 billion package to boost companies

Watch today in 'WION In Focus': Some stories related to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

WION In Focus: Some stories related to coronavirus pandemic | COVID-19 | Coronavirus News

In the wake of the latest surge in the coronavirus cases in the United States, Facebook said it will remind users to wear masks to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US, we're putting an alert at the top of Facebook and Instagram to remind everyone to wear face coverings," the company said in a statement. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebooks-avatars-allows-users-in-india-to-create-own-digital-profile-309831">Also Read: Facebook's Avatars allows users in India to create own digital profile</a>

The social media platform will also include additional prevention tips and links to public health agencies in its COVID-19 Information Center.

Joining the chorus, Twitter too encouraged users to wear face masks with a sarcastic tweet. Twitter said the feature, which would allow users to edit their tweets, will be rolled out once everyone starts wearing face masks. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/read-before-retweeting-twitter-aims-to-limit-sharing-unread-articles-307770">Also Read: Read before retweeting: Twitter aims to limit sharing unread articles</a> 
 
"You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask," said a tweet from the official Twitter account,

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask
— Twitter (@Twitter) <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1278763679421431809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 2,679,230 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 54,357 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 725 to 128,024.

Meanwhile, India’s coronavirus infections surpassed 600,000 on Thursday, with 17,834 deaths. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

In the wake of the latest surge in the coronavirus cases in the United States, Facebook said it will remind users to wear masks to contain the spread of coronavirus.

In the wake of the latest surge in the coronavirus cases in the United States, Facebook said it will remind users to wear masks to contain the spread of coronavirus. "With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US, we're putting an alert at the top of Facebook and Instagram to remind everyone to wear face coverings," the company said in a statement. Also Read: Facebook's Avatars allows users in India to create own digital profile The social media platform will also include additional prevention tips and links to public health agencies in its COVID-19 Information Center. Joining the chorus, Twitter too encouraged users to wear face masks with a sarcastic tweet. Twitter said the feature, which would allow users to edit their tweets, will be rolled out once everyone starts wearing face masks. Also Read: Read before retweeting: Twitter aims to limit sharing unread articles "You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask," said a tweet from the official Twitter account, You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask — Twitter (@Twitter) July 2, 2020 × The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 2,679,230 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 54,357 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 725 to 128,024. Meanwhile, India’s coronavirus infections surpassed 600,000 on Thursday, with 17,834 deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook, Twitter encourage people to wear masks

After days of record spikes in new COVID-19 cases in the United States, Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that it "is way beyond the worst spikes that we have seen."

United States records more than 53,000 COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

By Andrew Preston

The world has been worried about pandemic diseases for many years. Before COVID-19, attention was focused on influenza viruses as the most likely cause. A recent paper reminds us that the threat from flu remains very real. It reports that a swine flu virus is circulating in China that has the potential for pandemic spread in humans. This sounds highly alarming, but just how worried should we be?

There are millions of cases of flu each year, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. These are caused by “seasonal” or type B influenza viruses. There are also other types of flu viruses that are harboured by animals, notably the type A viruses of birds. Thankfully, most of these infect humans poorly. But as they are different from the seasonal viruses, humans have no or little existing immunity to them.

So a type A virus that acquires the ability to readily infect humans and transmit between us will rip through our population, leading to a pandemic in much the same way that SARS-CoV-2 has done. The Spanish flu of 1918, which caused an estimated 50 million deaths, demonstrates why pandemic influenza viruses have been the focus of the World Health Organization and governments around the world.

How type A viruses can infect humans 
 
Influenza viruses infect respiratory cells by binding to a specific receptor on the cells’ surface. Humans and birds have different versions of this receptor, which means avian flu viruses bind poorly to human cells. This is why infectivity in humans is low.

However, flu viruses can readily exchange segments of their genetic material (in a process known as reassortment) if two different viruses infect the same cell. This can create novel flu viruses with combined characteristics of their parents. It’s feared that a reassorted virus could combine the great harmfulness of some bird viruses with high infectivity for humans – a potentially devastating combination.

And it’s pigs that may make this possible. Their respiratory cells contain both versions of the receptor mentioned before, making them susceptible to a wide range of flu viruses. This means they’re the most likely host in which reassortment occurs. Because of this, there’s an extensive global surveillance network for identifying novel and potentially dangerous flu viruses. And that’s what this recent paper has found that swine influenza viruses have emerged in China that display many of the features we’d anticipate potentially pandemic strains having.

Ferrets help show the danger of these new viruses

Among viruses isolated from pigs in China between 2011 and 2018, six distinct types were identified. In 2011, the predominant viruses were variants of the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus. Subsequent viruses bore the hallmarks of arising from reassortment.

In particular, one type (referred to as G4) was first detected in samples taken in 2013, and by 2018 had become the dominant and only type isolated. This coincided with an apparent increase in respiratory disease in pigs, suggesting that an original G4 virus had become particularly well adapted to infecting pigs, and had largely replaced other swine flu viruses in China, giving rise to the series of problematic G4 viruses now in circulation.

Tests of the potential for human infection by G4 viruses produced worrying results. Ferrets have similar patterns of receptors to humans, display similar influenza disease to humans and can transmit influenza viruses between themselves. This makes them a good model for studying the potential effects of a flu virus in people.

When tested, the G4 viruses caused more severe disease in ferrets than the other types tested, and also were readily transmitted by both direct contact and respiratory droplets. This shows that the G4 viruses have the potential to cause severe disease in humans and spread readily between us.

The authors then tested whether antibodies that recognise flu viruses that have caused disease in humans in recent years – including those generated in response to a recent version of a flu vaccine – would recognise the G4 viruses. They did not, suggesting that the human population has little to no pre-existing immunity to these viruses.

How worried should we be?

Blood samples from swine farmworkers (who have close and regular contact with pigs) and from the wider population were then tested for the presence of antibodies that recognise the G4 viruses. Surprisingly, 10% of samples from farmworkers, and about 4% of samples from the general population, contained such antibodies. This suggests that G4 viruses have already been infecting humans. It was noted that the frequency of positive samples, and thus the frequency of infection, had increased in recent years.

So, G4 viruses appear to have all the traits we fear for a potentially pandemic virus – efficient binding to and replication in human respiratory cells, high virulence and transmission in the ferret model, and lack of existing immunity from other flu viruses or vaccines. However, the apparently unnoticed yet significant level of infection in swine workers and others suggest that, at the moment, these viruses do not generally cause severe disease or spread readily. But they may represent viruses already highly adapted to infecting humans, that only require minor adaptations for the frequent human-human spread and/or increased severity. They do appear to be a cause for real concern.

While most pandemic response planning has been centred on flu, COVID-19 has shown the need to broaden that planning. This paper is a timely reminder that perhaps even before COVID-19 has been conquered, the need for more robust planning for the next pandemic should begin. Extreme events are often described as once in a lifetime. We can’t afford to treat pandemics that way. Sars, Mers, H1N1 and now COVID-19 have all emerged in the last 20 years, demonstrating that pandemic viruses arise with alarming regularity, and are likely to continue to do so.

(Andrew Preston is Reader in Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-swine-flu-going-to-be-the-next-pandemic-141825">the original article)</a> &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By Andrew Preston The world has been worried about pandemic diseases for many years. Before COVID-19, attention was focused on influenza viruses as the most likely cause.

By Andrew Preston The world has been worried about pandemic diseases for many years. Before COVID-19, attention was focused on influenza viruses as the most likely cause. A recent paper reminds us that the threat from flu remains very real. It reports that a swine flu virus is circulating in China that has the potential for pandemic spread in humans. This sounds highly alarming, but just how worried should we be? There are millions of cases of flu each year, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. These are caused by “seasonal” or type B influenza viruses. There are also other types of flu viruses that are harboured by animals, notably the type A viruses of birds. Thankfully, most of these infect humans poorly. But as they are different from the seasonal viruses, humans have no or little existing immunity to them. So a type A virus that acquires the ability to readily infect humans and transmit between us will rip through our population, leading to a pandemic in much the same way that SARS-CoV-2 has done. The Spanish flu of 1918, which caused an estimated 50 million deaths, demonstrates why pandemic influenza viruses have been the focus of the World Health Organization and governments around the world. How type A viruses can infect humans Influenza viruses infect respiratory cells by binding to a specific receptor on the cells’ surface. Humans and birds have different versions of this receptor, which means avian flu viruses bind poorly to human cells. This is why infectivity in humans is low. However, flu viruses can readily exchange segments of their genetic material (in a process known as reassortment) if two different viruses infect the same cell. This can create novel flu viruses with combined characteristics of their parents. It’s feared that a reassorted virus could combine the great harmfulness of some bird viruses with high infectivity for humans – a potentially devastating combination. And it’s pigs that may make this possible. Their respiratory cells contain both versions of the receptor mentioned before, making them susceptible to a wide range of flu viruses. This means they’re the most likely host in which reassortment occurs. Because of this, there’s an extensive global surveillance network for identifying novel and potentially dangerous flu viruses. And that’s what this recent paper has found that swine influenza viruses have emerged in China that display many of the features we’d anticipate potentially pandemic strains having. Ferrets help show the danger of these new viruses Among viruses isolated from pigs in China between 2011 and 2018, six distinct types were identified. In 2011, the predominant viruses were variants of the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus. Subsequent viruses bore the hallmarks of arising from reassortment. In particular, one type (referred to as G4) was first detected in samples taken in 2013, and by 2018 had become the dominant and only type isolated. This coincided with an apparent increase in respiratory disease in pigs, suggesting that an original G4 virus had become particularly well adapted to infecting pigs, and had largely replaced other swine flu viruses in China, giving rise to the series of problematic G4 viruses now in circulation. Tests of the potential for human infection by G4 viruses produced worrying results. Ferrets have similar patterns of receptors to humans, display similar influenza disease to humans and can transmit influenza viruses between themselves. This makes them a good model for studying the potential effects of a flu virus in people. When tested, the G4 viruses caused more severe disease in ferrets than the other types tested, and also were readily transmitted by both direct contact and respiratory droplets. This shows that the G4 viruses have the potential to cause severe disease in humans and spread readily between us. The authors then tested whether antibodies that recognise flu viruses that have caused disease in humans in recent years – including those generated in response to a recent version of a flu vaccine – would recognise the G4 viruses. They did not, suggesting that the human population has little to no pre-existing immunity to these viruses. How worried should we be? Blood samples from swine farmworkers (who have close and regular contact with pigs) and from the wider population were then tested for the presence of antibodies that recognise the G4 viruses. Surprisingly, 10% of samples from farmworkers, and about 4% of samples from the general population, contained such antibodies. This suggests that G4 viruses have already been infecting humans. It was noted that the frequency of positive samples, and thus the frequency of infection, had increased in recent years. So, G4 viruses appear to have all the traits we fear for a potentially pandemic virus – efficient binding to and replication in human respiratory cells, high virulence and transmission in the ferret model, and lack of existing immunity from other flu viruses or vaccines. However, the apparently unnoticed yet significant level of infection in swine workers and others suggest that, at the moment, these viruses do not generally cause severe disease or spread readily. But they may represent viruses already highly adapted to infecting humans, that only require minor adaptations for the frequent human-human spread and/or increased severity. They do appear to be a cause for real concern. While most pandemic response planning has been centred on flu, COVID-19 has shown the need to broaden that planning. This paper is a timely reminder that perhaps even before COVID-19 has been conquered, the need for more robust planning for the next pandemic should begin. Extreme events are often described as once in a lifetime. We can’t afford to treat pandemics that way. Sars, Mers, H1N1 and now COVID-19 have all emerged in the last 20 years, demonstrating that pandemic viruses arise with alarming regularity, and are likely to continue to do so. (Andrew Preston is Reader in Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Is swine flu going to be the next pandemic?

By Sanjaya Senanayake

It is now almost six months since the world became aware of COVID-19, and almost four months since the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic.

As the number of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus grows, so does our knowledge of how it spreads, how it affects the body, and the range of symptoms it causes.

Here are some of the unusual things we’ve learned about the coronavirus along the way.

1. It affects how your blood clots

Many inflammatory diseases, including infections, are associated with an increased risk of developing blood clots. However, COVID-19 is more strongly associated with blood clots than many other infections.

If blood clots are large enough, they can block the flow of blood through a blood vessel. This in turn leads to the part of the body the blood vessel supplies being starved of oxygen.

If this happens in a coronary artery, which supplies blood to your heart, it can cause a heart attack. In the lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism. In the brain, it can cause a stroke, which we have seen even in young people with COVID-19 but no other risk factors.

Critically ill COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU) are particularly at risk of blood clots.

One study found 49% of patients were affected, mainly with clots to the lungs. Other studies found 20-30% of critically ill COVID-19 patients had blood clots.

These rates are much higher than we’d expect to see in patients admitted to ICU for other reasons.

Worryingly, clots occur in COVID-19 patients despite using standard preventative measures such as blood-thinning drugs.

2. You can lose your sense of smell 
 
We now know COVID-19, like other viral infections, can lead to anosmia, or losing your sense of smell.

In one study, it affected about 5% of patients in hospital with COVID-19. But some people with the only very mild disease say they’ve suddenly lost their smell, before regaining it.

Anosmia has now been added to the list of possible COVID-19 symptoms.

Anyone who’s had a regular cold knows nasal congestion can affect your sense of smell. But COVID-19 is different. People can lose their smell without a runny or blocked nose.

Perhaps the virus latches onto receptors in the lining of the nose before entering the cells. We know these ACE2 receptors are how the virus enters other parts of the body, including the lungs.

Some people with COVID-19 who lose their sense of smell also report a reduction or loss of their sense of taste.

3. It can trigger serious inflammatory disease in kids 
 
Another unusual feature is how little COVID-19 appears to have affected children, compared with many other respiratory infections.

However, doctors in Europe and the UK, who have seen larger numbers of COVID-19 in children, have noticed an unusual but serious inflammatory condition in children with the virus. This is known as “multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children”, or MIS-C.

In studies from the UK, Italy and France, most of the children with this serious condition likely had COVID-19 in the past.

Symptoms vary. But the main ones include fever, rash and gut symptoms (vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea). Some children develop heart complications.

These symptoms generally resemble other conditions such as Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome.

Researchers think it’s not the virus itself that is responsible for MIS-C. Instead, they think it’s the body’s immune response to the virus, perhaps long after being infected.

4. It can travel from humans to animals and back again 
 
At the start of the pandemic, we believed SARS-CoV-2 originated from animals before spreading into humans. However, we were unsure if the virus could travel back into animals, perhaps infecting our pets.

We now know humans can transmit COVID-19 to domestic or captive animals, such as dogs, cats and even tigers.

In the Netherlands, there have been outbreaks in animals at several mink farms. Researchers believe an infected worker introduced the virus to the farms. The mink developed viral pneumonia, which spread among the animals.

Sick mink then reportedly infected two people – the first documented case of animal-to-human transmission after the virus originated in China. 
 
(Sanjaya Senanayake is Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Physician, Australian National University) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/4-unusual-things-weve-learned-about-the-coronavirus-since-the-start-of-the-pandemic-140168">original article)</a> &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By Sanjaya Senanayake It is now almost six months since the world became aware of COVID-19, and almost four months since the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic.

By Sanjaya Senanayake It is now almost six months since the world became aware of COVID-19, and almost four months since the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic. As the number of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus grows, so does our knowledge of how it spreads, how it affects the body, and the range of symptoms it causes. Here are some of the unusual things we’ve learned about the coronavirus along the way. 1. It affects how your blood clots Many inflammatory diseases, including infections, are associated with an increased risk of developing blood clots. However, COVID-19 is more strongly associated with blood clots than many other infections. If blood clots are large enough, they can block the flow of blood through a blood vessel. This in turn leads to the part of the body the blood vessel supplies being starved of oxygen. If this happens in a coronary artery, which supplies blood to your heart, it can cause a heart attack. In the lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism. In the brain, it can cause a stroke, which we have seen even in young people with COVID-19 but no other risk factors. Critically ill COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU) are particularly at risk of blood clots. One study found 49% of patients were affected, mainly with clots to the lungs. Other studies found 20-30% of critically ill COVID-19 patients had blood clots. These rates are much higher than we’d expect to see in patients admitted to ICU for other reasons. Worryingly, clots occur in COVID-19 patients despite using standard preventative measures such as blood-thinning drugs. 2. You can lose your sense of smell We now know COVID-19, like other viral infections, can lead to anosmia, or losing your sense of smell. In one study, it affected about 5% of patients in hospital with COVID-19. But some people with the only very mild disease say they’ve suddenly lost their smell, before regaining it. Anosmia has now been added to the list of possible COVID-19 symptoms. Anyone who’s had a regular cold knows nasal congestion can affect your sense of smell. But COVID-19 is different. People can lose their smell without a runny or blocked nose. Perhaps the virus latches onto receptors in the lining of the nose before entering the cells. We know these ACE2 receptors are how the virus enters other parts of the body, including the lungs. Some people with COVID-19 who lose their sense of smell also report a reduction or loss of their sense of taste. 3. It can trigger serious inflammatory disease in kids Another unusual feature is how little COVID-19 appears to have affected children, compared with many other respiratory infections. However, doctors in Europe and the UK, who have seen larger numbers of COVID-19 in children, have noticed an unusual but serious inflammatory condition in children with the virus. This is known as “multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children”, or MIS-C. In studies from the UK, Italy and France, most of the children with this serious condition likely had COVID-19 in the past. Symptoms vary. But the main ones include fever, rash and gut symptoms (vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea). Some children develop heart complications. These symptoms generally resemble other conditions such as Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome. Researchers think it’s not the virus itself that is responsible for MIS-C. Instead, they think it’s the body’s immune response to the virus, perhaps long after being infected. 4. It can travel from humans to animals and back again At the start of the pandemic, we believed SARS-CoV-2 originated from animals before spreading into humans. However, we were unsure if the virus could travel back into animals, perhaps infecting our pets. We now know humans can transmit COVID-19 to domestic or captive animals, such as dogs, cats and even tigers. In the Netherlands, there have been outbreaks in animals at several mink farms. Researchers believe an infected worker introduced the virus to the farms. The mink developed viral pneumonia, which spread among the animals. Sick mink then reportedly infected two people – the first documented case of animal-to-human transmission after the virus originated in China. (Sanjaya Senanayake is Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Physician, Australian National University) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Unusual things we’ve learned about the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic

Tesla Inc is building “RNA microfactories” for coronavirus vaccine developer CureVac in Germany, the electric carmaker’s chief executive officer, Elon Musk, tweeted on Wednesday.

CureVac, an unlisted German company, has said it is developing transportable, automated mRNA production units that it calls printers. They will be designed to be shipped to remote locations, where they can churn out its vaccine candidate and other mRNA-based therapies depending on the recipe fed into the machine.

But for the immediate pandemic use - should its vaccine candidate win market approval – it has production sites with regulatory approval in Germany with a capacity to produce hundreds of millions of doses.

It is also building a new stationary site that could increase its output tenfold to billions of doses.

Musk did not elaborate on his plans. Tesla and CureVac were not immediately available to comment.

Tesla Inc is building “RNA microfactories” for coronavirus vaccine developer CureVac in Germany, the electric carmaker’s chief executive officer, Elon Musk, tweeted on Wednesday.

Tesla Inc is building “RNA microfactories” for coronavirus vaccine developer CureVac in Germany, the electric carmaker’s chief executive officer, Elon Musk, tweeted on Wednesday. CureVac, an unlisted German company, has said it is developing transportable, automated mRNA production units that it calls printers. They will be designed to be shipped to remote locations, where they can churn out its vaccine candidate and other mRNA-based therapies depending on the recipe fed into the machine. But for the immediate pandemic use - should its vaccine candidate win market approval – it has production sites with regulatory approval in Germany with a capacity to produce hundreds of millions of doses. It is also building a new stationary site that could increase its output tenfold to billions of doses. Musk did not elaborate on his plans. Tesla and CureVac were not immediately available to comment.

Elon Musk says Tesla is building 'RNA microfactories' for CureVac

The world`s largest exhibitor -- AMC Theatres -- has decided to delay reopening its cinemas until the end of July due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. 
 
The company has earlier announced that the cinemas would re-open from July 15 making 450 of its 600 locations in America start its operation. 
 
However, the latest development in delaying the dates was expected after July tentpoles `Mulan` and` Tenet`, two most anticipated movies, decided late last week to relocate their openings from July to August. 
 
"We continue to devote extraordinary resources into our plan to operate our theatre with a hyper commitment to the safety and health of our guests and associates, notably in the United States through our new AMC Safe and Clean initiative," The Hollywood Reporter quoted AMC CEO Adam Aron as saying in a statement. 
 
"Our theatre general managers across the US started working full time again today and are back in their theatres gearing up to get their buildings fully ready just a few weeks from now for moviegoers. That happy day, when we can welcome guests back into most of our US theatres, will be Thursday, July 30," Aron said. 
 
AMC will now open its first 450 cinemas on July 30, followed by the rest in early August.

The world`s largest exhibitor -- AMC Theatres -- has decided to delay reopening its cinemas until the end of July due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. The company has earlier announced that the cinemas would re-open from July 15 making 450 of its 600 locations in America start its operation.

The world`s largest exhibitor -- AMC Theatres -- has decided to delay reopening its cinemas until the end of July due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. The company has earlier announced that the cinemas would re-open from July 15 making 450 of its 600 locations in America start its operation. However, the latest development in delaying the dates was expected after July tentpoles `Mulan` and` Tenet`, two most anticipated movies, decided late last week to relocate their openings from July to August. "We continue to devote extraordinary resources into our plan to operate our theatre with a hyper commitment to the safety and health of our guests and associates, notably in the United States through our new AMC Safe and Clean initiative," The Hollywood Reporter quoted AMC CEO Adam Aron as saying in a statement. "Our theatre general managers across the US started working full time again today and are back in their theatres gearing up to get their buildings fully ready just a few weeks from now for moviegoers. That happy day, when we can welcome guests back into most of our US theatres, will be Thursday, July 30," Aron said. AMC will now open its first 450 cinemas on July 30, followed by the rest in early August.

AMC delays theatre openings to July-end following rise in COVID-19 cases

With India’s coronavirus tally nearing the six lakh mark, the country is taking significant steps to weather the pandemic and its economic impact. From announcing the Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan (self-reliant India Mission) to boost the Indian industry and become less dependent on the global companies, to looking at the global partnership by asking the G20 members to work on policies to ensure flexible access to treatments for COVID-19 across borders, India is trying hard to stay ahead of the virus. This clearly implies we understand the importance of global partnerships to develop as a manufacturing hub for domestic as well as international consumption but are reluctant to provide them with market access. It’s a noble thought at a time when we want to provide impetus to our local industry. However, currently, when we are looking at the world for a vaccine and healthcare solutions to defeat the COVID-19 juggernaut we may want to spare the healthcare sector from the inward policy and look outwards for stronger collaborations to increase India’s access to global solutions.&nbsp;

Why Collaboration is Key &nbsp;

India is called the pharmacy of the world but that does not mean we are self-reliant in manufacturing them; we rely on China for key APIs, vitamins, antibiotics and excipients. There is no doubt that India is capable enough to make finished formulations and key ingredients, however, the country may take a few years to get there. For the production of even ventilators, we are dependent on imports of several components like pressure sensors and solenoid valves. Therefore, we need to provide easy access to global technologies and inputs in our journey to become self-dependent, as a self-sufficient approach alone will prove to be detrimental given the global nature of supply chains. &nbsp;

Government pressure and domestic demand have forced several local manufacturers to throw their hat in the ring and it triggered a wave of ingenuine ventilator production and even after two months of manufacturing, these ventilators remain unsold, according to some media reports. Take, for instance, production of low-cost ventilators in India in a bid to make COVID-19 treatment affordable for all, fell flat. For rendering affordable solutions to all, India tried to take a short cut through ‘jugaad’ system. According to reports, we now have locally manufactured ventilators which are made without any clinical precision, real engineering and most importantly, evaluation. We need more original thinking, and it is felt that more investment and autonomy in research can play a big role in it.&nbsp;

The Gaping Holes in India’s Healthcare Structure&nbsp;

Recently the government’s Make in India push also received a very big jolt recently after Gujarat manufactured Dhaman-1 ventilators’ quality was questioned by the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital doctors who called them artificial manual breathing devices.&nbsp;

A video went viral in which a doctor from a hospital in Vadodara was heard saying that Dhaman-1 ventilators are not of good quality and can only be used if necessary. &nbsp;Amidst the scare of rising COVID-19 cases is it advisable to risk the lives of several Indians only to boost the Indian firms which are still struggling to build capacity? &nbsp;

It becomes crucial to understand how a push was made to sell an ayurvedic combination for the cure of COVID-19 by Patanjali without any permission, at a time when the world is struggling for a vaccine or drug for the disease.&nbsp;

Mumbai, home to more than 20 million people and an epicentre for coronavirus outbreak in India, is on the brink of collapse as now the emergency ward of hospitals have two people on a bed. Corpses of virus victims were also found next to patients in another hospital in the city. The situation has highlighted India’s crumbling health infrastructure burdened by the unprecedented demand and exposed its lack of resources and self-sufficiency. Therefore, this is not the time to turn our back on access to critical medical supplies, technologies and therapies by adopting an inward-looking ecosystem. &nbsp;

The way forward&nbsp;

India stood at 63 in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 luring international manufacturers to invest in the country. &nbsp;But the question is how will global innovation enter a country that does not offer them an environment to prosper? Therefore, the right policies along with uninterrupted and robust supply chains are the need of the hour to ensure that essential life-saving products can be rendered to patients in time.&nbsp;

Indian healthcare industry is at a developing stage, making global partnerships critical in providing quality healthcare facilities to 1.3 billion citizens. To respond to the coronavirus, the medical device industry is playing a key role in ensuring that hospitals are adequately equipped to protect healthcare workers and save lives. But for global manufacturers to continue supporting India with the necessary technologies, the country needs to build welcoming policies and a conducive environment. Everything said and done, the time is right for the country to learn from counterparts and fix the gaps in its existing healthcare infrastructure. From more beds, ventilators, PPE, and test kits to a stronger global connection for bringing the latest technology and vaccines to patients, the existing medical sector needs a complete structural revamp. Made in India should be the outcome and develop organically rather than acting as a disruptor.&nbsp;

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

With India’s coronavirus tally nearing the six lakh mark, the country is taking significant steps to weather the pandemic and its economic impact. From announcing the Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan (self-reliant India Mission) to boost the Indian industry and become less dependent on the global companies, to looking at the global partnership by asking the G20 members to work on policies to ensure flexible access to treatments for COVID-19 across borders, India is trying hard to stay ahead of the virus.

With India’s coronavirus tally nearing the six lakh mark, the country is taking significant steps to weather the pandemic and its economic impact. From announcing the Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan (self-reliant India Mission) to boost the Indian industry and become less dependent on the global companies, to looking at the global partnership by asking the G20 members to work on policies to ensure flexible access to treatments for COVID-19 across borders, India is trying hard to stay ahead of the virus. This clearly implies we understand the importance of global partnerships to develop as a manufacturing hub for domestic as well as international consumption but are reluctant to provide them with market access. It’s a noble thought at a time when we want to provide impetus to our local industry. However, currently, when we are looking at the world for a vaccine and healthcare solutions to defeat the COVID-19 juggernaut we may want to spare the healthcare sector from the inward policy and look outwards for stronger collaborations to increase India’s access to global solutions. Why Collaboration is Key India is called the pharmacy of the world but that does not mean we are self-reliant in manufacturing them; we rely on China for key APIs, vitamins, antibiotics and excipients. There is no doubt that India is capable enough to make finished formulations and key ingredients, however, the country may take a few years to get there. For the production of even ventilators, we are dependent on imports of several components like pressure sensors and solenoid valves. Therefore, we need to provide easy access to global technologies and inputs in our journey to become self-dependent, as a self-sufficient approach alone will prove to be detrimental given the global nature of supply chains. Government pressure and domestic demand have forced several local manufacturers to throw their hat in the ring and it triggered a wave of ingenuine ventilator production and even after two months of manufacturing, these ventilators remain unsold, according to some media reports. Take, for instance, production of low-cost ventilators in India in a bid to make COVID-19 treatment affordable for all, fell flat. For rendering affordable solutions to all, India tried to take a short cut through ‘jugaad’ system. According to reports, we now have locally manufactured ventilators which are made without any clinical precision, real engineering and most importantly, evaluation. We need more original thinking, and it is felt that more investment and autonomy in research can play a big role in it. The Gaping Holes in India’s Healthcare Structure Recently the government’s Make in India push also received a very big jolt recently after Gujarat manufactured Dhaman-1 ventilators’ quality was questioned by the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital doctors who called them artificial manual breathing devices. A video went viral in which a doctor from a hospital in Vadodara was heard saying that Dhaman-1 ventilators are not of good quality and can only be used if necessary. Amidst the scare of rising COVID-19 cases is it advisable to risk the lives of several Indians only to boost the Indian firms which are still struggling to build capacity? It becomes crucial to understand how a push was made to sell an ayurvedic combination for the cure of COVID-19 by Patanjali without any permission, at a time when the world is struggling for a vaccine or drug for the disease. Mumbai, home to more than 20 million people and an epicentre for coronavirus outbreak in India, is on the brink of collapse as now the emergency ward of hospitals have two people on a bed. Corpses of virus victims were also found next to patients in another hospital in the city. The situation has highlighted India’s crumbling health infrastructure burdened by the unprecedented demand and exposed its lack of resources and self-sufficiency. Therefore, this is not the time to turn our back on access to critical medical supplies, technologies and therapies by adopting an inward-looking ecosystem. The way forward India stood at 63 in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 luring international manufacturers to invest in the country. But the question is how will global innovation enter a country that does not offer them an environment to prosper? Therefore, the right policies along with uninterrupted and robust supply chains are the need of the hour to ensure that essential life-saving products can be rendered to patients in time. Indian healthcare industry is at a developing stage, making global partnerships critical in providing quality healthcare facilities to 1.3 billion citizens. To respond to the coronavirus, the medical device industry is playing a key role in ensuring that hospitals are adequately equipped to protect healthcare workers and save lives. But for global manufacturers to continue supporting India with the necessary technologies, the country needs to build welcoming policies and a conducive environment. Everything said and done, the time is right for the country to learn from counterparts and fix the gaps in its existing healthcare infrastructure. From more beds, ventilators, PPE, and test kits to a stronger global connection for bringing the latest technology and vaccines to patients, the existing medical sector needs a complete structural revamp. Made in India should be the outcome and develop organically rather than acting as a disruptor. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Riding on ‘Atma Nirbhar’ wings: Is India ready to take the plunge?

On Tuesday, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan issued a statement and confirmed that some of his staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, while the rest of his family members have tested negative. 
 
In his statement, the actor also revealed that he was taking his mother for the COVID-19 test and asked his fans to pray for the test to come out as negative. 
 
The `Dangal` star put out the statement on social media and said, "This is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/TATvKCf6gf">pic.twitter.com/TATvKCf6gf</a>
— Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) <a href="https://twitter.com/aamir_khan/status/1277850257653555205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Thanking the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for their precautionary steps, he added, "I would like to thank the BMC for taking such good care of them, and for fumigating and sterilising the entire society." 
 
"The rest of us have all been tested and found negative," and informed that, "Right now I am taking my mother to get her tested. She is the last person in the loop. Please pray that she is negative." 
 
"I would, once again, like to thank the BMC for the prompt, professional and caring manner in which they helped us. And a big thank you to Kokilaben Hospital and the doctors, nurses and staff there. They were very caring and professional with the testing process." 
 
The actor asked fans to be safe amid the coronavirus outbreak.

On Tuesday, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan issued a statement and confirmed that some of his staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, while the rest of his family members have tested negative.

On Tuesday, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan issued a statement and confirmed that some of his staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, while the rest of his family members have tested negative. In his statement, the actor also revealed that he was taking his mother for the COVID-19 test and asked his fans to pray for the test to come out as negative. The `Dangal` star put out the statement on social media and said, "This is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility." pic.twitter.com/TATvKCf6gf — Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) June 30, 2020 × Thanking the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for their precautionary steps, he added, "I would like to thank the BMC for taking such good care of them, and for fumigating and sterilising the entire society." "The rest of us have all been tested and found negative," and informed that, "Right now I am taking my mother to get her tested. She is the last person in the loop. Please pray that she is negative." "I would, once again, like to thank the BMC for the prompt, professional and caring manner in which they helped us. And a big thank you to Kokilaben Hospital and the doctors, nurses and staff there. They were very caring and professional with the testing process." The actor asked fans to be safe amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Aamir Khan reveals some his staff members have tested positive for coronavirus

By Linda Hsieh and John Child

Taiwan and Iceland have won praise for their effective responses to the coronavirus pandemic. They are among a group of countries which adopted a cooperative strategy early on the pandemic, bringing together multiple organisations to tackle the challenges in containing COVID-19.

A cooperative strategy is when organisations try to achieve their goals through cooperation with other organisations. Our own recent synthesis of research explains the attraction of this approach. It can allow public authorities or companies to speed up their response to new challenges by partnering with other organisations which have complementary resources and expertise.

While other countries, including South Korea and Germany, have deployed a cooperative approach, it’s been a key part of both Taiwan and Iceland’s response to the pandemic.

Taiwan’s model

Taiwan’s handling of COVID-19 has been exemplary. As of June 29, Taiwan, with a population of 23.8 million, has recorded only seven deaths linked to the virus, with 447 confirmed cases – 435 of which had fully recovered.

The Taiwanese government acted quickly to control its borders. It activated a Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) on January 20 to coordinate cooperation across different government ministries and agencies, and between government and businesses. The CECC also coordinates big data analytics, testing, quarantine and contact tracing.

Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Administration and National Immigration Agency worked together to identify suspected cases for COVID-19 testing, integrating their databases of citizens’ medical and travel history. Since late March, all new arrivals must quarantine for 14 days.

CECC also partnered with police agencies, local officials and telecom companies to enforce quarantine with the support of mobile phone tracking. Local officials would call quarantined citizens to ask about their health and bring them basic daily supplies if required. Along with a 24-hour helpline, Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control collaborated with two tech companies – HTC and LINE) – to create a chatbot which allowed people to report their health status and get advice about the virus.

Taiwan can now test about 5,800 samples a day through a cooperative network of public and private testing centres and certified laboratories.

To avoid the panic buying of face masks, the government rationed their distribution and ramped up production. In February, the government partnered with the Machine Tool &amp; Accessory Builders’ Association and manufacturers, investing in new machinery to produce surgical face masks. In return, manufacturers have to sell the masks back to the government at an agreed price.

This effective government-led cooperative strategy resulted in the establishment of 60 production lines in 25 days, something which would normally have taken several months. More production lines have been added, and Taiwan now can produce about 20 million masks a day.

The public can interact with the government on Taiwan, a virtual democracy platform for open discussion to build consensus on policy solutions. A face mask map app grew out of a suggestion on Taiwan and now provides real-time information on stock availability. The app was developed through collaboration between the Digital Ministry and a group of entrepreneurs and hacktivists.

Iceland’s strategy

Iceland provides another example of a country which used a cooperative strategy to manage the pandemic. As of June 29, Iceland had recorded 10 deaths and 1,838 confirmed COVID-19 infections, of which 1,816 have fully recovered. Its success can be explained by the government’s quick action in activating the National Crisis Coordination Center on January 31 to coordinate the country’s response to COVID-19 through mass testing, quarantine and tracing close contacts of infected citizens.

A public-private partnership between the National University Hospital of Iceland and deCODE Genetics enabled Iceland to carry out aggressive testing from February.

Similar to Taiwan, cooperation and coordination between Iceland’s government ministries and agencies have played a key role in quarantine and contact tracing.

The Directorate of Health worked with the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management to create a team of 60 contact tracers in February, drawn from police investigators and healthcare workers. In this collaboration, the police contributed their expertise in traditional detective methods and enforced quarantine rules.

These two departments also partnered with a group of companies to create the Rakning C-19 tracing app in consultation with Iceland’s Data Protection Authority.

Public trust

The governments of both Taiwan and Iceland have secured high levels of public trust for their responses to coronavirus. In Taiwan, YouGov polls in May showed that public trust in the government and healthcare professionals on COVID-19 was very high – at over 80%. A combination of transparency and effectiveness may explain polling in April which suggested that 84% of Icelanders were willing to sacrifice some human rights if it helps to prevent the spread of the virus.

The example of these two countries shows how trust can be promoted by speedy government action to activate a crisis management and command centre which is headed by medical experts rather than politicians. Its purpose should be to coordinate cooperation between government and business and to communicate transparently with the public. This fits with a general lesson from cooperative strategies: openness between all parties is crucial and is a foundation for collaborative trust.

(Linda Hsieh is Reader in Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham; John Child is Professor of Commerce, University of Birmingham)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-coronavirus-success-of-taiwan-and-iceland-has-in-common-140455">original article</a>) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By Linda Hsieh and John Child Taiwan and Iceland have won praise for their effective responses to the coronavirus pandemic. They are among a group of countries which adopted a cooperative strategy early on the pandemic, bringing together multiple organisations to tackle the challenges in containing COVID-19.

By Linda Hsieh and John Child Taiwan and Iceland have won praise for their effective responses to the coronavirus pandemic. They are among a group of countries which adopted a cooperative strategy early on the pandemic, bringing together multiple organisations to tackle the challenges in containing COVID-19. A cooperative strategy is when organisations try to achieve their goals through cooperation with other organisations. Our own recent synthesis of research explains the attraction of this approach. It can allow public authorities or companies to speed up their response to new challenges by partnering with other organisations which have complementary resources and expertise. While other countries, including South Korea and Germany, have deployed a cooperative approach, it’s been a key part of both Taiwan and Iceland’s response to the pandemic. Taiwan’s model Taiwan’s handling of COVID-19 has been exemplary. As of June 29, Taiwan, with a population of 23.8 million, has recorded only seven deaths linked to the virus, with 447 confirmed cases – 435 of which had fully recovered. The Taiwanese government acted quickly to control its borders. It activated a Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) on January 20 to coordinate cooperation across different government ministries and agencies, and between government and businesses. The CECC also coordinates big data analytics, testing, quarantine and contact tracing. Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Administration and National Immigration Agency worked together to identify suspected cases for COVID-19 testing, integrating their databases of citizens’ medical and travel history. Since late March, all new arrivals must quarantine for 14 days. CECC also partnered with police agencies, local officials and telecom companies to enforce quarantine with the support of mobile phone tracking. Local officials would call quarantined citizens to ask about their health and bring them basic daily supplies if required. Along with a 24-hour helpline, Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control collaborated with two tech companies – HTC and LINE) – to create a chatbot which allowed people to report their health status and get advice about the virus. Taiwan can now test about 5,800 samples a day through a cooperative network of public and private testing centres and certified laboratories. To avoid the panic buying of face masks, the government rationed their distribution and ramped up production. In February, the government partnered with the Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association and manufacturers, investing in new machinery to produce surgical face masks. In return, manufacturers have to sell the masks back to the government at an agreed price. This effective government-led cooperative strategy resulted in the establishment of 60 production lines in 25 days, something which would normally have taken several months. More production lines have been added, and Taiwan now can produce about 20 million masks a day. The public can interact with the government on Taiwan, a virtual democracy platform for open discussion to build consensus on policy solutions. A face mask map app grew out of a suggestion on Taiwan and now provides real-time information on stock availability. The app was developed through collaboration between the Digital Ministry and a group of entrepreneurs and hacktivists. Iceland’s strategy Iceland provides another example of a country which used a cooperative strategy to manage the pandemic. As of June 29, Iceland had recorded 10 deaths and 1,838 confirmed COVID-19 infections, of which 1,816 have fully recovered. Its success can be explained by the government’s quick action in activating the National Crisis Coordination Center on January 31 to coordinate the country’s response to COVID-19 through mass testing, quarantine and tracing close contacts of infected citizens. A public-private partnership between the National University Hospital of Iceland and deCODE Genetics enabled Iceland to carry out aggressive testing from February. Similar to Taiwan, cooperation and coordination between Iceland’s government ministries and agencies have played a key role in quarantine and contact tracing. The Directorate of Health worked with the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management to create a team of 60 contact tracers in February, drawn from police investigators and healthcare workers. In this collaboration, the police contributed their expertise in traditional detective methods and enforced quarantine rules. These two departments also partnered with a group of companies to create the Rakning C-19 tracing app in consultation with Iceland’s Data Protection Authority. Public trust The governments of both Taiwan and Iceland have secured high levels of public trust for their responses to coronavirus. In Taiwan, YouGov polls in May showed that public trust in the government and healthcare professionals on COVID-19 was very high – at over 80%. A combination of transparency and effectiveness may explain polling in April which suggested that 84% of Icelanders were willing to sacrifice some human rights if it helps to prevent the spread of the virus. The example of these two countries shows how trust can be promoted by speedy government action to activate a crisis management and command centre which is headed by medical experts rather than politicians. Its purpose should be to coordinate cooperation between government and business and to communicate transparently with the public. This fits with a general lesson from cooperative strategies: openness between all parties is crucial and is a foundation for collaborative trust. (Linda Hsieh is Reader in Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham; John Child is Professor of Commerce, University of Birmingham) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

What coronavirus success of Taiwan and Iceland has in common

Facing ruin after orders from Western brands collapsed amid the coronavirus pandemic, many Bangladeshi garment factories have been given a lifeline by orders to make protective masks, gloves and gowns for export.

Garment factories in Bangladesh turn COVID-19 virus gloom into boom

A quote attributed to Lord Palmerston which states that, "There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics", suggesting fluidity and impermanence appears to hold true for and in the realm of economics and political economy too. Not long ago, it was held that the state and its intervention in the economy was passe and its role was to be limited to the provision of some public goods that the market could not provide. This belief and its practice was co-eval with what was called the third wave of globalization. But, the COVID 19 pandemic appears to have given short shrift to this ‘market fundamentalism’

Evidence for this is writ all over the destruction that the pandemic has created in the domains of economics and finance. TATA steel- Britain’s largest steelmaker- is, for example, in the process of negotiating a recovery plan with the British government. Alitalia, in Italy, is being renationalised. France is bailing out its car industry with a massive financial injection. These are merely some of the headline-grabbing examples of the return of the state. The aim here is to protect or more accurately save these industries by classifying them as strategic and in the process stem job losses- a proposition that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

In the domain of fiscal policy, the state has also made a comeback across the world, so much so that fiscal space has shrunk for many countries with the debt to GDP ratio increasing exponentially for some.

All this suggests that the state is back. The purpose of delineating the return of the state is neither in the nature of a gratificatory exercise here nor is it meant to be a value-laden judgement. It is to layout a trend that is gaining traction by the day. The question is: is this return of the state a temporary, transient phenomenon or is it a structural trend?

It is difficult to answer this question definitively: the history of the political economy suggests that between markets and the state, there are and there have been swings. In one epoch, the state assumes primacy and in another the markets. The issue, it would appear, is these swings, which can, at times, turn out to be manic, creating disorder and at times even mayhem in economics, finance and political economy. &nbsp;Can these swings be obviated?

Yes, they can be through prudent policymaking. But the key here is co-ordinated policy action across the world. It amounts to stating a cliché that notwithstanding the process of deglobalization we live in and will continue to live in an interconnected world where a certain policy decision in one part of the world can have global ramifications and consequences. Policy coordination with a multilateral ingress is then imperative. But, above all the philosophical thrust and tour de force of this co-ordinated policymaking should be a dynamic that integrates both the state and the markets in almost equipoise. The world is littered with examples of both state failures and market failures. Neither the state nor the markets on their own suffice. There has to be a balance between the two.

One other fallout and consequence of the pandemic is on globalisation. COVID 19 is slowing it considerably if not hastening its demise. But redemption for globalisation might lie in creating a synthesis and balance between the state and markets. If and when this balance and synthesis is arrived at, it may even salvage globalisation by making it fairer and defined by sobriety and proportion.

All in all, the world is at an inflexion point in many dimensions. Be it international politics, economics, political economy and even culture, themes that had assumed paradigmatic proportions are being upended and in the process of being reviewed. But, it is important not to be carried away by the gale of COVID 19 by creating policy momentum on mono-focal paradigms. What needs to be understood clearly is that it is balance and equipoise that leads to prudent outcomes (accounting for ‘unknown unknowns). In the realm of political economy, this means aiming at a balance and synthesis between the state and markets and not privileging one over the other, no matter what the proverbial ‘ tea leaves’ suggest. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A quote attributed to Lord Palmerston which states that, "There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics", suggesting fluidity and impermanence appears to hold true for and in the realm of economics and political economy too.

A quote attributed to Lord Palmerston which states that, "There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics", suggesting fluidity and impermanence appears to hold true for and in the realm of economics and political economy too. Not long ago, it was held that the state and its intervention in the economy was passe and its role was to be limited to the provision of some public goods that the market could not provide. This belief and its practice was co-eval with what was called the third wave of globalization. But, the COVID 19 pandemic appears to have given short shrift to this ‘market fundamentalism’ Evidence for this is writ all over the destruction that the pandemic has created in the domains of economics and finance. TATA steel- Britain’s largest steelmaker- is, for example, in the process of negotiating a recovery plan with the British government. Alitalia, in Italy, is being renationalised. France is bailing out its car industry with a massive financial injection. These are merely some of the headline-grabbing examples of the return of the state. The aim here is to protect or more accurately save these industries by classifying them as strategic and in the process stem job losses- a proposition that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. In the domain of fiscal policy, the state has also made a comeback across the world, so much so that fiscal space has shrunk for many countries with the debt to GDP ratio increasing exponentially for some. All this suggests that the state is back. The purpose of delineating the return of the state is neither in the nature of a gratificatory exercise here nor is it meant to be a value-laden judgement. It is to layout a trend that is gaining traction by the day. The question is: is this return of the state a temporary, transient phenomenon or is it a structural trend? It is difficult to answer this question definitively: the history of the political economy suggests that between markets and the state, there are and there have been swings. In one epoch, the state assumes primacy and in another the markets. The issue, it would appear, is these swings, which can, at times, turn out to be manic, creating disorder and at times even mayhem in economics, finance and political economy. Can these swings be obviated? Yes, they can be through prudent policymaking. But the key here is co-ordinated policy action across the world. It amounts to stating a cliché that notwithstanding the process of deglobalization we live in and will continue to live in an interconnected world where a certain policy decision in one part of the world can have global ramifications and consequences. Policy coordination with a multilateral ingress is then imperative. But, above all the philosophical thrust and tour de force of this co-ordinated policymaking should be a dynamic that integrates both the state and the markets in almost equipoise. The world is littered with examples of both state failures and market failures. Neither the state nor the markets on their own suffice. There has to be a balance between the two. One other fallout and consequence of the pandemic is on globalisation. COVID 19 is slowing it considerably if not hastening its demise. But redemption for globalisation might lie in creating a synthesis and balance between the state and markets. If and when this balance and synthesis is arrived at, it may even salvage globalisation by making it fairer and defined by sobriety and proportion. All in all, the world is at an inflexion point in many dimensions. Be it international politics, economics, political economy and even culture, themes that had assumed paradigmatic proportions are being upended and in the process of being reviewed. But, it is important not to be carried away by the gale of COVID 19 by creating policy momentum on mono-focal paradigms. What needs to be understood clearly is that it is balance and equipoise that leads to prudent outcomes (accounting for ‘unknown unknowns). In the realm of political economy, this means aiming at a balance and synthesis between the state and markets and not privileging one over the other, no matter what the proverbial ‘ tea leaves’ suggest. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Which way is COVID-19 pushing the world?

By Adam Kamradt-Scott

Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating. While some countries such as Australia and New Zealand have managed to flatten the curve, in many other parts of the world the number of cases has continued to reach new highs.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 183,000 new cases — the single largest number of new cases reported in one day. Over the past week, there have been more than 150,000 new cases per day on three separate days.

The numbers of new infections are now growing at such a rate that while it took some three months to reach the first 1 million cases, the last million cases was reached in just eight days. The total number of COVID-19 infections now exceeds 9 million worldwide.

The pandemic is accelerating

Even more tragically, the deaths from COVID-19 are also growing. The United States has recorded more than 120,000 fatalities, while Brazil has exceeded 51,000 deaths related to COVID-19. The situation has become so dire that Latin America’s largest country is reporting an average of 1,000 deaths every day.

The world is divided

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the world is dangerously divided. He has cautioned against the ongoing politicisation of the pandemic and called for solidarity and leadership, noting that countries should not have to choose “between lives and livelihoods. Countries can do both”.

These warnings are likely to go unheeded, if recent developments are anything to go by. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who has railed against “job-killing” social distancing measures, appears unrepentant for firing his health minister even as he confronts escalating numbers of infections and an economic downturn in which Brazil’s economy is expected to shrink by 6.2%.

In the United States, President Donald Trump reportedly joked his country should slow down testing because public health authorities were identifying too many COVID-19 cases. Trump made his remarks even as news emerged that more than two dozen public health officials across the US have been either fired, resigned or retired due to threats of physical violence, intimidation or persecution.

The threat is far from over 
 
In many parts of the world, the pandemic is only starting to make its presence felt. Indonesia has seen an alarming increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases, with more than 1,000 new cases per day on eight of the past ten days, despite very low rates of testing.

Likewise, India, which yesterday morning recorded 14,000 new cases for the previous 24 hours, has now risen to become the fourth worst-affected country in the world. Officially, India has documented just over 440,000 cases and 14,000 deaths, but these numbers are generally believed to be significantly under-reported.

More disturbingly, even those countries that showed initial signs of recovery are continuing to struggle with the virus. South Korea, which has been regarded for months as a poster child of an efficient COVID-19 response, has now entered a “second wave”, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The CDC said the new cases were driven by the May holiday period, when coronavirus guidelines were relaxed, and particularly by young people via nightclubs and bars.

Fears of a second wave have also emerged in Iran, while China is now dealing with more than 200 new cases following an outbreak in Beijing.

There is still hope

Despite the dire global situation, there are a handful of places that have demonstrated it’s possible to suppress the virus’ transmission (at least for now). New Zealand recorded just two new cases on Monday, despite dropping almost all its coronavirus restrictions after reaching zero active cases two weeks ago. All nine of its active cases are returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

Several Pacific Island states, including Fiji, Somoa, Tonga and Vanuatu, have maintained zero active cases.

And outside of ongoing community transmission in parts of Melbourne, Australia overall has continued to record very few new cases despite restrictions easing across most of the country. Tasmania, the Northern Territory, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory all have zero active cases.

What remains abundantly clear is that testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, and community engagement are essential to halting the spread of COVID-19 across the world. Importantly, though, all of these measures depend on leadership and a shared sense of vulnerability. We need to marshal that, putting aside our differences and coming together to defeat a common foe. And we need to do it now.

(Adam Kamradt-Scott is Associate professor, University of Sydney)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-many-countries-the-coronavirus-pandemic-is-accelerating-not-slowing-141238">Read the original article</a>) &nbsp;

By Adam Kamradt-Scott Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating. While some countries such as Australia and New Zealand have managed to flatten the curve, in many other parts of the world the number of cases has continued to reach new highs.

By Adam Kamradt-Scott Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating. While some countries such as Australia and New Zealand have managed to flatten the curve, in many other parts of the world the number of cases has continued to reach new highs. On Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 183,000 new cases — the single largest number of new cases reported in one day. Over the past week, there have been more than 150,000 new cases per day on three separate days. The numbers of new infections are now growing at such a rate that while it took some three months to reach the first 1 million cases, the last million cases was reached in just eight days. The total number of COVID-19 infections now exceeds 9 million worldwide. The pandemic is accelerating Even more tragically, the deaths from COVID-19 are also growing. The United States has recorded more than 120,000 fatalities, while Brazil has exceeded 51,000 deaths related to COVID-19. The situation has become so dire that Latin America’s largest country is reporting an average of 1,000 deaths every day. The world is divided WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the world is dangerously divided. He has cautioned against the ongoing politicisation of the pandemic and called for solidarity and leadership, noting that countries should not have to choose “between lives and livelihoods. Countries can do both”. These warnings are likely to go unheeded, if recent developments are anything to go by. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who has railed against “job-killing” social distancing measures, appears unrepentant for firing his health minister even as he confronts escalating numbers of infections and an economic downturn in which Brazil’s economy is expected to shrink by 6.2%. In the United States, President Donald Trump reportedly joked his country should slow down testing because public health authorities were identifying too many COVID-19 cases. Trump made his remarks even as news emerged that more than two dozen public health officials across the US have been either fired, resigned or retired due to threats of physical violence, intimidation or persecution. The threat is far from over In many parts of the world, the pandemic is only starting to make its presence felt. Indonesia has seen an alarming increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases, with more than 1,000 new cases per day on eight of the past ten days, despite very low rates of testing. Likewise, India, which yesterday morning recorded 14,000 new cases for the previous 24 hours, has now risen to become the fourth worst-affected country in the world. Officially, India has documented just over 440,000 cases and 14,000 deaths, but these numbers are generally believed to be significantly under-reported. More disturbingly, even those countries that showed initial signs of recovery are continuing to struggle with the virus. South Korea, which has been regarded for months as a poster child of an efficient COVID-19 response, has now entered a “second wave”, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The CDC said the new cases were driven by the May holiday period, when coronavirus guidelines were relaxed, and particularly by young people via nightclubs and bars. Fears of a second wave have also emerged in Iran, while China is now dealing with more than 200 new cases following an outbreak in Beijing. There is still hope Despite the dire global situation, there are a handful of places that have demonstrated it’s possible to suppress the virus’ transmission (at least for now). New Zealand recorded just two new cases on Monday, despite dropping almost all its coronavirus restrictions after reaching zero active cases two weeks ago. All nine of its active cases are returned travellers in hotel quarantine. Several Pacific Island states, including Fiji, Somoa, Tonga and Vanuatu, have maintained zero active cases. And outside of ongoing community transmission in parts of Melbourne, Australia overall has continued to record very few new cases despite restrictions easing across most of the country. Tasmania, the Northern Territory, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory all have zero active cases. What remains abundantly clear is that testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, and community engagement are essential to halting the spread of COVID-19 across the world. Importantly, though, all of these measures depend on leadership and a shared sense of vulnerability. We need to marshal that, putting aside our differences and coming together to defeat a common foe. And we need to do it now. (Adam Kamradt-Scott is Associate professor, University of Sydney) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

In many countries the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, not slowing

As Australia was hit by a second wave of coronavirus, local media reports stated that the country experienced a rise in number of cases due to an Eid party that took place in Melbourne.

Following such reports, Muslim leaders are fearing an increase in the underling issue of Islamophobia due to the local media reports.

“I’m really concerned, I’m thinking ‘here we go again’, scapegoating, marginalising, unfairly stigmatising the Muslim community,” said Adel Salman, the vice-president of the Islamic Council of Victoria told local news media.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fear-of-2nd-covid-19-wave-infections-in-australia-308415">Also watch:&nbsp;Fear of 2nd COVID-19 wave infections in Australia</a>

“It just plays into the same narrative that Muslims are untrustworthy, that they aren’t like us, that they flout our rules, that they don’t have Australia’s interests at heart … Either they are a threat because they want to kill us and attack us or they are a threat because they are propagating the virus. It’s the same narrative.

“The Muslim community, we have been through this so often for many many years.”

The Eid party, that took in a family residing in Coburg, was blamed for the increase in the number of cases. The family was announced as a new&nbsp;cluster June 14.&nbsp;

The infection is believed to have spread from that family to their extended family spread between Melbourne’s north and south-east.&nbsp;

The misinformation spread like wildfire on social media, especially in languages other than English. Victoria’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, claimed that while his office was trying their best to contain such sensitive misinformation, posts spreading on social media, in languages other than English, were hard for them to track.

The government has urged citizens and local media to not spread any such rumours that can potentially harm any community.

As Australia was hit by a second wave of coronavirus, local media reports stated that the country experienced a rise in number of cases due to an Eid party that took place in Melbourne.

As Australia was hit by a second wave of coronavirus, local media reports stated that the country experienced a rise in number of cases due to an Eid party that took place in Melbourne. Following such reports, Muslim leaders are fearing an increase in the underling issue of Islamophobia due to the local media reports. “I’m really concerned, I’m thinking ‘here we go again’, scapegoating, marginalising, unfairly stigmatising the Muslim community,” said Adel Salman, the vice-president of the Islamic Council of Victoria told local news media. Also watch: Fear of 2nd COVID-19 wave infections in Australia “It just plays into the same narrative that Muslims are untrustworthy, that they aren’t like us, that they flout our rules, that they don’t have Australia’s interests at heart … Either they are a threat because they want to kill us and attack us or they are a threat because they are propagating the virus. It’s the same narrative. “The Muslim community, we have been through this so often for many many years.” The Eid party, that took in a family residing in Coburg, was blamed for the increase in the number of cases. The family was announced as a new cluster June 14. The infection is believed to have spread from that family to their extended family spread between Melbourne’s north and south-east. The misinformation spread like wildfire on social media, especially in languages other than English. Victoria’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, claimed that while his office was trying their best to contain such sensitive misinformation, posts spreading on social media, in languages other than English, were hard for them to track. The government has urged citizens and local media to not spread any such rumours that can potentially harm any community.

Australia: Muslim leaders fear rise of Islamophobia after Eid party is blamed for spread of virus

French movie fans ventured back into cinemas on Monday for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown, helped by a new safety feature: minions placed at intervals in the seats to ensure social distancing is observed. 
 
Stuffed toy versions of the yellow, pill-shaped characters were deployed at the MK2 cinema in the south of Paris for a showing of the 2015 movie 'Minions' - a spin-off from the 'Despicable Me' franchise that made them famous. 
 
The minions, dressed in their trademark goggles and dungarees, were placed strategically around the auditorium to enforce a rule that viewers leave at least one place free between them and their neighbours.

The reopening of cinemas across France on Monday was part of a phased relaxation of the lockdown measures that were imposed in March to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Nathanael Karmitz, chairman of the MK2 cinema chain, said the numbers showing up for matinee screenings on Monday showed how much the French public had missed going to the movies.

<img alt="m" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8ed7f240-86ad-4c06-b654-194d561ea261" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%28121%29.jpg" /> 
 
"They love cinema," he said. "It`s much less risky spending two hours in a cinema than travelling on public transport or taking a train." 
 
Monday`s cinema outing was not the first time the Minions have been enlisted to help keep people safe from COVID-19. 
They featured in a public service announcement, developed in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO), encouraging people to wash their hands and keep their distance to stay safe.

French movie fans ventured back into cinemas on Monday for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown, helped by a new safety feature: minions placed at intervals in the seats to ensure social distancing is observed.

French movie fans ventured back into cinemas on Monday for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown, helped by a new safety feature: minions placed at intervals in the seats to ensure social distancing is observed. Stuffed toy versions of the yellow, pill-shaped characters were deployed at the MK2 cinema in the south of Paris for a showing of the 2015 movie 'Minions' - a spin-off from the 'Despicable Me' franchise that made them famous. The minions, dressed in their trademark goggles and dungarees, were placed strategically around the auditorium to enforce a rule that viewers leave at least one place free between them and their neighbours. The reopening of cinemas across France on Monday was part of a phased relaxation of the lockdown measures that were imposed in March to curb the spread of COVID-19. Nathanael Karmitz, chairman of the MK2 cinema chain, said the numbers showing up for matinee screenings on Monday showed how much the French public had missed going to the movies. "They love cinema," he said. "It`s much less risky spending two hours in a cinema than travelling on public transport or taking a train." Monday`s cinema outing was not the first time the Minions have been enlisted to help keep people safe from COVID-19. They featured in a public service announcement, developed in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO), encouraging people to wash their hands and keep their distance to stay safe.

Minions usher French cinema-goers back after COVID-19

Apologies, apologies and more apologies. This is the state of tennis stars and organisers who took part in the much-talked-about Adria Tour. Four players – Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki – who participated in the tennis exhibition event has tested positive for the coronavirus with the plan turning out to be reckless and catastrophe. The visuals of elite players including Djokovic partying topless to celebrate the success of the tour in Belgrade are enough to produce millions of facepalms, something which social media has been witnessing since the video went viral on Tuesday.

“I know there have been some criticisms as well especially coming from the West: ‘why do we have a crowd? Why not having social distancing? What is going on and why are they having this kind of event in the midst of a very hard pandemic in the West?” – This is what Djokovic had said in the Eurosports Tennis Legends Podcast published on May 18.

“But, you know, it’s hard to explain to people that the situation is really, really different maybe in America or the UK than it is in Serbia or surrounding countries, and obviously from the day one of the organization of the Adria Tour, [we have been] following the rules and the measures that have been regulated by obviously the government institution and the public health institution.”

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Prayers up to all the players that have contracted Covid - 19. Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible’ or classified as ‘stupidity’ - this takes the cake. <a href="https://t.co/lVligELgID">https://t.co/lVligELgID</a>
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickKyrgios/status/1275408778087657473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Djokovic sounded confident and bullish but he must have known that coronavirus doesn’t even spare people with immense influence. The event went ahead with some of the biggest stars headlining the exhibition. Social distancing norms, to a major surprise, were tossed out of the window. Hugs, high-fives, handshakes became a routine in the Adria Tour as if the world never witnessed or is rather witnessing COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’m proud to officially share the news that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdriaTour?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AdriaTour</a> will be held across the Balkans 13 June - 5 July kicking off with a tournament in Belgrade. Very grateful and excited we could make this happen to play and support humanitarian projects across th… <a href="https://t.co/8eQsx7CkMu">https://t.co/8eQsx7CkMu</a> <a href="https://t.co/QDVXa4FbqV">pic.twitter.com/QDVXa4FbqV</a>
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/1263935297374560256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Tour has been cancelled now but has it really served the ‘philanthropic’ purpose, Djokovic and his brother were looking to achieve? What about the Kids’ day? And when most of the footballers and organisers from Bundesliga, Serie A, Premier League are focusing on maintaining social distancing norms with proper sanitization work even on the ball, Djokovic felt it was absolutely fine to hold an event with a packed crowd and no health safety measures in place. The result is in front of everyone.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/vR18zKhtL8">pic.twitter.com/vR18zKhtL8</a>
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/1275493253375238144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

And what is more laughable is that Djokovic opposed to COVID-19 vaccination earlier in April. A virus which has infected over 9million people with more than 400,000 worldwide deaths. A bit of sensibility and responsibility was needed from the Serb but he gave away a double fault there.

“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a Facebook live chat with other Serbian athletes.

Heavy backlash, expected after the catastrophe in Adria Tour, followed. From Nick Kyrgios to Andy Murray, everyone is of the view that the Adria Tour shouldn’t have taken place. Djokovic’s latest misstep has caused some to question his presidency of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals, or men's tour) Player Council, which advises the ATP board.

Not only on Djokovic’s part but other top players who showed up for the Adria Tour have been irresponsible, to say the lease. Grigor Dimitrov, instead of testing in Zadar, travelled to Monaco. His manager on Tuesday said: “They often have ailments and still try to play,” he said. “We didn’t have such worries [about coronavirus], none of us thought about it.” Should this be coming from an elite tennis player influencing millions and might now be affecting many? Monaco hadn’t registered a single coronavirus case for a full three weeks. On 21 June, there was a coronavirus positive in the Principality. 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tell dominic (and everyone else) to self isolate. A negative test now doesn’t mean no corona at all. Have to wait for at least 14 days after coming in contact with someone who tested positive <a href="https://t.co/MP1S0euXKf">https://t.co/MP1S0euXKf</a>
— Asparagus Quarantinerer (@samstennis189) <a href="https://twitter.com/samstennis189/status/1274797660277403649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Battle of the Brits exhibition in West London, where Andy Murray made a winning comeback, is being held behind closed door with strict health protocols in place. Maybe the organisers of Adria Tour should have known how sports in the coronavirus world are being played. Maybe they could have saved themselves from a PR failure and sheer embarrassment without putting many lives in danger.

While harsh criticism is something the Adria Tour disaster deserves but what is important is that Djokovic and the entire sporting world take note of how minute of mistakes could ruin the efforts made in the last three months to curb the spread of the dreaded virus. And in Djokovic’s case, it wasn’t even a minor mistake, it was a calamity.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Apologies, apologies and more apologies. This is the state of tennis stars and organisers who took part in the much-talked-about Adria Tour. Four players – Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki – who participated in the tennis exhibition event has tested positive for the coronavirus with the plan turning out to be reckless and catastrophe.

Apologies, apologies and more apologies. This is the state of tennis stars and organisers who took part in the much-talked-about Adria Tour. Four players – Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki – who participated in the tennis exhibition event has tested positive for the coronavirus with the plan turning out to be reckless and catastrophe. The visuals of elite players including Djokovic partying topless to celebrate the success of the tour in Belgrade are enough to produce millions of facepalms, something which social media has been witnessing since the video went viral on Tuesday. “I know there have been some criticisms as well especially coming from the West: ‘why do we have a crowd? Why not having social distancing? What is going on and why are they having this kind of event in the midst of a very hard pandemic in the West?” – This is what Djokovic had said in the Eurosports Tennis Legends Podcast published on May 18. “But, you know, it’s hard to explain to people that the situation is really, really different maybe in America or the UK than it is in Serbia or surrounding countries, and obviously from the day one of the organization of the Adria Tour, [we have been] following the rules and the measures that have been regulated by obviously the government institution and the public health institution.” Prayers up to all the players that have contracted Covid - 19. Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible’ or classified as ‘stupidity’ - this takes the cake. https://t.co/lVligELgID — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 23, 2020 × Djokovic sounded confident and bullish but he must have known that coronavirus doesn’t even spare people with immense influence. The event went ahead with some of the biggest stars headlining the exhibition. Social distancing norms, to a major surprise, were tossed out of the window. Hugs, high-fives, handshakes became a routine in the Adria Tour as if the world never witnessed or is rather witnessing COVID-19 pandemic. I’m proud to officially share the news that the #AdriaTour will be held across the Balkans 13 June - 5 July kicking off with a tournament in Belgrade. Very grateful and excited we could make this happen to play and support humanitarian projects across th… https://t.co/8eQsx7CkMu pic.twitter.com/QDVXa4FbqV — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 22, 2020 × The Tour has been cancelled now but has it really served the ‘philanthropic’ purpose, Djokovic and his brother were looking to achieve? What about the Kids’ day? And when most of the footballers and organisers from Bundesliga, Serie A, Premier League are focusing on maintaining social distancing norms with proper sanitization work even on the ball, Djokovic felt it was absolutely fine to hold an event with a packed crowd and no health safety measures in place. The result is in front of everyone. pic.twitter.com/vR18zKhtL8 — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) June 23, 2020 × And what is more laughable is that Djokovic opposed to COVID-19 vaccination earlier in April. A virus which has infected over 9million people with more than 400,000 worldwide deaths. A bit of sensibility and responsibility was needed from the Serb but he gave away a double fault there. “Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a Facebook live chat with other Serbian athletes. Heavy backlash, expected after the catastrophe in Adria Tour, followed. From Nick Kyrgios to Andy Murray, everyone is of the view that the Adria Tour shouldn’t have taken place. Djokovic’s latest misstep has caused some to question his presidency of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals, or men's tour) Player Council, which advises the ATP board. Not only on Djokovic’s part but other top players who showed up for the Adria Tour have been irresponsible, to say the lease. Grigor Dimitrov, instead of testing in Zadar, travelled to Monaco. His manager on Tuesday said: “They often have ailments and still try to play,” he said. “We didn’t have such worries [about coronavirus], none of us thought about it.” Should this be coming from an elite tennis player influencing millions and might now be affecting many? Monaco hadn’t registered a single coronavirus case for a full three weeks. On 21 June, there was a coronavirus positive in the Principality. Tell dominic (and everyone else) to self isolate. A negative test now doesn’t mean no corona at all. Have to wait for at least 14 days after coming in contact with someone who tested positive https://t.co/MP1S0euXKf — Asparagus Quarantinerer (@samstennis189) June 21, 2020 × The Battle of the Brits exhibition in West London, where Andy Murray made a winning comeback, is being held behind closed door with strict health protocols in place. Maybe the organisers of Adria Tour should have known how sports in the coronavirus world are being played. Maybe they could have saved themselves from a PR failure and sheer embarrassment without putting many lives in danger. While harsh criticism is something the Adria Tour disaster deserves but what is important is that Djokovic and the entire sporting world take note of how minute of mistakes could ruin the efforts made in the last three months to curb the spread of the dreaded virus. And in Djokovic’s case, it wasn’t even a minor mistake, it was a calamity. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Novak Djokovic's faulty serve to the tennis world

Spain will try out a new app to contain the spread of coronavirus from Friday for two weeks.

The test run will be conducted on the Island of Gomera by injecting hundreds of false cases into the system. “The idea is that approximately 3,000 people download it and we will introduce around 300 simulators, beta testers, to mimic a pandemic among 10% of the population,” a government spokeswoman said.

It will use Bluetooth short-range radio to log contacts. During the trial period of two weeks, the government will decide whether the app could be rolled out across the country.

To guard against impinging on people’s privacy, contact records will be stored on individual devices rather than a central server, using a standard developed by Apple (AAPL.O) and Google (GOOGL.O).

Technology and defence company Indra (IDR.MC) has been contracted to manage the pilot at a cost of about $375,000.

Spain’s health ministry has reported over 28,000&nbsp;deaths. Britain and Spain are one of the worst-hit countries in terms of coronavirus outbreak. The country on Sunday ended its state of emergency that was imposed on March 14. 
 
(With inputs from Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Spain will try out a new app to contain the spread of coronavirus from Friday for two weeks. The test run will be conducted on the Island of Gomera by injecting hundreds of false cases into the system.

Spain will try out a new app to contain the spread of coronavirus from Friday for two weeks. The test run will be conducted on the Island of Gomera by injecting hundreds of false cases into the system. “The idea is that approximately 3,000 people download it and we will introduce around 300 simulators, beta testers, to mimic a pandemic among 10% of the population,” a government spokeswoman said. It will use Bluetooth short-range radio to log contacts. During the trial period of two weeks, the government will decide whether the app could be rolled out across the country. To guard against impinging on people’s privacy, contact records will be stored on individual devices rather than a central server, using a standard developed by Apple (AAPL.O) and Google (GOOGL.O). Technology and defence company Indra (IDR.MC) has been contracted to manage the pilot at a cost of about $375,000. Spain’s health ministry has reported over 28,000 deaths. Britain and Spain are one of the worst-hit countries in terms of coronavirus outbreak. The country on Sunday ended its state of emergency that was imposed on March 14. (With inputs from Reuters)

Spain to try new coronavirus tracing app for 2 weeks before rolling out nationwide

China’s notorious dog meat festival has opened in defiance of a government campaign to improve animal welfare and reduce risks to health highlighted by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The annual 10-day festival in the southwestern city of Yulin usually attracts thousands of visitors. The dogs are crammed into wire cages and driven for days without food to slaughterhouses and their carcasses are hooked up at meat market. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-joins-pact-to-regulate-weapons-after-trump-decides-to-quit-307708">Also Read: China joins pact to regulate weapons after Trump decides to quit</a> 
 
The law in China says, " Dogs are classified as companions, not livestock." The government is drawing up new laws to prohibit the wildlife trade and protect pets, however, Yulin dog festival is being held despite new guidelines&nbsp;over 10,000 dogs will be slaughtered this year as well.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinas-yulin-dog-meat-festival-is-back-307819/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Many of these dogs are often sick or injured, many die on the transport trucks because of dehydration, shock, suffocation, and heatstroke and the ones that survive the journey often suffer from low immunity.

The coronavirus is believed to have originated in horseshoe bats before crossing into humans in a market in the city of Wuhan and&nbsp;there is a hypothesis that Beijing's second wave of cases emerged from a salmon stall.

Allowing mass gatherings to consume dog meat in crowded markets is a public health risk. In February, following a global backlash China put a temporary ban on exotic meat markets, but the Yulin festival is proof that there's no real reform.

(With inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

China’s notorious dog meat festival has opened in defiance of a government campaign to improve animal welfare and reduce risks to health highlighted by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

China’s notorious dog meat festival has opened in defiance of a government campaign to improve animal welfare and reduce risks to health highlighted by the novel coronavirus outbreak. The annual 10-day festival in the southwestern city of Yulin usually attracts thousands of visitors. The dogs are crammed into wire cages and driven for days without food to slaughterhouses and their carcasses are hooked up at meat market. Also Read: China joins pact to regulate weapons after Trump decides to quit The law in China says, " Dogs are classified as companions, not livestock." The government is drawing up new laws to prohibit the wildlife trade and protect pets, however, Yulin dog festival is being held despite new guidelines over 10,000 dogs will be slaughtered this year as well. × Many of these dogs are often sick or injured, many die on the transport trucks because of dehydration, shock, suffocation, and heatstroke and the ones that survive the journey often suffer from low immunity. The coronavirus is believed to have originated in horseshoe bats before crossing into humans in a market in the city of Wuhan and there is a hypothesis that Beijing's second wave of cases emerged from a salmon stall. Allowing mass gatherings to consume dog meat in crowded markets is a public health risk. In February, following a global backlash China put a temporary ban on exotic meat markets, but the Yulin festival is proof that there's no real reform. (With inputs from Reuters)

China's annual dog-meat festival opens despite new guidelines

At a time when China is facing a threat to its exports worldwide, the country is looking at the domestic market to give a boost to its economy. The recovery in China has come earlier than many other big global economies, and hence, the best market for Chinese goods now is China itself.&nbsp;

Yiwu is the world's largest small commodity wholesale market in east China's Zhejiang province. The trade city has now rolled out various schemes to meet the demands of domestic traders as Asia's largest economy is looking inwards for economic growth.&nbsp;

The Chinese government, foreign trade companies, and e-commerce platforms have taken a series of measures to divert marketable export-oriented products to the domestic market to relieve the impact of COVID-19 on foreign trade companies.&nbsp;

"We have a huge domestic market with a population of 1.4 billion, so there is enough market room for our exports to turn to the domestic market," said Gu Xueming, President, Chinese Academy of International Trade.

Chinese authorities are giving importance both to foreign trade and domestic sales for economic growth. The businessmen are trying to increase market shares in domestic supermarkets and department stores.&nbsp;

In the Chenghai district, Shantou city of south China's Guangdong province, toy export businesses are also turning to the domestic market. The local government has organised several leading e-commerce platforms to pull factories, foreign trade companies, and domestic consumers together, with the innovation of new sales modes based on live streaming and short videos.

Experts expect the Chinese economy to come back on the growth path before rebounding in the second half of the year.

The strict lockdowns imposed in China are steadily being relaxed in recent months and demand is coming back as a result of this. But coronavirus is a threat that still has not waned away and the recent spur in coronavirus cases in Beijing has forced authorities to go for mass checking. Logistics and delivery service sectors in Beijing have ramped up testing for all staff members over the weekend to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Beijing reported nine new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The capital has recorded over 230 new infections since June 11.&nbsp;

But the coronavirus cases are much less as compared to many big markets globally. So the best markets for Chinese products are now being explored in China itself. &nbsp;

At a time when China is facing a threat to its exports worldwide, the country is looking at the domestic market to give a boost to its economy. The recovery in China has come earlier than many other big global economies, and hence, the best market for Chinese goods now is China itself.

At a time when China is facing a threat to its exports worldwide, the country is looking at the domestic market to give a boost to its economy. The recovery in China has come earlier than many other big global economies, and hence, the best market for Chinese goods now is China itself. Yiwu is the world's largest small commodity wholesale market in east China's Zhejiang province. The trade city has now rolled out various schemes to meet the demands of domestic traders as Asia's largest economy is looking inwards for economic growth. The Chinese government, foreign trade companies, and e-commerce platforms have taken a series of measures to divert marketable export-oriented products to the domestic market to relieve the impact of COVID-19 on foreign trade companies. "We have a huge domestic market with a population of 1.4 billion, so there is enough market room for our exports to turn to the domestic market," said Gu Xueming, President, Chinese Academy of International Trade. Chinese authorities are giving importance both to foreign trade and domestic sales for economic growth. The businessmen are trying to increase market shares in domestic supermarkets and department stores. In the Chenghai district, Shantou city of south China's Guangdong province, toy export businesses are also turning to the domestic market. The local government has organised several leading e-commerce platforms to pull factories, foreign trade companies, and domestic consumers together, with the innovation of new sales modes based on live streaming and short videos. Experts expect the Chinese economy to come back on the growth path before rebounding in the second half of the year. The strict lockdowns imposed in China are steadily being relaxed in recent months and demand is coming back as a result of this. But coronavirus is a threat that still has not waned away and the recent spur in coronavirus cases in Beijing has forced authorities to go for mass checking. Logistics and delivery service sectors in Beijing have ramped up testing for all staff members over the weekend to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Beijing reported nine new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The capital has recorded over 230 new infections since June 11. But the coronavirus cases are much less as compared to many big markets globally. So the best markets for Chinese products are now being explored in China itself.

China focuses on the domestic market for economic recovery

American comedian DL Hughley confirmed that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

On Friday, the stand-up comedian collapsed on stage during his show at Zanies Comedy Club after which he was taken to the hospital in Nashville.&nbsp; 
 
The 57-year-old took to his Instagram handle and thanked healthcare staff for taking good care of him, "When I came I was being treated for extreme exhaustion and dehydration ... but it turns out they ran a battery of tests and I also tested positive for COVID-19, which blew me away. I was what they call asymptomatic, I am going back to my hotel room to quarantine for 14 days and well, thank you for our prayers and your good wishes and a few more of them wouldn't hurt."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBraA8ShiIi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBraA8ShiIi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBraA8ShiIi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBraA8ShiIi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by realdlhughley (@realdlhughley)</a> on <time datetime="2020-06-21T01:32:37+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jun 20, 2020 at 6:32pm PDT</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

According to the news agency, while performing Friday night at Zanies Comedy Club before a sold-out crowd, the 57-year-old actor suddenly struggled to speak before going limp. His manager rushed to catch him before he fell off his seat entirely, but he needed help to carry Hughley offstage. Video show Hughley struggling to speak prior to his collapse. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DL Hughley passed out during his stand-up show at Zanies Nashville tonight. Prayers up for him! <a href="https://t.co/qoE1CzbqHf">pic.twitter.com/qoE1CzbqHf</a>
— Brooks Golightly (@brooklynluv) <a href="https://twitter.com/brooklynluv/status/1274198718208753664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Hughley is also an actor, author and radio and television host. He was starred in Spike Lee’s 2000 concert film, 'The Original Kings of Comedy.&nbsp;

American comedian DL Hughley confirmed that he has tested positive for coronavirus. On Friday, the stand-up comedian collapsed on stage during his show at Zanies Comedy Club after which he was taken to the hospital in Nashville.

American comedian DL Hughley confirmed that he has tested positive for coronavirus. On Friday, the stand-up comedian collapsed on stage during his show at Zanies Comedy Club after which he was taken to the hospital in Nashville. The 57-year-old took to his Instagram handle and thanked healthcare staff for taking good care of him, "When I came I was being treated for extreme exhaustion and dehydration ... but it turns out they ran a battery of tests and I also tested positive for COVID-19, which blew me away. I was what they call asymptomatic, I am going back to my hotel room to quarantine for 14 days and well, thank you for our prayers and your good wishes and a few more of them wouldn't hurt." View this post on Instagram A post shared by realdlhughley (@realdlhughley) on Jun 20, 2020 at 6:32pm PDT × According to the news agency, while performing Friday night at Zanies Comedy Club before a sold-out crowd, the 57-year-old actor suddenly struggled to speak before going limp. His manager rushed to catch him before he fell off his seat entirely, but he needed help to carry Hughley offstage. Video show Hughley struggling to speak prior to his collapse. DL Hughley passed out during his stand-up show at Zanies Nashville tonight. Prayers up for him! pic.twitter.com/qoE1CzbqHf — Brooks Golightly (@brooklynluv) June 20, 2020 × Hughley is also an actor, author and radio and television host. He was starred in Spike Lee’s 2000 concert film, 'The Original Kings of Comedy.

Comedian DL Hughley diagnosed with COVID 19 after collapsing on stage

New Zealand has recorded three new cases of the coronavirus this week as quarantine breaches and other failures undermined public confidence days after it declared itself among the first countries in the world to be free of the virus.

The new infections are a set back to New Zealand, which lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls last week.

Furthermore, an unarmed policeman was shot and killed on Friday in Auckland street, becoming the first officer to die on duty for more than a decade.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered condolences to the officer's family and police colleagues. "This case represents an unacceptable failure of the system," she said. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-records-two-cases-of-coronavirus-in-returning-travellers-306173">Also Read:&nbsp;New Zealand records two cases of coronavirus in returning travellers</a>

The death of the cop comes just a day after parliament voted to further tighten New Zealand's firearms laws in the wake of last year's Christchurch Mosque&nbsp;massacre, when a lone gunman murdered 51 Muslim worshippers.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-has-jacinda-ardern-failed-as-a-leader-307192/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

After the Christchurch Mosque massacre, Ardern swiftly shifted the focus to online hate. She questioned how Facebook could allow the mass shooting to be broadcasted live and started a global movement to end online hate.

Ardern was hailed at home and outside as a model for other leaders. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jacinda-ardern-becomes-new-zealands-most-popular-prime-minister-after-covid-19-response-poll-299424">Also Read: Jacinda Ardern becomes New Zealand's most popular prime minister after COVID-19 response</a>

However, cop's death has cracked New Zealand's pitch of calling itself a well-administered country.

Experts say there has been an increase in hate crimes and xenophobia since march 2019 with at least 15 per cent of New Zealand's population being targeted.

According to one expert, there are at least 60 to 80 far-right groups in New Zealand. Recently, far-right nationalists and anti-immigration campaigners have become more active in the country and hate speech has increased. 
 
(With inputs from Reuters)

New Zealand has recorded three new cases of the coronavirus this week as quarantine breaches and other failures undermined public confidence days after it declared itself among the first countries in the world to be free of the virus.

New Zealand has recorded three new cases of the coronavirus this week as quarantine breaches and other failures undermined public confidence days after it declared itself among the first countries in the world to be free of the virus. The new infections are a set back to New Zealand, which lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls last week. Furthermore, an unarmed policeman was shot and killed on Friday in Auckland street, becoming the first officer to die on duty for more than a decade. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered condolences to the officer's family and police colleagues. "This case represents an unacceptable failure of the system," she said. Also Read: New Zealand records two cases of coronavirus in returning travellers The death of the cop comes just a day after parliament voted to further tighten New Zealand's firearms laws in the wake of last year's Christchurch Mosque massacre, when a lone gunman murdered 51 Muslim worshippers. After the Christchurch Mosque massacre, Ardern swiftly shifted the focus to online hate. She questioned how Facebook could allow the mass shooting to be broadcasted live and started a global movement to end online hate. Ardern was hailed at home and outside as a model for other leaders. Also Read: Jacinda Ardern becomes New Zealand's most popular prime minister after COVID-19 response However, cop's death has cracked New Zealand's pitch of calling itself a well-administered country. Experts say there has been an increase in hate crimes and xenophobia since march 2019 with at least 15 per cent of New Zealand's population being targeted. According to one expert, there are at least 60 to 80 far-right groups in New Zealand. Recently, far-right nationalists and anti-immigration campaigners have become more active in the country and hate speech has increased. (With inputs from Reuters)

What's the reality beneath 'picture-perfect' New Zealand?

Bus travel in Myanmar has gone from cramped seats to first-class, private pod seating, thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. As a social-distancing measure, local bus operator JJ Express has introduced cubicles in dozens of its buses where long-distance travellers sit with minimized contagion risk behind closed aluminum doors.

Myanmar bus launches private pod seats to discourage virus spread

Unlisted biotech firm CureVac on Wednesday become the second company after rival BioNTech to launch human trials of an experimental coronavirus vaccine in Germany, eyeing potential regulatory approval in mid-2021.

German biotech firm starts human trials of experimental COVID-19 vaccine | WION-DW Partnership

Madrid-based Colombian actress and puppeteer Yohana Yara has been using her time in lockdown filming puppet shows on her balcony and creating an online fan base for her characters. She created a YouTube channel for her show "Leo the Lion and his Friends".

Locked-down puppeteer brings her characters to life in Madrid flat

As Chile reels from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, at least one business there is booming - the production of coffins. Coffin manufacturers are boosting production twice or three times over in a bid to keep pace with demand.

Coffin makers struggle to meet demand in Chile

The coronavirus has sent China scrambling yet again. Beijing, the Chinese capital, is battling its second virus outbreak.

This has sent anxious residents flooding to clinics for voluntary tests, putting the healthcare system under massive strain. So far, over 350,000 people have been tested.

For two months, the Chinese capital did not report a single case, and then the city saw a surge of over 150 infections in a week. Most cases are linked to Beijing's huge Xinfadi wholesale food center.

It seems despite repeated and urgent warnings, China has failed to take care of the hygiene in wholesale food markets. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-finds-heavy-coronavirus-traces-in-seafood-meat-sections-of-beijing-food-market-306858">Also Read: China finds heavy coronavirus traces in seafood, meat sections of Beijing food market</a>

The Communist Party’s top disciplinary body has swung into action as they want to avoid the global shame that followed the Wuhan outbreak. In its report, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said, " The epidemic is a mirror that not only reflects the dirty and messy aspects of wholesale markets but also their low-level management conditions."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-beijing-is-turning-into-wuhan-306935/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The first major cluster of infections was traced to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan through which over 8.4 million people were infected.

China has realised that it must improve hygiene in its markets after a repeat of the same mistake in Beijing. Since May 30, over 200,000 people have visited the Beijing market. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijings-coronavirus-outbreak-under-control-chinese-expert-says-306810">Also Read: Beijing's coronavirus outbreak under control, Chinese expert says</a>

Now, authorities are tracking down all of them. As many as 80,000 test samples were taken in and around the market alone.10 areas in Beijing are under lockdown and in many districts, buildings have been completely sealed.

Travel restrictions have been put in place and residents now require a negative result on a nucleic acid test to travel. But, these measures may have come too late.

Neighbouring provinces -Hebei, Liaoning, Sichuan, and Zhejiang have also reported new cases, all linked to travellers arriving from Beijing.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The coronavirus has sent China scrambling yet again. Beijing, the Chinese capital, is battling its second virus outbreak. This has sent anxious residents flooding to clinics for voluntary tests, putting the healthcare system under massive strain.

The coronavirus has sent China scrambling yet again. Beijing, the Chinese capital, is battling its second virus outbreak. This has sent anxious residents flooding to clinics for voluntary tests, putting the healthcare system under massive strain. So far, over 350,000 people have been tested. For two months, the Chinese capital did not report a single case, and then the city saw a surge of over 150 infections in a week. Most cases are linked to Beijing's huge Xinfadi wholesale food center. It seems despite repeated and urgent warnings, China has failed to take care of the hygiene in wholesale food markets. Also Read: China finds heavy coronavirus traces in seafood, meat sections of Beijing food market The Communist Party’s top disciplinary body has swung into action as they want to avoid the global shame that followed the Wuhan outbreak. In its report, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said, " The epidemic is a mirror that not only reflects the dirty and messy aspects of wholesale markets but also their low-level management conditions." The first major cluster of infections was traced to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan through which over 8.4 million people were infected. China has realised that it must improve hygiene in its markets after a repeat of the same mistake in Beijing. Since May 30, over 200,000 people have visited the Beijing market. Also Read: Beijing's coronavirus outbreak under control, Chinese expert says Now, authorities are tracking down all of them. As many as 80,000 test samples were taken in and around the market alone.10 areas in Beijing are under lockdown and in many districts, buildings have been completely sealed. Travel restrictions have been put in place and residents now require a negative result on a nucleic acid test to travel. But, these measures may have come too late. Neighbouring provinces -Hebei, Liaoning, Sichuan, and Zhejiang have also reported new cases, all linked to travellers arriving from Beijing.

Beijing's second coronavirus wave puts wet markets back in focus

One gym owner in Southern California found a unique solution to reopening during the pandemic: "workout pods" made from pipes and shower curtains.

California gym reopens with 'workout pods'

WION In Focus: Some stories related to Coronavirus pandemic | COVID-19 | Coronavirus News

covid-19

Covid 19, News on Covid 19, stories on Covid 19, articles on Covid 19, Covid 19 stories at Wion, Covid 19 news, Covid 19 latest news

covid 19