World Health Organization
China’s Wuhan reports first coronavirus infection in over a month
China on Sunday reported the first case of coronavirus in over a month in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak first started in December last year. China’s National Health Commission also reported the first double-digit increase in countrywide cases in nearly 10 days, saying 14 new infections had been confirmed. Two of the cases were imported into the country from overseas, the commission said. The coronavirus first emerged in China’s Wuhan, a major industrial and transport city in central China, in December. It has since infected nearly four million people worldwide — claiming more than 270,000 lives — and crippled the global economy. The total number infected in China is 82,901, with an official death toll of 4,633. No new deaths have been reported for nearly a month. China’s ruling Commun...
UN: Somalia faces dire threats from conflict, natural disasters, coronavirus
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is appealing for strong International support to help millions of Somalis facing a growing number of catastrophic threats from conflict, natural disasters and the potential spread of COVID-19. More than 220,000 Somalis have fled their homes this year because of drought, heavy flooding and increased violence and atrocities by al-Shabab militants. This brings the total number of those forced from their homes in the country to 2.6 million. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR says the conflict and natural and climate-related disasters are crippling the country’s economy and threatening the safety and welfare of the displaced Somalis. It warns impending desert locust swarms, which have been creating havoc across parts of East Africa, could destroy much of the n...
China admits coronavirus exposed ‘shortcomings’ in healthcare system
The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms. China has faced criticism both at home and abroad for downplaying the virus and concealing information about the outbreak when it first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in December. The virus has since infected nearly four million people worldwide — claiming more than 270,000 lives — and crippled the global economy. Beijing has insisted it has always shared information with the World Health Organization and other countries in a timely manner. But on Saturday Li Bin, deputy director of China’s National Health Commission, made a rare admission when he said the heal...
