Bolivia's government on Saturday announced a complete quarantine to come into effect from Sunday in a bid to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"It's a tough but necessary decision for the good of everyone," said interim President Jeanine Anez, adding that "we must be at home for 24 hours a day."
Bolivia has so far registered 19 cases, far fewer than neighbouring countries such as Brazil, with more than 900, and Chile, with more than 500.

Bolivia announces total quarantine from Sunday to combat virus

PTI Automatic

The NBA plans to pay full salaries to players as scheduled on April 1 but could begin cutting salaries to recover money from canceled games by April 15, ESPN reported Saturday.
Citing a league memo shared with NBA clubs on Friday, the sport network's website said the league might soon begin recovering salary based on a "force majeure" clause in its collective bargaining agreement with players.
The NBA halted its season on March 11 after Utah's Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down sports league throughout the United States.
The memo said the league will inform teams about its plans before the April 15 payment date. That's the day the league's regular season was set to end before the schedule was suspended by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Under terms of the NBA-union deal, the league can withhold a percentage of a player's salary for a catastrophic situation that forces games to be canceled, including a pandemic.
It's uncertain when, or if, the NBA ...

NBA uncertain about salary payments after April 1: report

Kyrgyzstan on Saturday declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak with measures including travel restrictions and store closures after the Central Asian country reported 14 cases.
The emergency measures take effect Sunday and are to last a month in the ex-Soviet state, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammetkalyi Abylgaziev said.
The mountainous country of six million people on Saturday saw its tally rise by two cases.
The premier said regional officials were in charge of ensuring supplies of essential goods and medicines.
"People shouldn't encounter shortages of food and medicines anywhere," he said.
Emergency measures proposed by the national security council focus on the capital, the southern city of Osh and districts where cases have been confirmed, he said.
The mayor's office in Bishkek said that from Sunday it was closing non-essential stores except grocery stores, food markets and pharmacies.
It also announced a halt to privately owned minibuses running city routes, ...

Kyrgzystan declares national emergency over coronavirus

Argentines knew 2020 would be a tough year as the country struggles to pay off its debts, but no one could have imagined that a pandemic would also leave people locked up in their own homes.
Buenos Aires and most other cities in Argentina now resemble ghost towns.
"Argentina has just had two difficult years and we knew (this year) was going to be very tricky, but this..." said Eduardo Cabrera, 41, who runs three businesses.
Two of the three, dealing with logistics and tourism, are "totally shut down" and only his software business is still running.
In a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Alberto Fernandez ordered a "preventive and mandatory" isolation, effective until the end of the month.
The country of 44 million people had recorded 158 cases and three deaths as of Saturday morning, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
"It's a blow that's going to leave a lot of those that work with us by the wayside," said Sandra, an events .

Crisis-hit Argentines fear for the future over virus

"I've put the kids in the freezer, so everything's cool now." Parents may be joking on social media about their childcare hell as more and more countries go into lockdown with the coronavirus.
But child protection professionals are not laughing.
They have real worries about the risks with families locked up 24/7 together for an indefinite period.
"You will no doubt want to throw your children out the window at some point. That's normal," psychologist Moira Mikolajczak told AFP.
"What isn't normal, is to do that," she warned, as she urged parents to give themselves a break and "not try to be Superman or Superwoman".
While governments across Europe from Ireland to Greece have been having schools send lessons and activity ideas by email to occupy bored children, social media is full of testimony from parents frazzled at having to be both teacher and playmate to their kids.
Grassroots groups, however, are trying to step into the gap with the French feminist collective #NousToutes ("All of 

How to not kill your kids during coronavirus lockdown

Finland on Saturday reported the country's first death from COVID-19, saying the outbreak was "moving to the next, more serious phase" in the country.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) did not give any details on the patient, other than saying the person was "elderly", living in the Helsinki area and had died on Friday.
"Finland's first coronavirus death is extremely unfortunate, but not unexpected," THL said in a statement, referring to the patients advanced age.
Finland's president Sauli Niinisto sent a message of condolence to the family and friends of the deceased, saying the incident showed that "the coronavirus epidemic is moving to the next, more serious phase in Finland."
Health authorities reported 521 cases on Saturday, but only high-risk patients are being tested so health officials have said the number of infections in the country could be up to 30 times higher.
On Monday, Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced a state of emergency, under which the border ...

Finland reports first coronavirus death

A plane from China carrying 500,000 masks to help Greece combat the coronavirus outbreak landed at Athens International Airport on Saturday.
Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias was among those at the airport to receive the load which was donated by the Chinese public electricity company State Grid and Greek electricity supplier Admie, in which the Chinese firm holds a 25 percent stake.
The load consisted mainly of FFP2 masks which will be distributed principally to hospitals, airport officials said.
Beijing and Athens have been building important commercial relationships for over a decade, especially after the sale of most of the terminals in the port of Piraeus (near Athens) to the Chinese shipping giant Cosco.
With its health system suffering from chronic problems and its economy still creaking after a long-running debt crisis, Greece is facing a shortage of medical equipment, especially masks.
Covid-19 has killed ten people in the country in the past nine days while 495 cases have ...

Greece gets 500,000 masks from China to combat virus

UK regions traditionally desperate for tourists, on Saturday pleaded for people not to visit the coast or the countryside for fear of spreading the coronavirus.
Cornwall, in the far south-west of England, has urged people to stay away amid fears there could be a mass exodus from London by people with second homes in rural regions following the UK government's decision to close down large parts of the capital.
Steve Double, Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, tweeted and told Sky TV that people should keep away.  "Please do not travel to Cornwall, we do not want to spread this virus any further," he said, amid "endless reports" that people were heading to the region.
He said such journeys could "cost lives".  Double's constituency, famous for its surfing, is one of the most highly-visited regions by UK holidaymakers.  Official figures calculate that some four million tourists visit Cornwall every year.
Tourism body, Visit Cornwall, also tried to dissuade people from heading ...

Don't come here! UK tourist hotspots tell people to stay away

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
- More than 11,000 dead globally -
======================
At least 11,737 deaths have been recorded since the virus first emerged in December, according to an AFP tally compiled at 1230 GMT (1800 IST) on Saturday based on official sources.
There have been more than 277,106 infections reported in 164 countries and territories.
Italy has recorded 4,032 deaths out of 47,021 cases, with 5,129 recoveries.
China has 81,008 cases, including 3,255 fatalities and 71,740 people recovered.
The worst affected countries after Italy and China are Iran with 1,556 deaths, Spain with 1,326 deaths, and France with 450 deaths.
- Nearly one billion people confined to homes -
=============================
An estimated 900 million people are now confined to their homes in 35 countries around the world -- including 600 million hemmed in by obligatory government lockdown orders -- according to an AFP tally.
Colombia will impose obligatory ...

Coronavirus: latest global developments

Hungary's government has submitted a bill to parliament that would enable sweeping rule-by-decree powers to tackle the coronavirus under an extended state of emergency, as well as introducing jail terms for spreading "fake news".
According to the draft posted on the parliament website late on Friday, the bill would enable the government to indefinitely extend the state of emergency and its associated powers of rule by decree, removing the current requirement for MPs to approve any extension.
Hungary ordered a state of emergency on March 11 as part of protective measures aimed at stemming the spread of the Covid-19 virus, which have included the closure of borders to non-national passenger traffic.
According to the draft bill, during the period of the state of emergency the government could "by decree suspend the use of certain laws, diverge from statutory provisions, and introduce other extraordinary measures, in the interest of guaranteeing the stabilisation of the lives, health, ...

Hungary proposes sweeping new virus emergency powers

The European Commission on Saturday approved a proposal by France to guarantee up to 300 billion euros (USD 323 billion) in state aid to ease the economic burden of the coronavirus.
The EU body approved three measures by France "to help its economy manage the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak," said Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president in charge of competition policy at the EU Commission.
"These are expected to mobilise 300 billion euros of liquidity support for companies affected by this unprecedented situation... We are working around the clock with member states to enable them to take swift, effective and targeted action," she added.

EU approves France plan for 3 bn euro virus aid package

Mauritius has recorded its first death from coronavirus, the health minister said Saturday, just the third in sub-Saharan Africa, as the archipelago nation imposed a lockdown to contain the outbreak.
"There have been 14 confirmed cases so far, one of which died on Thursday evening," Health Minister Kailesh Jagutpal said, without providing details about the deceased patient.
Mauritius, some 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) off the eastern coast of Africa, went into lockdown Friday, with the country's citizens told to stay indoors for 14 days.
There were just three confirmed cases in Mauritius on Thursday when Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth appealed to the country's 1.3 million citizens to obey the order.
"I ask the people of Mauritius to stay inside their home," he said in a televised evening address to the nation.
Flights into the Indian Ocean nation of four volcanic islands had already been severely curtailed to curb the spread of the virus, with passengers from the EU -- a major ...

Mauritius reports first coronavirus death as cases rise

Ireland's seven-match series against Bangladesh became on Saturday the latest casualty to be inflicted on the cricket calendar by the coronavirus pandemic.
The three one-day internationals in Belfast and four Twenty20 matches in England, scheduled to take place in May, have been postponed in line with British and Irish government advice against the staging of sporting events with mass gatherings and travel restrictions.
"We have a responsibility to protect the wellbeing of players, coaches, fans and the wider community, and will not hesitate to take a safety-first approach to our operations over coming months," said Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland.
"We would like to thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board for their helpful cooperation in reaching this decision, and we shall work with them at establishing new dates for the series when we are all in a position to plan for the future with greater certainty."
The United Kingdom is entering a second weekend of sporting ...

Ireland-Bangladesh cricket series postponed due to coronavirus

Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shiites  turned out to commemorate a revered imam on Saturday, defying curfews imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
On foot, they streamed to the golden-domed mausoleum of Imam al-Kadhim in Baghdad, where authorities kept an outer gate open to allow pilgrims into the surrounding courtyard.
The inner shrine remained closed despite some pilgrims pressing authorities to let them in, a shrine official told AFP.  "There are many fewer pilgrims than in previous years," the official said, asking not to be identified.
"For the first time, there are no foreign pilgrims -- everyone comes from Iraqi provinces." The anniversary typically draws millions of devout followers from around the world who visit and kiss the shrine housing the remains of Musa al-Kadhim, who died in 799 in the custody of Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid.
Many come from Iran, which is now battling one of the world's deadliest coronavirus outbreaks.
Iraq banned travel to and from Iran last .

Iraq shiites defy curfews to commemorate revered imam

Georgia on Saturday declared a nationwide state of emergency over the novel coronavirus pandemic, allowing the government to regulate prices for food and medicines if needed.
"The situation is grave and is expected to worsen," President Salome Zurabishvili said in a televised address to the nation, saying the state of emergency is effective immediately and will last for one month.
She praised her cabinet for successfully containing the pandemic but added that the time had come to prepare for a "second wave that will be acute." The Black Sea nation of some 3.7 million people has so far reported 48 cases of COVID-19, while some 2,000 people are under quarantine.
"A number of rights guaranteed under the constitution will be limited during the state of emergency, including the rights of movement and assembly," Zurabishvili said.
She said however there would be no restrictions on freedom of expression and the media and that the government was not planning to impose a curfew.
Earlier on ...

Georgia declares state of emergency over coronavirus

Hundreds of homeless people in London are being housed in hotels to self-isolate and give them "vital protection" from the coronavirus, the city's mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Saturday.
Three hundred rooms have been made available in two hotels for the next 12 weeks, the mayor's office said in a statement.
"The coronavirus outbreak affects everyone in London and we must do all we can to safeguard everyone's health -- not least those Londoners who face spending each night sleeping rough on the capital's streets," said Khan.
"Rough sleepers already face difficult and uncertain lives and I'm determined to do all I can to ensure they, along with all Londoners, are given the best protection possible." It is thought the scheme started on Friday night.
Figures from the mayor's office for last year showed some 1,100 people were sleeping rough on London's streets at night.
The rough sleepers will be housed at two hotels belonging to the Intercontinental chain and will be transported to their .

London homeless to be housed in hotels to self-isolate

- Six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he is self-isolating but will not get tested for coronavirus as others need attention more than him.
The 35-year-old Briton said he decided to self-isolate because he had been at the same function in London that actor Idris Elba and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau attended earlier this month.
Elba and Gregoire-Trudeau subsequently both tested positive for COVID-19.
"I want to let you know that I am doing well," Hamilton said in a statement.
"There has been speculation about my health, after I was at an event where two people later tested positive for coronavirus.
"I have zero symptoms and it has now been 17 days since I saw Sophie and Idris. I have been in touch with Idris and happy to hear he is OK.
"I did speak to my doctor and double checked if I needed to take a test but the truth is, there is a limited amount of tests available and there are people who need it more than I do, especially when 

World champion Hamilton self-isolating as precaution

France's swimming federation on Saturday joined its US counterpart in calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, adding to pressure on the IOC.
"The current context does not allow the 2020 Olympic Games to be organised properly," the federation said after a videoconference of its executive committee.
The federation called for the International Olympic Committee to "study the possibility of a postponement".
It said measures restricting the movement of people in many countries, including France, "mean that sporting fairness cannot be guaranteed in terms of preparation for this competition".
The call followed that of USA Swimming which on Friday urged the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee to back a postponement.
"We urge the USOPC, as a leader within the Olympic Movement, to use its voice and speak up for the athletes," USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey said in a letter.
IOC President Thomas Bach insisted this week it was "premature" to consider ...

French swim federation joins US counterpart in Olympics delay call

President Emmanuel Macron announced Saturday that Iran has freed a French researcher imprisoned in the Islamic republic after France released an Iranian threatened with extradition to the US.
Macron "is happy to announce the release of Roland Marchal, imprisoned in Iran since June 2019" but he "urges the Iranian authorities to immediately free" fellow researcher Fariba Adelkhah, his office said.
France has for months demanded that Iran release Adelkhah, and her partner Marchal, who were detained last year accused of plotting against national security. Their trial began in early March.
Adelkhah is a citizen of both Iran and France, but Tehran does not recognise dual nationality.
Iran has in recent months carried out prisoner exchanges with the US, Australia and Germany.
Marchal is due in France later Saturday, according to Macron's office.
The Iranian judiciary's news agency Mizan Online reported Iranian Jallal Rohollahnejad had been freed by France on Friday. Iranian state TV later ...

Iran 'frees French researcher' in apparent prisoner swap

As Europeans take to their balconies to cheer on health workers every evening, Kosovars have joined the chorus for a different reason: to protest a political debacle threatening to bring down the government in the middle of the coronavirus crisis.
Unable to gather en masse on the streets, Pristina residents have been banging pots and pans from their terraces to express anger at politicians accused of exploiting the health emergency for personal gain.
"I could not imagine such misfortune in my worst dreams," 30-year-old economist Azra Marmullaku, who has been joining the nightly noise-making, told AFP by phone.
Kosovo has "very modest resources to cope with a pandemic that has brought world powers to their feet," she lamented.
"And now, instead of mobilising all of our potential in the fight for survival, we are wasting our time and energy with a power struggle.
"What a shame!"
Across the globe, governments have been clicking into crisis-mode to protect citizens from the rapid spread ..

In Kosovo, coronavirus breeds political maladies

Iran said Saturday that 123 more people had died from coronavirus, raising the official death toll to 1,556 in the Islamic republic, one of the world's worst affected countries.
Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 966 more cases had been confirmed over the past 24 hours and 20,610 people were now known to have been infected in Iran.
A total of 7,635 people have recovered from the disease, he told a televised news conference.
The Islamic republic is among the three countries hardest hit by the virus with an official death toll behind only Italy and China.
The authorities have asked people to avoid all travel during the Persian New Year holidays, which usually sees almost all citizens take to the roads.  But the pleas have been ignored by many.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, around three million people have left the 13 most virus-affected provinces by road since March 17.
Jahanpour said there was "a minority who did not follow the guidelines", warning that ...

AFP

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