Rome – Italy’s foreign minister announced on Sunday that Italy was suspending flights from Britain “to protect the Italians” from the new coronavirus virus.
Luigi Di Mao tweeted that the government was preparing a measure that would block flights. It was not immediately clear when it would come into force.
Italian media reports indicate that about two dozen flights are scheduled to arrive in Italy on Sunday, most in the northern region of Lombardy, but also in Veneto and Lazio, including Venice and Rome respectively.
More than 327,000 Italian citizens are registered as residing in the UK, with the informal total reaching 700,000. Due to a new partial lockdown imposed by the government to prevent a new upsurge in infections, Italians may travel from one region to another before the Christmas holidays.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK:
– European countries stop UK flights, Afraid of the new Coronavirus version.
– Asia Today: Outbreaks increase in Sydney’s beach suburbs; Thais line for testing.
– ‘Naya Garib’ boom involving closed restaurants and hotels Italy are struggling amid the outbreak.
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BANGKOK – Thousands of people queued for coronovirus testing in a province near Bangkok on Sunday as Thai authorities scrambled to prevent an outbreak that infected nearly 700 people.
The lines of mainly migrant workers spanned about 100 meters at a single location in Mahachai in Samut Sakhon Province, as the health units in mobile units systematically took the nasal swabs.
There were a total of three places in the area. Nearby, razor wire and police guards blocked access to Thailand’s largest seafood markets and its affiliated housing complex, the epicenter of the new cluster.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control said on Sunday that they had found 141 more cases related to the market outbreak. On Saturday, the department reported 548 cases, Thailand’s largest daily spike.
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Prague – The Czech Republic is banning travel from Britain following the discovery of a new, allegedly highly contagious strain of coronovirus in southern England.
The Czech Health Ministry says that all people arriving in the country in the UK will have to be separated, given the risk associated with the new variant, which spent at least 24 hours in British territory in the last two weeks.
The ministry says that they will have to remain isolated for 10 days, unless tested negatively by a PCR test of five to seven days in their self-isolation.
It says that it measures whose goal it is to increase public safety goes into effect on Sunday.
Belgium and the Netherlands began banning flights from the UK in response to strict measures imposed by London Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Germany, the Czech Republic’s neighbors, in London and surrounding areas on Saturday, considering doing so .
Johnson said there is an increasingly new version of the virus that is 70% more infectious than existing strains, causing the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England.
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ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s minister for planning who is also the head of the national body for the control of coronovirus, tested positive and was isolated at home as federal authorities received another 80 new deaths and COVIDs during the last 24 hours 3297 cases of -19 were registered.
Asad Umar announced his isolation due to the virus on Saturday. Omar appealed to fellow countrymen to follow the precautionary measures of physical distancing and wearing of face masks in public or during mass mobilization at all times. But it is seen that in this nation of 22 million people rarely follow the rules to avoid COVID-19.
Authority is partially closed or completely closed in many areas across the country. With the new deaths, the country’s tally reached 9330, while the number of people affected is now 457288. The vaccine is expected to be available in Pakistan by the end of February and vaccination will be started in March giving priority to health workers and elderly people.
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Berlin – Germany is considering limiting flights from the UK to ensure that a new, allegedly highly contagious strain of coronovirus that is spreading throughout southern England does not spread over Germany, the Sunday News The agency said.
A high official of the German government told dpa that a ban on flights from Britain is a “serious option”.
Belgium and the Netherlands on Saturday began banning flights from the UK in response to the stringent measures imposed by London Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London and surrounding areas.
Johnson said there is an increasingly new version of the virus that is 70% more infectious than existing strains, causing the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England.
The German government, which presides over the rotation of the European Union, is in close contact with its European neighbors on developing conditions, Dapa reported.
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Brussels – Belgium has joined the Netherlands in banning flights from the UK and has also banned rail connections in an effort to ensure that a new strain of coronovirus that is widespread throughout southern England does not spread over its territory is.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Crew said on Sunday that he was issuing orders to start “out of precaution” at midnight.
“There are a lot of questions about this new mutation and if it isn’t already on the mainland,” he said. He expected more clarity by Tuesday.
The Netherlands is banning flights from the UK for at least the rest of the year.
Both Belgium and the Netherlands were reacting to the strict measures imposed in London and surrounding areas by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday.
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AMSTERDAM – The Netherlands is banning flights from the UK for at least the rest of the year to ensure that a new strain of coronovirus that is spreading widely across southern England does not reach its shores.
The ban came into force on Sunday morning and the government said it was reacting to strict measures imposed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London and surrounding areas on Saturday. The Netherlands said it would “assess the possibilities of stopping the import of the virus from the United Kingdom along with other EU countries.”
Johnson said there is an increasingly new version of the virus that is 70% more infectious than existing strains, causing the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England.
The Prime Minister insisted, “There is no evidence to suggest that it is more fatal or the cause of more serious illness”, or that vaccines would be less effective against it.
The Dutch government is already advising its citizens not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
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JERUSALEM – Israel began its coronovirus inoculation drive on Sunday, aiming to vaccinate about 60,000 people a day to curb the disease.
The country will first vaccinate health workers, followed by the elderly, high-risk Israelis and those over 60 years of age. Israel says it has received substantial doses from both Pfizer and Modern for the nation’s 9 million people whose vaccines were approved for emergency use by US officials this week.
With public opinion polls showing many Israelis reluctant to receive shots right now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would set a “personal example” and insist on having the first Israeli vaccination. He received the shot Saturday night.
Netanyahu called it an “exciting moment” that would take Israel on its way back to its normal routine. The country’s Health Minister also got the vaccine shot.
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SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea has recorded more than 1,000 new coronovirus cases for the fifth consecutive day, putting pressure on authorities to enforce the toughest removal rules that would further harm the economy.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency says it has found 1,097 additional cases in the past 24-hour period, the highest daily tally since the epidemic. Which puts the national caseload at 49,665 including 674 deaths.
About 70% of the new cases come from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, which has been at the center of a viral resurgence.
The pace of dissemination has already met government conditions to increase social removal rules at its highest level. But officials have been reluctant to move forward with a measure of concerns for the economy. The new steps would ban gatherings of more than 10 people and shut down thousands of non-essential businesses.
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Sydney – Outbreaks in Sydney’s northern beach suburbs have increased to 70 cases in the last 24 hours with an additional 30, and officials say they may never be able to locate the source.
While the numbers are increasing, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berekklian said there has not been a large seedbed outside the North Beach community on Sunday. However, a new list of cases suggests that the virus had spread to Sydney and other parts of the state.
The government has blocked the area till Wednesday. Residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for five basic reasons, including medical care, exercise, grocery store, work or compassionate care reasons.
State Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said contact tractors are yet to locate the patient’s void, but a comprehensive investigation is ongoing.
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