Hong Kong to ban all tourists as coronavirus numbers rise
Hong Kong authorities said Monday they are banning all tourists from the global financial hub as the city is facing a growing number of coronavirus cases. The city government announced 39 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, 30 of which had a recent travel history, bringing its total to 357 and four deaths.
The order, which kicks in on Wednesday, does not apply to Hong Kong residents.
The semi-autonomous territory detected its first cases as early as January, but thanks to severe social distancing measures and a strong community response it has managed to avoid the scale of contagion seen in other countries and territories.
It is now faces the risk that visitors carrying the virus could spread it in Hong Kong, undoing the city’s efforts so far.
500 U.S. tourists depart Peru after border closure
Hundreds of Americans have left Peru after getting stranded in the country amid travel chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. Embassy in the country’s capital Lima said they are working with the Peruvian government on all options for U.S. citizens to depart the country and are arranging charter aircraft.
It said approximately 500 American tourists departed Peru this weekend, including some of the most urgent medical cases.
Earlier this month, Peru issued a state of emergency, closing all international borders and leaving many Americans stranded and unable to get out.
British public warned of ‘tougher measures’ after weekend of gatherings
Saudi Arabia imposes nationwide curfew amid coronavirus epidemic
Saudi Arabia has imposed a nationwide curfew as it tries to stem the spread of coronavirus, the country’s state news agency reported Monday.
Saudi ruler King Salman issued an order for a curfew between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, Saudi Press Agency said.
The curfew kicks in Monday evening and will be in effect for the next 21 days.
Employees in the so-called vital sectors, whose work requires continued performance during the curfew, are exempt from the order.
Saudi Arabia has taken some of the most drastic steps in the region, including halting international flights, suspending work at most institutions and closing public venues.
The country has recorded 119 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 511.
War-ravaged Syria records its first coronavirus case
Syria registered its first case of coronavirus Sunday, the country’s health officials said, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
Health officials said the individual who tested positive came from abroad, without specifying a country, SANA reported.
Health Minister Nizar al-Yaziji told state media “necessary measures” had been taken regarding the individual, who he said would be quarantined for 14 days and given medical checks.
Damascus announced a ban on public transport on Sunday as it stepped up a lockdown introduced in recent days, including the closure of schools, parks, restaurants and various public institutions, as well as calling off army conscription.
The country ravaged by nine years of civil war has a wrecked health care system that many fear would not be able to handle an epidemic, but government authorities have denied any outbreak or cover-up.
World Health Organization warns of criminal imposters
The World Health Organization warned over the weekend of an uptick in criminals disguising themselves as WHO workers to steal money or personal identity information vulnerable people.
The United Nations branch responsible for public health around the globe urged people to verify the authenticity of anyone claiming to be from WHO. It also issued a list of questions and information the organization will never ask for.
The only request for financial support WHO has made, it said, was for people to give to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. “Any other appeal for funding or donations that appears to be from WHO is a scam,” the organization said.
The World Health Organization will:
never ask for your username or password to access safety information
never email attachments you didn’t ask for
never ask you to visit a link outside of www.who.int
never charge money to apply for a job, register for a conference, or reserve a hotel
never conduct lotteries or offer prizes, grants, certificates or funding through email.
IOC says canceling Tokyo Olympics wouldn’t solve anything and ‘isn’t on the agenda’
The International Olympic Committee said Sunday that canceling the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo “is not on the agenda,” even as Australia and Canada became the first two countries to pull out of the games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Olympic committees of both countries issued statements late Sunday (midday Monday in Australia) saying they wouldn’t send teams unless the games are postponed for a year. The games are scheduled to open in just four months.
In a long statement, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, said the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, had led the organization’s executive board to conclude that “the IOC needs to take the next step in its scenario-planning.”
But it said “a cancellation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would not solve any of the problems or help anybody.”
“Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda,” it said.
Parks, trails closed in Los Angeles area
More than 75,000 acres of parks and trails were closed indefinitely in and around the Los Angeles region Sunday because of the coronavirus pandemic, authorities said.
The announcement, by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, expands on an order Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued earlier Sunday closing sports and recreation at city parks and parking at city beaches as images of packed trails and beaches sparked an outcry while California is under a statewide stay-at-home order.
“This is serious. Stay home and save lives,” Garcetti tweeted.
The two orders effectively close all parks and restrict access to many beaches across tens of thousands of acres from Los Angeles north across the San Fernando Valley, including the popular Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
