TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Sanders to ‘assess’ campaign after Biden sweeps latest primaries

    Leftist Bernie Sanders was under fresh pressure Wednesday to bow out of the race for the Democratic White House nomination after losing the three latest primaries in contests hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic.

    Political moderate Joe Biden swept all three of Tuesday’s contests, building a solid lead in delegates to the party’s July nominating convention as Democratic voters appeared to coalesce around him as the best chance to defeat President Donald Trump in November.

    Sanders, once the race’s frontrunner, was considering his options as more states postponed their primary votes amid a national shutdown for the COVID-19 emergency.

    “The next primary contest is at least three weeks away,” said Sanders’ campaign manager Faiz Shakir in a statement.

    “Sen. Sanders is going to be having conversations with supporters to assess his campaign.”

    Biden handily trounced Sanders in each of Tuesday’s battlegrounds. In the biggest prize of Florida, the 77-year-old former vice president grabbed 62 percent of the vote against 23 percent for 78-year-old Sanders.

    In Illinois, Biden topped 59 percent to Sanders’ 36 percent, and in Arizona, Biden came in with more than 43 percent to Sanders’ nearly 32 percent, while former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has already withdrawn from the race, came in a distant third.

    Biden has now won 19 of the 24 contests, with just over half to be held.

    The victories underscored Biden’s position as the party’s frontrunner and the eagerness of Democratic leaders and party rank and file to come together around a moderate flag bearer, to challenge Trump.

    According to a count by RealClearPolitics, Biden has racked up 1,147 delegates to Sanders’ 861, with 1,991 needed to capture the nomination.

    Given Biden’s solid lead in national opinion polls among Democrats and in many of the states yet to hold primaries, Sanders faces a very steep battle to overtake his rival.

    “Our campaign has had a very good night,” Biden said in televised remarks from his home in Delaware.

    “We’ve moved closer to securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, and we’re doing it by building a broad coalition that we need to win in November.”

    – Trump taunt –

    From the White House Trump taunted the Democrats, repeating his accusation that the party elite sabotaged the campaign of Sanders — whom the president’s own campaign views as the weaker opponent in the November contest.

    The Democratic National Committee “will have gotten their fondest wish and defeated Bernie Sanders, far ahead of schedule,” Trump tweeted.

    “Now they are doing everything possible to be nice to him in order to keep his supporters. Bernie has given up, just like he did last time. He will be dropping out soon!” he said, referring to Sanders’ failed fight for the nomination in 2016.

    By all accounts it is an astonishing reversal of fortune for Biden, whose campaign was left for dead just one month ago after poor showings in early voting states.

    But following a string of victories in high-profile contests starting with South Carolina in late February, and continuing into his latest show of strength Tuesday, Biden now has a commanding lead in the all-important race for delegates.

    Political analyst David Axelrod concluded that Sanders was a mortally wounded candidate.

    “No Dem has ever come back from anything like this deficit,” tweeted Axelrod, chief strategist for Barack Obama’s two successful presidential campaigns.

    Source: France24

  • Choral composer Ken Kafui dies

    Ghanaian Choral Composer, Ken Kafui has died.

    The choral composer died on Wednesday, 18 March 2020.

    He was known for his composition Mida akpe na Mawu, Dzidom among others.

    He was also a lecturer at the University of Ghana.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Coronavirus: Emirates airline suspends all flights to Ghana

    Emirates airline has suspended all its flights from and to Accra from the 21st of March 2020 to the 20th of May 2020 in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

    The government of Ghana had written to airline companies to stop flying travellers from countries that have recorded over 200 cases of COVID-19 into Ghana.

    Ghana confirmed its 7th case of the virus yesterday [March 17 2020].

    The Dubai-based carrier had previously announced that a total of 35 routes would be temporarily cancelled from Tuesday [yesterday] as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

    This includes a range of destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America.

    In a statement posted on its website, the airline said it will closely monitor developments in Accra, Ghana, to reinstate its flights to that destination if it becomes necessary.

    The firm also advised customers to contact it to change flight destinations at no extra fees.

    Coronavirus patients in Ghana getting better Ghana Health Service

    The Ghana Health Service says all patients who have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) are getting better.

    Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service in an interview on Eyewitness News on Tuesday said the patients are recovering and will be discharged once they are cleared.

    He said none of the patients had deteriorated since they were isolated and started receiving treatment.

    “They are all doing very well. They are recovering because they are much better than we saw them. When they are fully off, we will let them go home. All of them are better today than they were when we saw them. We have not seen any of them deteriorating. We review them every day so based on the condition, we will discharge them once we see that they have fully recovered and cleared,” he said.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Speaker orders fumigation of Parliament amid COVID-19 fears

    The Speaker of Parliament has ordered the immediate fumigation of the precincts of the House.

    This forms part of measures to prevent a spread of Coronavirus in the House.

    “The fumigation of every inch of Parliament where we operate should be done immediately. Tomorrow we should see progress in that regard.”

    “This is rather important. Some have made very serious arrangements and rearrangements and we should continue to consider these…Even in the matter of state of emergency, Parliament must be around to take steps,” the Speaker said.

    Speaker advises against handshaking among MPs

    The Speaker of Parliament had early on also advised MPs to shun greeting by handshaking and physical contact.

    Prof. Oquaye also said the House had placed hand sanitizers at vantage points in a bid to strengthen measures against the pandemic.

    “Transmission has been identified particularly through handshaking and using the hands on the face. Sanitizers have been put at vantage points. We [parliamentarians] need to keep sanitizing our hands,” the Speaker said.

    Coronavirus cases in Ghana now 7

    The Ghana Health Service on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, confirmed one new case of Coronavirus in the country.

    The case was reported in the Greater Accra Region bringing to 7, the total number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Ghana.

    A tweet from the Ghana Health Service said, “…we have received report from NMIMR that indicated one (1) more confirmed case as positive for COVID-19 in Greater Accra Region.”

    The patient is a 35-year-old male and a Ghanaian citizen who returned to Accra from France.

    Coronavirus patients in Ghana getting better 

    The Ghana Health Service however says all patients who have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) are getting better.

    Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service in an interview on Eyewitness News on Tuesday said the patients are recovering and will be discharged once they are cleared.

    He said none of the patients had deteriorated since they were isolated and started receiving treatment.

    “They are all doing very well. They are recovering because they are much better than we saw them. When they are fully off, we will let them go home. All of them are better today than they were when we saw them. We have not seen any of them deteriorating. We review them every day so based on the condition, we will discharge them once we see that they have fully recovered and cleared,” he said.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Glastonbury 2020: Festival cancelled due to coronavirus

    Glastonbury’s famous Pyramid Stage will remain dark in June, as the festival becomes the latest event to be canceled due to coronavirus.

    Taylor Swift, Sir Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar were due to appear, alongside Diana Ross and Dua Lipa.

    “We’re so sorry that this decision has been made,” a statement said. “It was not through choice.”

    Just six days ago, organizer Emily Eavis said she had “fingers firmly crossed” the event would go ahead.

    But after the government advised people to avoid mass gatherings on Monday, cancellation became increasingly likely.

    Organizers took the decision before 1 April, when festival-goers were expected to pay the remaining balance of their £270 tickets.

    Fans who had already paid the £50 deposit will be allowed to roll over that sum to next year, guaranteeing “the opportunity to buy a ticket for Glastonbury 2021”, organisers said. Refunds will also be available for those who want them.

    More than 200,000 people, including 135,000 ticket-holders, would have descended on Worthy Farm in Somerset if the festival had gone ahead from 24 to 28 June.

    Other acts on the line-up included Noel Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Herbie Hancock, the Pet Shop Boys, AJ Tracey and Haim.

    “We very much hope that the situation in the UK will have improved enormously by the end of June,” said Michael and Emily Eavis in a statement.

    “But even if it has, we are no longer able to spend the next three months with thousands of crew here on the farm, helping us with the enormous job of building the infrastructure and attractions.”

    Saying 2020 would now be an “enforced fallow year” for the festival, they apologised for letting fans down.

    “We were so looking forward to welcoming you all for our 50th anniversary with a line-up full of fantastic artists and performers that we were incredibly proud to have booked.”

    They added: “We look forward to welcoming you back to these fields next year and until then, we send our love and support to all of you.”

    BBC Radio 2 DJ Jo Whiley echoed many fans’ sentiments when she wrote on Twitter: “This is so devastatingly disappointing for so many people on so many levels.

    “Next year Glastonbury is going to be off the scale,” she added. “But for now much love to Emily Eavis and the Glasto family.”

    Musician Billy Bragg, who is an annual fixture at the festival, also expressed his disappointment.

    Meanwhile, pop culture journalist Natalie Jamieson issued an open call for the BBC to raid its archive of Glastonbury footage to broadcast an “ultimate Glastonbury line-up” on the last weekend of June.

    “Am still gonna need a live-music fix & it could bring *such* joy,” she wrote.

    Glastonbury’s cancellation comes after BBC Radio 1 cancelled plans to host its Big Weekend festival in Dundee in May.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Prof. Frimpong Boateng introduces preventive measures at Ministry of Environment

    The world is plagued with a raging deadly pandemic, the novel Coronavirus which is fast spreading like a wildfire and claiming lives in a proportion ever witnessed, this has left many countries on their knees and grappling for a solution.

    In order to minimize the spread of this virus in Ghana, the president, Nana Akufo Addo announced some measures to that effect.

    In the wake of this, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology under its hardworking Minister, Professor Frimpong Boateng, has instituted some enhanced preventive measures to ensure the safety of the staff

    Being a medical professional himself, Professor Frimpong Boateng educated the staff on the need to adhere strictly to personal hygiene as well as measures put in place by the Ministry

    He further stated the need to use hand sanitizers frequently as well as washing once hands with running water before and after using washrooms

    The safety and health preventive measures instituted by the Minister includes provision of hand gloves for the security personnel at the entrance, checking of temperature of everybody who enters the building, Veronica bucket mounted at various points for easy access to wash once hands, sanitizers mounted on the walls on all the floors amongst other things

    The Minister assured that with these measures and its strict adherrance, the staff of the Ministry would be working under very safe conditions without any fear.

    Interestingly and not so surprising, our checks indicated that the instrument being used to checking temperature was provided by Professor Frimpong Boateng without a charge

    Such a show of patriotism is what is required from all in times like this

     

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • Chelsea open up hotel to healthcare staff

    Chelsea will provide free accommodation to staff of Britain’s National Health Service in a hotel at the club’s Stamford Bridge stadium during the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Premier League club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, will fund the service that will allow medical professionals in London a chance to rest if they are unable to travel home or face long commutes.

    The scheme will be put in place for two months, but could be extended if needed.

    There have been 1,950 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 71 deaths in Britain.

    “It was decided the best way Chelsea can assist the NHS is to provide accommodation for NHS staff. Mr Abramovich will be covering the costs of providing the accommodation,” Chelsea said in a statement.

    “Many of the medical staff will be working long shifts and may not be able to travel home or would otherwise have to make long commutes. Local accommodation helps maintain the health and well-being of these crucial personnel at this critical time.”

    Chelsea do not know when they will next return to the pitch, with the Premier League suspended until at least April 4, although that date is set to be pushed back at a meeting of Premier League clubs on Thursday.

    But in the absence of football, the Blues are the latest club to make an offer of community support at a time of crisis.

    Liverpool players contributed to a £40,000 ($48,000) donation from the club to help keep local foodbanks running.

    Aston Villa and Brighton were among the clubs to donate food prepared for last weekend’s matches to homeless charities.

    Fourth-tier club Stevenage are preparing a community careline that will help isolated local residents over 70 with day-to-day needs such as delivery of food and prescriptions.

    Source: France24

  • Coronavirus forces KATH to suspend OPD services

    The Coronavirus outbreak has forced the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to suspend all Out Patient Department (OPD) services.

    Reports also indicate that several specialist clinics will also be shut to the public and this is part of measures by the hospital to avoid the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

    KATH treats about 1000 patients every day and this comes as a big blow to the indigenes.

    KATH has two OPDs, the Special Care OPD and the Primary Care OPD.

    The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has now passed 200,000, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.

    The total is now 201,530 confirmed cases and 8,007 deaths.

    China still has the highest number of confirmed cases (81,102), while Italy has the second-highest with 31,506.

    Ghana on Tuesday recorded its 7th coronavirus case and the Ghana Health Service is expected to brief the nation on that.

    Currently, all outdoor events including funerals, church activities and naming ceremonies have been suspended.

    Schools have also been asked to close down for a period of 4 weeks.

    These, according to Akufo-Addo, forms part of precautionary measures to fight the virus and prevent any more spread after the 7 confirmed cases in Ghana.

     

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • Coronavirus: Savanah Region needs isolation centre NDC

    The Savannah regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked the government to build an isolation centre in the region in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

    According to the party, the region is home to many tourist sites, hence likely to attract the disease.

    A statement issued by Malik Basintale, Communication Officer of the NDC in the region said the NDC expresses “it’s disappointment in the slow pace at which the government under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo has handled the provision of test and isolation centres at regional levels meant to manage the wide spread of the coronavirus.

    “Upon declaration of the deadly pandemic in Ghana and the establishment of test and isolation centres, we find the northern territories of the country completely neglected even as we stand more vulnerable due to our very porous borders, tourist sites and the constant international visits to them.”

    The statement added: “The Savannah region is home to some of the most visited tourist sites by foreigners such as the Mole park, the Larabanga Mosque, the Mystery stone, the Salaga slave market among others, have recorded international visitors since the past weeks even when the Corona Virus was declared a pandemic and period of manifestation taking up to fourteen (14 days).

    “This situation leaves us in panic, despair and absolute despondency as we still do not have a clear roadmap towards testing and quarantining any suspected case should any show up in our region.

    “Upon an attempt to respond to the directive by our flagbearer H.E John Mahama, requesting all former appointees and party faithful to step in and help the government, we realized that no public education on sensitizing settlements even close to these tourist sites have been done, hospitals, clinics, and CHP compounds have still not received the necessary logistics from the government towards protecting the lives of indigenes.

    “Our border guards, tour guards, health workers, indigenes are desperate in guaranteeing their safety at the clear glimpse of the incurable pandemic as we are being abandoned by the government despite the huge sums made as revenue from these tourist sites over the period.

    “We solidify the passionate stance of H.E John Dramani Mahama by calling on President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency provide the already built health facilities in the Savannah region with logistics, a test and isolation centre to help manage the spread of the virus as we stand exposed to threats.”

     

    Source: Classfmonline.com

  • Coronavirus: Asian nations face virus battle amid WHO warning

    Many Asian nations are facing an increasing battle to stem the spread of coronavirus, amid a World Health Organization warning that some needed to take “aggressive measures”.

    Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines are among nations imposing strict border controls.

    Cases in the South Asian subcontinent are still below 500 but there are fears a spike could overwhelm health systems.

    There are 185,000 cases globally, with 7,500 confirmed deaths.

    Some nations and territories that had seen success in controlling the virus or slowing its arrival, including South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, have seen new spikes, amid fears, people returning from abroad are importing the virus.

    Asian stocks have continued to fall as worries about the coronavirus pandemic eclipsed hopes that major stimulus plans would ease the impact of the outbreak.

    What was the WHO warning?

    It was issued for the organisation’s South East Asia region, although this contains 11 nations spread widely, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh and North Korea.

    Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of the WHO South East Asia region, said on Tuesday that “more clusters of virus transmission are being confirmed”.

    “We need to immediately scale up all efforts to prevent the virus from infecting more people,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said. “We clearly need to do more, and urgently.”

    The WHO said the numbers in its South East Asia region showed that “some countries are clearly heading towards community transmission of Covid-19”.

    It called for continued efforts to “detect, test, treat, isolate and trace contacts”.

    Dr Khetrapal Singh said “practising social distancing [could] not be emphasised enough… this alone has the potential to substantially reduce transmission”.

    “We need to act now,” she said.

    Many regional countries inside and outside the WHO’s definition of South East Asia have had a slow response to the outbreak, only taking drastic measures in recent weeks or days as the number of cases continue to grow.

    Where are the infections increasing? Almost all nations are seeing increases, although the rates vary widely.

    China still has the highest number of confirmed cases, with more than 80,000, but its new infections are almost exclusively from people arriving from abroad and are very low.

    South Korea has also been praised for its attempts to control the virus and its 8,413 cases have seen it fall below Germany to sixth in the running list of cases compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

    It has been ahead of other nations by testing thousands of people and had seen a downward trend in new infections.

    But there are now small clusters breaking out across the country, with 93 more cases in the past 24 hours. Dozens of sick and elderly patients in a hospital in Daegu were infected.

    Taiwan announced its largest single-day increase in new cases – 23 – bringing the total to 100.

    The trend was mirrored in Hong Kong – 14 cases in a single day is the highest in the territory, all but one brought in from abroad.

    Indonesia on Wednesday also announced its biggest daily rise, 55 more cases taking the total to 227, with 19 deaths.

    Pakistan’s cases have now risen to 245, with the total of reported cases for the South Asian subcontinent reaching 482.

    Thailand reported 35 new cases on Wednesday, taking its total infections to 212, officials said. Four of the cases were linked to an entertainment venue and 13 to a boxing bout, both in Bangkok.

    Malaysia has warned of a fresh spike in cases, saying there is only a “slim chance” of breaking the chain of infections.

    A mass Muslim gathering last month is linked to nearly two-thirds of its infections and thousands of attendees are yet to be tested.

    Myanmar and Laos have both not reported any cases – though experts have seriously doubted the credibility of this.

    A spokesperson for Myanmar’s government claimed that people’s “lifestyle and diet” had protected them from the virus. But it has imposed restrictions on arrivals and the UK government is now advising against all but essential travel there.

    There are also no reported cases of the virus in Timor-Leste.

    What are the nations doing?

    From Wednesday, Malaysia is preventing citizens from traveling overseas and visitors from entering until 31 March at least.

    Many Malaysians who commute to work in Singapore had to queue to cross the border before the midnight deadline, and will have to stay there.

    Streets in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur were largely empty and supermarket chains are enforcing limits on purchases of staples.

    Thailand has closed schools, bars, cinemas and other entertainment centres.

    The Philippines, which has 202 cases and 17 deaths, has imposed some of the toughest movement controls, effectively quarantining about half of its 107 million population.

    But it reversed a decision to ban all international flights, and foreign nationals may now fly out, although arrivals will face strict quarantine protocols.

    Taiwan will on Thursday ban foreigners from entering, apart from in some exceptional cases. Everyone arriving, including Taiwanese, will have to go into quarantine for 14 days.

    Japanese media report that visas issued to European travellers will be invalidated and people arriving from 38 nations will have to self-quarantine.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: SA has highest number of cases in Africa after recording 23 new cases in 1 day

    South Africa has recorded 23 new cases of coronavirus in one day, the highest increase of any 24-hour period since the country confirmed its first case.

    Of the new cases, four are children aged under five years.

    The country now has 85 confirmed cases of coronavirus – the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

    South Africa’s health ministry said eight of the new cases involved local transmissions, the first confirmation of internal transmissions after erroneously reporting a case on 12 March.

    Health Minister Zweli Mkhize admitted there had been a “debate with clinicians, epidemiologists, virologists on when we, as government must release results to the public.” Local media speculate that this debate was why the announcement wasn’t made until Tuesday evening.

    In the same statement, Mr Mkhize also confirmed all 100 South Africans who were repatriated from Wuhan in China have been tested and declared virus-free.

    The group will, however, remain in quarantine at a hotel in Limpopo province.

    South Africa confirmed its first case on 5 March, a man who arrived from Italy with his wife who later tested positive as well on 8 March.

    The country has been reporting additional cases since then, but the highest spike seen so far was reported on Tuesday night.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa last week declared a national disaster and announced a ban on travel from the countries worst hit by the virus.

    Source: www.graphic.com.gh

  • Cancellation of Kwahu Easter celebration a huge blow to govt – Tourism Authority

    CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman has expressed worry over the cancellation of the Kwahu Easter celebration due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

    On Monday, the Traditional Council of Kwahu in the Eastern Region called off this year’s Easter celebrations following the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 in the country.

    This Mr. Agyemang believes, is a huge blow to the government since the Easter celebrations generate a lot of revenue for the country.

    “It has taken the industry by storm. But, I believe we will survive and see ourselves there again, this year Kwahu is not happening. Last year we raked a lot of revenue for the government and this is a huge blow. While we are enforcing the measures, we are also empathizing ourselves how to get out of this situation,” he said in a radio interview.

    Cancellation of this year’s Easter celebration was necessary after President Akufo-Addo gave a directive that all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities, and other related events must be halted for 4 weeks as part of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

    Ghana has so far confirmed 7 cases of the deadly coronavirus.

    Kwahu Easter is the annual Easter celebrations at the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. People from all walks of life and all nationality throng to the Kwahu Hills every Easter to celebrate the three-day-long holiday.

     

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • English manager Steve Rutter applies for GFA technical director job

    English manager Steve Rutter has applied for the technical director role of the Ghana Football Association, according to local media reports.

    The position was left vacant after the governing body announced that long-serving Technical Director, Mr. Francis Oti Akenteng will be vacating the position when his contract expires at the end of March 2020.

    Rutter is a holder UEFA License A and has been a worked with clubs in England and other European clubs.

    The 57-year-old was the assistant manager of Greece giants Panathinaikos FC from 2013 to 2015. He became a caretaker manager before leaving the club.

    Source: footballmadeinghana.com

  • Coronavirus: KATH suspends all ‘elective surgeries’ except Caesarean section

    Management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has announced the suspension of all “elective surgeries except Caesarean section.”

    This follows the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country which has forced government to close down schools and ban all public gatherings.

    Ghana has so far recorded seven cases of the disease.

    The Chief Executive of the KATH Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, in a statement on Tuesday, 17 March 2020 to emphasise additional measures put in place by management of the hospital to forestall the potential spread of the deadly COVID-19 indicated that “all elective surgeries have been suspended except Caesarean sections, all out-patient(OPD) clinics have been closed down until further notice, all clinical meetings and seminars have been suspended and all clinical rotations and attachments by all categories of students have been suspended.”

    However, the measures do not affect the provision of “emergency services at all the emergency operational areas of the hospital. Consequently, the Accident and Emergency Centre, Family Medicine Directorate (Polyclinic) and the Paediatric Emergency Unit shall continue to offer emergency services. The Labour Wards and Baby Unit (MBU) shall continue to offer normal services.”

    KATH, however, advised the public to “stop using Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital as a thoroughfare in their own interest.”

     

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Nigeria coronavirus cases rise as travel bans announced

    Nigeria has placed a travel ban on people coming from 13 countries worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak as five new cases were recorded in Africa’s most-populous nation.

    That brings the country’s total number of patients with Covid-19 to eight.

    Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said contact tracing for the new cases was ongoing. All the five had travelled to the UK and/or the US.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) tweeted about the cases, urging Nigerians to remain calm:

    Travellers from China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, the US, Norway, the UK, the Netherlands and Switzerland will not be able to come to the West African from Saturday 21 March.

    Nigerians have also been advised to cancel or postpone all non-essential travel to these countries, which all have reported more than 1,000 cases.

    The BBC’s Chris Ewokor in the capital, Abuja, says Nigerians returning to the country must now self-isolate for 14 days.

    On Tuesday, the government also placed an indefinite ban on all public officials from embarking on foreign trips, he says.

     

    Source: BBC 

     

  • Coronavirus could shake up world’s most expensive cities

    Hong Kong, Singapore, and Osaka have just been ranked as the world’s most expensive cities to live in.

    But this may not be the case after the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll.

    Cities that get a large part of their income from tourism could become cheaper as their economies shrink and prices are driven down.

    This is one of the predictions made by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which tracks living costs globally.

    Its Worldwide Cost of Living Survey for 2020 was compiled in November 2019, before the coronavirus became a pandemic. Its the next survey could look very different.

    “Cities that rely on tourism should see some downward pressure on prices. So Singapore and Hong Kong might not hold the top spot going forward. We could see a different city on top,” said Simon Baptist, the EIU’s chief economist.

    The impact of the coronavirus has shaken the world economy, with the travel and tourism industries among the hardest hit. Hong Kong and Singapore are two of the cities that could see a big drop in revenue as demand for leisure activities, restaurants and accommodation plummets. This weaker demand could drive down prices, making these cities cheaper for their inhabitants.

    The EIU report saw Osaka knock Paris out of its top three most expensive cities as a stronger yen made Japan’s third-biggest city more costly to live in. The researchers looked at more than 400 prices across 160 products and services. These included cars and electronic goods, which have seen major supply disruptions in China.

    While the car industry was badly impacted by China’s factory shutdowns during January and February, production is gradually recovering to pre-coronavirus levels. This could result in cheaper cars as manufacturers and dealers have surplus stock.

    “Once demand starts to return, we would generally expect vehicle prices to be lower, rather than higher, as carmakers and dealers try to earn back some lost revenues. In some countries or regions where the auto is an important industry, subsidies will further help to lower prices,” Ana Nicholls, industry director at the EIU said.

    Consumers may switch car brands moving to those that have stronger supply chains and less disruption, she added.

    The EIU also predicted that the cost of living in some cities may rise as measures to slow the spread of the virus increases businesses overheads.

    Source: BBC News

  • Simba FC among three African clubs interested in Yacouba

    Three African clubs have expressed interest in Asante Kotoko striker Songne Yacouba.

    The clubs include Golden Arrows of South Africa and Tanzania duo of Simba FC and Azam who want to augment their squad with the Burkina Faso international.

    According to Soccer Laduma, Ahmed Nuno, a representative of Yacouba has confirmed that they have already received offers for the former Stade Malian player.

    He added that the offers made failed to meet the valuation of the player.

    “Golden Arrows have given us an offer for the player and there are also two teams from Tanzania Azam and Simba. But we weren’t satisfied with their offers”

    Yacouba who has been out of Asante Kotoko match-day squad in recent weeks following his decision not to renew his contract with the club was handed a return to the first team of the club for their clash with Karela United early this month.

    Meanwhile. General Manager of Asante Kotoko Nana Akwasi Gyambibi popularly known as Nana Coker has poured cold water on reports of Songne Yacouba’s inclusion in their squad for the trip to London to face Hearts of Oak.

    According to coker, reports circulating that the Burkinabe attacker has been included for the London showdown against their bitterest rivals should be discarded.

    In a radio interview monitored by Primenews, he said “….between Kotoko and Yacouba we all know that he is under contract with Kotoko and the contract expires next month. It is not true that Yacouba is part of the London trip.”

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • We will expel any Journalist who causes fear and panic on coronavirus fight – GJA

    The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has indicated that it will expel any Journalists from the Association if that individual goes contrary to the Association’s Code of Ethics by causing fear and panic to the citizenry in disseminating information on Covid-19.

    According to the Association, reportage of some media houses on Coronavirus is creating fear and panic in the country, adding some media houses do not check their facts thereby come on air with whatever fact they hear on the ground which might not be the right information for them to put out there.

    The Association in a statement released on March 15 made a passionate appeal to the media to report responsibly on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and avoid creating any unjustified fear and panic among the populace.

    Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Linda Asante-Agyei said the Association will name and shame any media house who goes contrary to the directive

    ”Recalcitrant media houses who go contrary to the GJA code of ethics by continuing to cause fear and panic disseminating information on Covid 19 to the public will be named and shamed and when it comes to the worst scenario, the Association will also expel anyone who goes contrary to the directive”.

    Meanwhile, the Association has announced that it is collaborating with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to begin training of Journalists to provide accurate information to the public in contributing to efforts in fighting Covid-19 in the country.

    Again, she stated that the three media organizations, Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and Private News Papers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) are coordinating with editors of media houses to provide names of Journalists to participate in the training session.

    Madam Asante also said the training is planned to take off this Friday, March 20 2020.

    The GJA Vice President also made it known that the training will be rolled out in batches not only in the Greater Accra Region, but the other 15 regions across the country.

    The GJA further advised journalists to use reliable scientific sources in their reportage and avoid speculations, while calling on public authorities and medical institutions to provide timely and accurate information to journalists when they call on them.

    Source: primenewsghana.com

  • 103-year-old Iran woman survives coronavirus

    A 103-year-old woman in Iran has recovered after being infected with the new coronavirus, state media reported, despite overwhelming evidence the elderly are most at risk from the disease.

    The unnamed woman had been hospitalised in the central city of Semnan for about a week, IRNA news agency said.

    But she was “discharged after making a complete recovery”, Semnan University of Medical Sciences head Navid Danayi was quoted as saying by IRNA late Tuesday.

    The woman was the second elderly patient in Iran to have survived the disease.

    The other was a 91-year-old man from Kerman, in the southeast of Iran, the news agency said.

    After being sick for three days, he recovered on Monday despite having pre-existing medical conditions including high blood pressure and asthma, it added.

    The report did not say how the pair were treated.

    Since Iran announced its first deaths on February 19, the novel coronavirus has spread to all of the country’s 31 provinces and killed nearly 1,000 people.

    The elderly are the most vulnerable to the disease, which first emerged in China late last year.

    The World Health Organization this month estimated the novel coronavirus kills 3.4 percent of all those infected.

    But for people aged over 80 the fatality rate was 21.9 percent, according to a report the WHO carried out with the Chinese authorities.

    Source: France24

  • Chacha Eke pens a lovely message to her husband on his birthday

    Nollywood actress Chacha Eke Faani is a happy wife this morning because her husband of 7 years is plus one today.

    Chacha has shared a picture of Mr. Faani to mark the day.

    The picture came with this lovely heartfelt message; “I have fallen in love a thousand times.
    Each time harder,
    Each time stronger,
    For the very same guy.
    Happy birthday My Love.”

    Chacha and Austin got married in 2013 and they have three beautiful kids together.

    Chacha in a recent video touched on how she loves Austin so much, adding that she is appreciative of him because he made her who she is today.

    Image result for Chacha eke marriage

    Austin is a movie director and writer— happy birthday to him, may their marriage continue to flourish.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    I have fallen in love a thousand times. Each time harder, Each time stronger, For the very same guy. Happy birthday My Love @austinfaani

    A post shared by ChaCha Eke Faani (@chachaekefaani) on

    Source: GhanaCelebrities.Com

  • Kenyas coronavirus cases rise to 7

    Kenya has confirmed three more cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to seven.

    Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said all the cases the patients had arrived from abroad.

    The latest cases involve a couple who had travelled from Spain’s capital, Madrid, through Dubai, arriving on 5 March.

    The other involved a Burundian national, who arrived from Dubai on 17 March and was isolated after being found to have a high temperature at Kenya’s main airport in the capital, Nairobi.

    Mr Kagwe said the authorities were tracing all the people who came into contact with the three latest cases.

    Last week, Kenya blocked entry to all travellers coming from countries with reported cases, but Kenyan citizens, diplomats and foreigners with valid residence permits are allowed in.

     

    Source: BBC 

  • Burkina Faso reports first Covid-19 death in sub-Saharan Africa

    The Sahel state of Burkina Faso on Wednesday announced its first death from coronavirus, which is also the first known fatality in sub-Saharan Africa.

    “We recorded the death overnight of a female patient aged 62, who suffered from diabetes and was in intensive care,” Burkina’s national coordinator for responding to the virus, Professor Martial Ouedraogo, told the press.

    With the addition of seven new cases, “the number of patients (in Burkina Faso) stands at 27, comprising 15 women and 12 men”, Ouedraogo said.

    The tally includes a case in the town of Bobo Dioulasso, the first outside the capital Ouagadougou.

    Africa has lagged behind the global curve for coronavirus infections and deaths, although the reasons for this are unclear.

    As of Wednesday, a tally of reported cases, compiled by AFP, stood at 576 for all of Africa.

    Of these, 15 cases have been fatal: six in Egypt, five in Algeria, two in Morocco, one in Sudan and one in Burkina Faso.

    Experts have sounded loud warnings about the vulnerability of sub-Saharan countries to the highly contagious respiratory virus.

    Many countries are at high risk, given weak health systems, poverty, urban slums, porous borders and poor sanitation.

    A 2016 analysis by the Rand Corporation, a US thinktank, found that of the 25 countries in the world that were most vulnerable to infectious outbreaks, 22 were in Africa — the others were Afghanistan, Yemen and Haiti.

    The report put the finger on a “disease hot spot belt” extending on a line of countries, running across the southern rim of the Sahara through the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, many of which are struggling with conflicts.

    “Were a communicable disease to emerge within this chain of countries, it could easily spread across borders in all directions, abetted by high overall vulnerability and a string of weak national health systems along the way,” the report warned.

    On Saturday, Burkina Faso ordered the closure of all schools and a ban on all public and private gatherings until the end of April.

     

    Source: Timeslive.co.za

  • Coronavirus: Police suspends training of recruits

    The Ghana Police Service has suspended training of recruits and has asked them to go home to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

    “Recruits training activities have been suspended. Recruits other than the final/passing out squad have been released to go home until further directives,” the Police said in a statement.

    The Police is also cautioning the public to limit their visits to police stations and cells while they also put in place measures to disinfect the cells.

    The statement further said, “Fresh suspects would be screened before they are placed in police custody”.

    Ghana has recorded seven cases of COVID-19 forcing the government to place a ban on all social gatherings.

    Gatherings of more than 25 persons have been discouraged while travel restrictions have been placed on citizens coming from countries that have recorded more than 200 COVID-19 cases.

     

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Matuidi is second Juventus player to test positive for coronavirus

    Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi has tested positive for coronavirus.

    The Serie A club say that the France World Cup winner has been in voluntary isolation since 11 March and is “well and asymptomatic”.

    Matuidi, 32, is the second Juve player to be confirmed to have the virus, following centre-back Daniele Rugani last week.

    All domestic sporting activity in Italy has been suspended until at least 3 April.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Which sex position can create 1.8 metres space between partners? – Pratt quizzes

    The coronavirus cannot be transmitted through sex, however, if an infected person sneezes or coughs, on the partner during sex, he or she can get infected.

    This was explained by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Aboagye during an exclusive interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Tuesday.

    He was reacting to reports that “constant or repeated acts of sex kills coronavirus”.

    Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper speaking to this on the same platform, sought to know how an infected person can contemplate having sex (missionary position) with his or her partner, especially when the World Health Organisation (WHO) and medical experts recommend the observation of social distance of about six feet (1.8m).

    “Kwami, I read that it is advisable to maintain a 1.8metre distance in the wake of COVID-19 scourge. I hope I’m right….But the question I’m asking is which sex position or style can be possible when observing this 1.8metre guideline?” he asked amidst squeals of laughter from the host and other members of the panel.

     

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • Kwesi Appiah hands over keys to his official accommodation to GFA

    Former coach of the senior national team of Ghana, James Kwesi Appiah, has handed over the keys to his official residence to the Football Association.

    Appiah returned the keys of the three-bedroom apartment on Wednesday after his tenure as coach of the Black Stars ended in January.

    The house was handed to the 60-year old in 2018 after calls for an official residence for the coach of the Black Stars.

    The official resident will now house new coach C.K Akonnor, who replaced Appiah two months ago after a brief stint as assistant coach of Ghana.

    Charles Kwablan Akonnor, a former captain of the Black Stars is yet to be handed an official contract but the GFA and the Ministry have agreed a $20,000 salary per month for the gaffer.

    Meanwhile, Kwesi Appiah is set for a legal battle with the FA over unpaid salaries believed to be around $175,000.

    Appiah has also returned the official car handed to him the FA during his time as a coach.

    The Land Cruiser was handed over to the FA on Friday through a third party and was seen parked at the premises of the Ghana Football Association.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Today in history: Ghana wins third AFCON title after beating Uganda 2-0

    On this day 18 March 1978(Exactly 42 years ago today) Ghana became the first country to win the African Cup of Nations for keeps by beating Uganda 2-0 in the final of the 11th Africa Cup of Nations at the Accra Sports Stadium.

    Goals Scored: Opoku Afriyie 38, 64

    Ghana had won the Cup of Nations in 1963 and 1965.

    Ghana squad: Goalkeepers; Joseph Carr (Hasaacas), Abdulai Chesco (SS 1974), Fuseini Salifu (Asante Kotoko)

    Defenders: P.S.K. Paha (Eleven Wise), Ofei Ansah (Hearts of Oak), Haruna Yusif (Corners), Isaac Acquaye (Dumas Boys of GTP), Awuley Quaye (Great Olympics -Captain), James Kuuku Dadzie (Hasaacas), Justice Moore (Eleven Wise).

    Midfielders: Adolf Armah (Hearts of Oak), John Nketia Yawson (Eleven Wise), Addae Kyenkyehene (Asante Kotoko), Karim Abdul Razak (Asante Kotoko), Mohammed Ahmed Polo (Hearts of Oak)

    Forwards: Dan Kayede (Great Olympics), George Alhassan (Great Olympics), Emmanuel Quarshie (Hasaacas), Opoku Afriyie (Asante Kotoko), Anas Seidu (Hearts of Oak), Willie Klutse (Dumas Boys), Kuntu Blankson (SS 1974)

    Coach: Fred Osam-Duodu

    Assistant Coach: E.K Afranie

    Abdul Razak “Golden Boy” was voted the Most Valuable player of the tournament.

    Source: happyghana.com

  • Korle-Bu tightens coronavirus measures, suspend surgeries, OPD services

    The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra has suspended all non-emergency surgeries and OPD services as management announces additional measures to stem the spread of deadly novel Coronavirus outbreak in the country.

    “All elective surgeries, have been suspended except Caesarean sections,” the hospital announced Tuesday, stating the measures take immediate effect.

    All clinical rotations and attachments by all categories of students have also been suspended in the new precautionary measures as the confirmed cases of the virus recorded in the country rise to seven.

    Clinical meetings and seminars have all also been cancelled until further notice.

    A statement issued by the hospital said provision of emergency services at all the emergency operational areas of the hospital will however not be affected.

    “[The] Accident and Emergency Centre, Family Medicine Directorate (Polyclinic) and the Paediatric Emergency Unit shall continue to offer emergency services,” the statement said.

    It said the Labour Wards and Mother & Baby Unit (MBU) will also continue to offer normal services.

    The hospital said the Coronavirus situation “is constantly under evaluation”, and noted there will be modifications to the measures announced as and when it becomes necessary.

    It encouraged the public efforts being made by government and all stakeholders to ensure the safety of all in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic which has triggered lockdowns in parts of the world.

    The hospital has meanwhile advised the public against using the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital “as a thoroughfare”, warning they do so in their own interest.

    Patient visits restrictions

    Earlier last Friday, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital announced it was limiting visits to patients on admission at the facility on the back of the virus outbreak.

    It said patients on admission can receive only two relatives as visitors, the hospital management announced in a statement a day after Ghana recorded its first cases.

    “In the case of the Department of Child Health only parents/guardians of the patient are permitted to visit. This measure has become necessary because patients are already vulnerable and can therefore easily be infected,” it said.

    Seven confirmed cases

    The covid-19 pandemic which originated in China late last year has infected more than 182,400 people and killed over 7,100 globally.

    Ghana has since March 12 confirmed seven cases of the virus with no fatalities. All cases were imported into the country.

    Health officials say all the seven patients who have been quarantined, are in stable condition.

    Contact tracing is currently ongoing and officials say they have so far traced a total 350 people as having had contact with six of the patients.

    Government has announced what some believe to be bold measures, including travel restrictions and closure of all schools in the country as well as a ban of social gatherings to stem the spread of the virus.

    Businesses and other workplaces, however, continue to operate, but have been directed to observe prescribed social distancing between patrons and staff.

    Establishments, such as supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, night clubs, hotels and drinking spots, have also been advised by government to observe enhanced hygiene procedures by providing, amongst others, hand sanitizers, running water and soap for washing of hands.

     

    Source: 3news.com

  • Coronavirus: Limit unofficial visits to stations – Police

    The Ghana Police Service has put in place contingency measures in place for strict compliance in view of the latest information on the coronavirus pandemic.

    It has therefore admonished the public to limit unofficial visits to Police Stations and offices and resort to electronic means of contact as much as possible.

    It has also set-up hotlines at the police hospital public health department for Police Officers to call in case of suspicion of covid-19.

    A statement from the police said: “The Police Administration assures that officers will continue to carry out the duties of maintaining law and order, including preventing crimes, the arrest of offenders, investigation of criminal cases and attendant actions unabated.”

    Ghana has confirmed a new case of the deadly coronavirus disease bringing the total number of cases in the country to seven (7).

    The new case comes despite government’s drastic measures to curb its spread by banning social gatherings and imposing a travel ban on countries with high cases of the disease.

    Confirming the news, the Ghana Health Service website stated that the new case is another imported one, stating that the patient is a Ghanaian citizen who recently returned from France.

     

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • GPL registration window opens despite coronavirus break

    Ghanaian clubs will get the opportunity to sign players in the transfer window despite the suspension of the league by government due to the corona virus outbreak.

    Vice-Chairman of the Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) Jesse Agyapong stated that despite football activities suspended for the next four weeks, clubs will be allowed to sign players in the transfer window.

    The second transfer window opened on Monday March 16, 2020 with clubs expected to make new additions to beef up their squad ahead when the league resumes.

    The directive from the government to suspend all public gatherings for the next four weeks meant the 2019/20 Ghana League season has been halted due to the corona virus outbreak.

    Jesse in an interview indicated clubs will have the chance to operate during this window despite the suspension.

    “Ghana Premier league second transfer window still opens today, registration of players will go on even though GFA has suspended all football competitions,” Jesse Agyapong told Oyerepa FM.

    He further said that the league will only resume if the government lifts the ban on public gathering which is currently in place.

    “The league will not resume till the President of Ghana says otherwise or allows gathering of people. Clubs can register players at the FA because the necessary steps have being put in place”.

    Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

  • EC will not accept old voters ID cards for new registration

    The Electoral Commission (EC) will not accept old voters ID cards as a primary form of identification in the new registration exercise planned for April 2020.

    This will be enforced if the new proposal for amendment in the legislation for the registration currently before Parliament becomes law.

    The EC on Monday (March 16) sent a proposal to Parliament for an amendment in the Constitutional Instrument 91 (CI) which guides the conduct of elections in Ghana.

    In the new proposal the EC is seeking an amendment in Regulation 1, which talks about documents to be accepted as a form of identification as a Ghanaian before registration.

    The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu made this known in a radio interview with Okay FM on Wednesday morning (March 18, 2020).

    He said if it becomes law, the only primary documents to be accepted for registration would either be a Ghanaian passport or a Ghana national identification card (Ghana Card).

    It excludes birth certificates

    Anyone who does not have any of those two documents would have to get people to vouch for them that they are indeed Ghanaians before they will be registered.

    Per the move, anyone holding an old voters ID card issued from 2012 till date cannot use it to register.

    This is because of the assumption that some people used national health insurance (NHIS) ID cards for the initial registration which has been outlawed by the Supreme Court and the EC ordered to remove names of people who used it to register.

    Even though the EC before the 2016 general elections removed names of those who registered with the NHIS cards as their primary form of identification, Graphic Online understands there is still arguments in some political circles that there are some names still in the current register.

    more to follow ….

     

    Source: Peacefmonline.com

  • Asante Kotoko on the haunt for Ashgold’s Shafiu Mumuni

    Asante Kotoko and Maxwell Konadu have reignited their interest in Ashanti Gold captain Shafiu Mumuni in the on-going transfer window.

    Coach Maxwell Konadu is keen on strengthening his front-line for the second round of the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League which is currently suspended due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

    The 24-year-old has been on the radar of the Porcupine Warriors despite failing to impress during his trials with Romanian giants CFR Cluj.

    The club made several attempts to sign the highly-rated forward but a deal couldn’t materialize last season.

    According to reports, coach Konadu is set to release Richard Arthur due to his poor performance to add Mumuni to his attacking options.

    Mumuni scored four goals in four matches in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation Cup late last year for Ashanti Gold, however, the Miners could not progress to the group phase of the competition.

    He led the Black Stars B to place second in the West African Football Union (WAFU) tournament in Senegal and won the goal king award after scoring four goals in five matches.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • 2020 election: Mahama will suffer to lose Moses Abor

    The Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Moses Abor, has bashed the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, stating that he will suffer great humiliation in the 2020 Presidential election.

    According to him, former President Mahama “is going to suffer twice what he lost in the 2016 general election.”

    Moses Abor mare this disclosure at the NPP Greater Accra Regional youth meeting last Sunday, March 15, 2020.

    The NPP executive reaffirmed the NPP’s readiness to snatch more seats from the opposition NDC in 2020.

    Speaking to a cross-section of the media after the program, Hon. Moses Abor indicated that “the expectation of the party in the Greater Accra is to win more than 80% as the party has performed creditably well over the last three years”.

    He added that the party intends to do everything humanly possible to project the good work of President Akufo-Addo.

    He however encouraged the teaming youth to always be bold enough to project the works of the NPP government.

    “I am telling you with the fact that 2020 election is going to be too difficult for Mahama to loss…we will make sure he suffer much before losing… we will make sure NDC is dead and buried once and for all because we are not going to leave any space for NDC and I promise to do everything humanly possible to secure more seats for NPP and Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo…,” he stressed.

    The Office of the Chief of Staff supported the Greater Accra youth wing with 30 motorbikes. And this was done through Protozoa.

    On behalf of the Chief of Staff, he presented the motorbikes to the regional youth wing to help facilitate their activities during the electoral commission’s new voter registration exercise and further urged them to rally behind President Nana Akufo-Addo for a second term in office.

    He also appealed to them to get involved in the upcoming voter register exercise and therefore advised them to protect themselves against Coronavirus in other to stay healthy to prevent “Mahama from cancelling 375 ambulances, free SHS, 1V1D …”

    Also present at the meeting were the Deputy Organizer (Greater Accra), Jeff Kasim, (Ayawaso North youth organizer) Majid Bawah (Deputy Youth Organizer) Robert Prempeh (Deputy Youth Organiser)Frank Asiedu Bekoe (Deputy Director National Sports Authority).

     

    Source: peacefmonline.com

  • New coronavirus can survive on surfaces for hours – Study

    The novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces or in the air for several hours, according to a US-government funded study published Tuesday.

    Scientists found that the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease had similar levels of viability outside the body to its predecessor that caused SARS.

    This means that factors like greater transmission between people with no symptoms might be why the current pandemic is far greater than the SARS outbreak of 2002-2003.

    The new paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and carried out by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), University of California, Los Angeles and Princeton.

    The new coronavirus was detectable for up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel, and for up to 24 hours on cardboard.

    The team used a nebulizer to simulate a person coughing or sneezing, and found that the virus was detectable for three hours in the air.

    The study was first posted on a medical pre-print website last week before it was peer-reviewed, and attracted much attention, including some criticism from scientists who said that it may have overstated the airborne threat.

    The virus is predominantly transmitted by respiratory droplets and in this form it is viable for only a few seconds after a person coughs or sneezes.

    Critics questioned whether a nebulizer accurately mimicked a human cough or sneeze.

    The team behind the NEJM study performed similar tests on the SARS virus, finding the two viruses behave similarly.

    But their similar viability fails to explain why the novel coronavirus pandemic has infected close to 200,000 people and caused almost 8,000 deaths, while the SARS epidemic infected about 8,000 and killed nearly 800.

    “This indicates that differences in the epidemiologic characteristics of these viruses probably arise from other factors, including high viral loads in the upper respiratory tract and the potential for persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 to shed and transmit the virus while asymptomatic,” wrote the researchers.

    SARS-CoV-2 is the technical name for the new coronavirus.

    The findings affirm guidance from public health professionals regarding social distancing, avoiding touching the face, covering your cough or sneeze, and frequently disinfecting objects using cleaning sprays or wipes.

    Source: France24

  • I did not fail trials at CFR Cluj – Shafiu Mumuni

    Ashanti Gold SC striker Shafiu Mumuni has denied reports that he failed to impress officials during his trials with Romanian giants CFR Cluj.

    The Black Stars B captain went to Romania in a bid to get a contract from CFR Cluj after missing game time for the Obuasi based club for months.

    However, according to the local media reports linking the forward to Asante Kotoko, the player has returned because he failed to impress the technical team of CFR Cluj during the trials.

    Mumuni in an interview with Kumasi FM 104.1 MHZ asked the public to disregard reports of him failing trials in Romania.

    “It is true I went to Romania to have stints with CFR Cluj together with some players from Argentina and Paraguay. Everything went on smooth but the FA suspended the league in the week I had to complete the paper works because of the Coronavirus pandemic,” he told Kumasi FM 104.1 MHZ.

    “The club president called yesterday and assured he will invite me to complete the paper works whenever the league resumes. I still have a contract with Ashgold hence my decision to continue with them when the league resumes,” he explained.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Ghanaian winger Hudson-Odoi making ‘great progress’ from coronavirus – Frank Lampard

    Chelsea player of Ghanaian descent Callum Hudson-Odoi is making “great progress” in his recovery from coronavirus after testing positive for the disease, manager Frank Lampard has revealed.

    The winger, who became the first English Premier League player to test positive for the deadly disease, has been undergoing treatment since catching the contagious virus.

    The 19-year-old’s positive test last week prompted Chelsea to close their Cobham training centre and put in place measures to stop the virus from spreading at the club.

    The first-team squad and coaching staff were asked to self-isolate as a precaution and now coach Lampard has revealed that the son of former Hearts of Oak star Bismark Odoi is making great progress in his recovery.

    “I’m happy to say that in Callum’s case, he has made great progress and almost feels his usual self, which is obviously the news we all want to hear,” Lampard told the club’s website.

    “I’m aware that not everyone can or will recover from this virus, so I urge the football and sporting community to continue to act responsibly and look out for the health of others.”

    Chelsea said their training facility had been reopened for those who did not have recent close contact with Hudson-Odoi.

    The league has been suspended until April 4 because of the outbreak that has virtually shut down world sport.

    Globally, the outbreak has infected over 190,000 people and killed more than 7,500.

    “We still don’t know when competitive football will restart, but it isn’t worth worrying about that too much at the moment,” Lampard added.

    “We all miss football but right now it’s about acting responsibly and in the best interests of society.”

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • CID puts in place measures to curb coronavirus

    The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has put in place measures to curb the spreading of the Covid-19 and also serve as adherence to the directive by the president on Sunday.

    Ghana recorded the seventh case of concur -19 yesterday and this has put in much fear.

    A visit to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters saw great measures as management has to put in place Veronica buckets with water, tissues at various vantage points and fixed hand sanitizers on the various lifts from the ground floor or reception to the six-floor.

    A tour showed that most people who go there really adhere to the use of the hand sanitizers and wash their hands before entering and leaving.

     

    Source: kingdomfmonline.com

  • Dogs discover body of woman killed and secretly buried by husband

    A 55-year-old man Kwesi Jonathan has been arrested by the Greater Accra Regional Police Command for allegedly killing and burying his own wife in their uncompleted building at Domiabra near Kasoa in the Greater Accra Region.

    Information gathered indicates that the man murdered and buried his wife last Thursday after a misunderstanding between them.

    In an interview with Kasapa FM News Yaw Boagyan, Unit Committee chairman for Gbemomo Electoral area Joseph Akrashie said some residents who had not seen the deceased for some time asked the suspect about the whereabouts of his wife but he told them she had traveled to her hometown not knowing he had killed and buried her secretly.

    He disclosed that it took some dogs that were on a prowl to discover the body of the woman much to the utter shock of the residents.

    The dogs had reportedly tried to bring out the decomposed body from the whole to eat it.

    According to the residents even though they could smell a foul scent they least expected it to be emitting from a decomposed body.

    Meanwhile, the Police say the suspect is being interrogated and will be arraigned before court soon.

     

    Source: kasapafmonline.com

  • Hearts of Oak set to return to training today

    Hearts of Oak are set to resume full training at Pobiman today despite the suspension of football in the country due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

    On Sunday, the Ghana Football Association released a statement on the suspension of all its competitions with immediate effect until further notice following the directives given by the President of the Republic.

    As a result, most clubs in the Premier League released their players including Hearts of Oak.

    However, the club has rescinded its decision and has called on all the players and the technical team to resume training as they prepare for the possible return of football in the coming weeks.

    Ghana has recorded seven cases of coronavirus and is putting measures in place to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

    Hearts of Oak are currently 9th on the league table with 21 points after 14 matches played thus far.

    Source: footballghana.com

  • Biden crushes Sanders in Florida and Illinois primaries

    Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has steamrolled rival Bernie Sanders in primary elections in Florida and Illinois, US media project.

    Accelerating his momentum in the race, the former US vice-president led Mr Sanders in both states with over 60% of the vote.

    Arizona was also voting on Tuesday, though its polls have not yet closed.

    Mr Biden is the favourite to become the Democratic candidate who will face President Donald Trump in November.

    According to polling of Florida voters, most said electability was a priority for them.

    About three in four said Mr Biden would have a better chance of beating Mr Trump, a Republican. Just one in five said the same of Mr Sanders.

    Older voters were more likely to say they supported Mr Biden.

    Nearly half of Florida’s voters said Mr Sanders’ stances were too liberal.

    Florida was the biggest prize of the night, awarding 219 of the 1,991 delegates needed to secure the Democratic presidential nomination.

    It was also an important victory for Mr Biden because Mr Trump won the traditional battleground state by 1.2 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election.

    Ohio was also due to hold a primary on Tuesday, but it cancelled the vote because of the nationwide coronavirus outbreak.

    Voters in the three states that did go ahead encountered poll workers wearing surgical gloves and hand sanitiser dispensers.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Ola Michael blasts Lilwin and Kwaku Manu, tells them this is not the turn for stupid jokes

    Ghanaian movie producer, Michael Ola has rebuked Kwadwo Nkansah Lilwin and Kwaku Manu for joking about the coronavirus pandemic.

    In a post sighted by Zionfelix.net, the outspoken movie producer shared photos of the two actors using inappropriate materials as nose masks.

    He condemned their actions and stated that this is not the time for such jokes.

    Ola wrote: “THIS IS NO TIME FOR STUPID JOKES. In the film industry, there are producers, directors, actors and the general crew. If we allow some of these actors to produce because they have no one to call them for a shoot, this is the likely nonsense we will get.

    “Producers struggle to gather money for the productions we have been witnessing and Yes, they are all Indie producers. Most of the crew are very educated and know what to do and what not to do. This is not a time to joke when people are dying in numbers across the world. This is time for Civic responsibilities but the question needs to be asked; these two, how much do they know about the coronavirus?”

    He added: “You can only teach what u know but if you are empty, you obviously get occupied by stupid jokes. There is time for everything, this is definitely not a time for the worthless jokes and politics! Together we can win this fight against the devilish COVID -19. Shalom.”

    Source: zionfelix.net

  • Trump favors direct payments to Americans as Senate weighs coronavirus aid bill

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration pushed lawmakers to send money directly to Americans to counter the economic toll of the coronavirus outbreak, as the Senate weighed a multibillion-dollar emergency bill passed by the House of Representatives.

    Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was poised to meet with Senate Republicans to discuss a plan to send checks to Americans affected by the crisis, and Trump told reporters the payments could amount to $1,000.

    The Republican president’s tone on the coronavirus pandemic has changed sharply in the past few days. After initially playing down the threat of the outbreak that has spread rapidly across the United States, killing at least 95 people, his administration has begun pushing for urgent action to stem the disease’s economic toll.

    The administration was talking about a new stimulus package of around $850 billion, one U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

    It would be the third coronavirus aid plan to be considered by Congress just this month. Trump signed the first $8.3 billion package to battle the coronavirus on March 6.

    The House over the weekend passed a second measure that would require paid sick leave for some workers and expand unemployment compensation, among other steps, including nearly $1 billion in additional money to help feed children, homebound senior citizens and others.

    McConnell: ‘anxious’ to approve House measure

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said his chamber is “anxious” to approve the House measure, a move that could take place on Tuesday.

    “The Senate will not adjourn until we have passed significant and bold new steps, above and beyond what the House passed,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, however, warned that cutting the payroll tax – one of Trump’s favored proposals – “may be premature and the wrong response” to fighting the impact of the coronavirus on the economy. Even some Senate Republicans were not enamored of cutting the payroll tax.

    Members of both political parties were talking about large amounts of additional money to help blunt the impact of the fast-spreading disease. The outbreak has killed more than 7,500 people worldwide, caused massive disruptions to daily life across the country and hammered the U.S. stock market that Trump has long touted as a barometer of his administration’s performance.

    Trump, Mnuchin discuss potential third aid bill

    An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, early Tuesday said the White House wanted $500 billion in a payroll tax cut, a $50 billion bailout for airlines struggling from plummeting demand, and $250 billion for small business loans.

    But when Trump and Mnuchin spoke at midday, their emphasis had shifted; both men noted that a payroll tax cut would take longer.

    Schumer has talked of spending $750 billion on things like expanding unemployment insurance, bolstering the Medicaid healthcare program for the poor and funding emergency childcare for healthcare workers.

    In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement laying out what she wanted to see in a third coronavirus aid package, including refundable tax credits for self-employed workers and ensuring that sick workers can get longer-term leave if needed.

    “During negotiations, the Democratic House will continue to make clear to the administration that any emergency response package must put families first, before any aid to corporate America is considered,” Pelosi said.

    Senator Kevin Cramer, a Republican ally of Trump, expressed concerns about the size of the proposed third-phase bill, which he said could take the Senate days or even weeks to deliberate.

    Republican Senator Mike Braun, another White House ally, said the first priority should be to help small-business employees hit by the outbreak through the unemployment insurance system rather than through the House tax credit and sick leave mandate. He said larger stimulus issues, including a payroll tax cut, can wait.

    “I don’t think it’s wise to spend our money on so-called stimulus, like a payroll tax cut. I think it is a good idea to spend money stabilizing the economy,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican. “The economy’s not the problem, the disease is the problem. When we restrain the disease, the economy will bounce back, in my opinion, probably quickly.”

    Source: reuters.com

  • Bechem United will not break camp amid coronavirus concerns- CEO

    Bechem United Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nana Kwesi Darlington says the club will not break camp despite the suspension of the league due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    A directive from the Government of Ghana on Monday has seen all public gathering suspended for the next four weeks due to the Covid-19 which has seen most Premier League clubs break camp.

    Bechem United intends to keep players in camp and continue with their normal activities till the league resumes.

    “The players are still in camp and we are yet to release them”, Nana Kwesi Darlington told Asempa FM.

    He explained that as part of the clubs policy to prevent their players from getting the virus, the players will remain in camp so they do not get infected with the virus when they are released.

    “What if we allow the players to go home and they get infected by the disease. So we intend to keep them here in camp”.

    “Plans have been put in place for the players to be tested to ensure they are safe whilst in camp”.

    Bechem United lie eighth on the league log with 22 points after match day 15 of the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Besiktas in dilemma over the future of KP Boateng

    Management of Turkish top flight side Besiktas are in a big dilemma over the future of Kevin Prince Boateng after his hot and cold performances for the club.

    Boateng started his career in Turkey in blistering form, netting two goals in his first three games for the Black and Whites.

    However, the 32-year old has seen a sharp decline in form and was substituted in Saturday’s derby draw with Galatsaray.

    Boateng joined Besiktas on loan from Italian side Fiorentina till the end of the season with an option of making the move a permanent one.

    Besiktas had agreed if the Ghana international played more than 45 minutes in ten games, they will hand the player contract extension.

    As it stands Boateng has achieved half of that and could reach the target before the end of the season.

    Meanwhile, the Turkish giants will have to make at least 1.7 million Euros available in salaries for the striker despite their overall budget of about 18 million Euros for next season.

    Boateng has made six appearances since joining the club and has two goals to his name.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • European Union seals borders amid virus fight

    The European Union will ban travellers from outside the bloc for 30 days in an unprecedented move to seal its borders amid the coronavirus crisis.

    The measure is expected to apply to 26 EU states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. UK citizens will be unaffected.

    The ban came as deaths continued to soar in Italy and Spain, and France began a strict lockdown.

    Europe has been badly hit by the virus, which has killed 7,500 globally.

    Meanwhile, the Euro 2020 football competition has been postponed by a year.

    The virus has infected more than 185,000 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

    The travel ban will affect all non-EU nationals from visiting the bloc, except long-term residents, family members of EU nationals and diplomats, cross-border and healthcare workers, and people transporting goods.

    Free travel is a cherished principle within the European border-free Schengen area. But in recent days many countries have unilaterally imposed full or partial border shutdowns in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

    This prompted the commission to propose that the bloc act in a more unified fashion and restrict entry to the union as a whole, at the urging of French President Emmanuel Macron.

    The measures were agreed in a video-summit between EU leaders on Tuesday afternoon and will now have to be implemented by member states.

    “They said they will immediately do that,” said EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference. “This is good, so that we have a unanimous and united approach [where] the external borders are concerned.”

    The UK and the Republic of Ireland – which is part of the EU but not Schengen – will be invited to join the measure.

    It was also crucial that the EU “unblocks the situation” with regards to closed internal borders, Mrs Von der Leyen said, because “too many people are stranded”.

    In France, citizens who leave home must now carry a document detailing the reasons why, with fines for transgressors to be set at €135 ($150; £123).

    It comes after President Macron put the country on a war-footing, ordering the population to stay at home and only go out for essential trips.

    The number of confirmed cases in France grew by more than 16% on Tuesday, reaching 7,730, The death toll rose to 175, with 7% of the dead aged under 65.

    More than 2,500 people are being treated in hospital, including 699 in intensive care.

    In Britain, where the death toll is 71, people have been told to avoid social contact, work from home if they can and avoid all non-essential foreign travel.

    The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has unveiled a financial package worth £330bn ($400bn) to ease the burden caused by the virus, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday urged people to avoid pubs, clubs and cafes.

    Meanwhile, the government’s chief scientific adviser said it would be a “good outcome” if 20,000 or fewer people died of the virus in the UK.

    The latest set of Brexit talks has also been delayed.

    The number of confirmed cases in Spain has soared by 2,000 to 11,178. Authorities there are maintaining a partial lockdown on 47 million people.

    It is now the European country worst-affected after Italy.

    At midnight Spain began stopping cars crossing its borders from France and Portugal. Only Spanish nationals, residents and cross-border workers were being allowed to the country.

    Italy, which has registered the most cases outside China at more than 31,500, announced another surge in deaths on Tuesday, from 2,150 to 2,503. The country remains in lockdown.

    The government meanwhile is set to renationalise flag carrier airline Alitalia with a rescue package worth $670m (£550m).

    Germany, which has had more than 6,000 cases and 13 deaths, banned religious services and told people to cancel any domestic or foreign holiday travel.

    Venues including clubs, bars, leisure facilities, zoos and playgrounds will be closed. Schools are already shut.

    Ireland could have 15,000 cases of coronavirus before the end of March, saidPM Leo Varadkar. In a St Patrick’s Day address, he warned of “significant and lasting” economic damage, and said the emergency could last into the summer. The government has already closed pubs, schools and universities.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Asante Kotoko part ways with Strike

    Kumasi Asante Kotoko will no longer be using Strike kits during the 2020/2021 season.

    The Porcupine Warriors secured a three-year kits sponsorship deal from Portuguese sports company Strike in 2018 but they now want to abrogate the deal.

    “Kotoko has written to us that they want to hold termination discussions with us, I have no problem if they want to opt-out.” Yussif Chibsah who brokered the deal told Oyerepa FM

    According to close sources, some companies Nike and Le Coq Sportif have all expressed interest in kitting the Reds.

    Source: Ghanacrusader.com

  • Europe struggles with ‘socio-economic tsunami’ caused by coronavirus

    Italy’s prime minister on Tuesday declared coronavirus was causing a “socio-economic tsunami” as European leaders agreed to seal off external borders, but many countries thwarted solidarity by imposing frontier curbs of their own.

    “The enemy is the virus and now we have to do our utmost to protect our people and to protect our economies,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after the second videoconference in a week of the European Union’s 27 leaders.

    “We are ready to do everything that is required. We will not hesitate to take additional measures as the situation evolves.”

    Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country has been hardest hit by a global health crisis now centred in Europe, said no nation would be left untouched by the “tsunami”.

    He called for special “coronavirus bonds”, or a European guarantee fund, to help member states finance urgent health and economic policies, an Italian government source said.

    Rome has issued similar calls for joint EU funding during previous crises, usually running into opposition from the bloc’s most powerful economy and paymaster, Germany.

    Asked about Conte’s proposal, Chancellor Angela Merkel said euro zone finance ministers would continue discussing ways to help their economies cushion the impact, but no decision has been made.

    “These are initial discussions and there have been no decisions by the finance ministers,” said Merkel. “I will talk to (Finance Minister) Olaf Scholz so that Germany continues to take part (in the discussions). But there are no results regarding this.”

    The EU has scrambled to find a coherent response to the outbreak, with countries imposing their own border checks in what is normally a zone of control-free travel, limiting exports of medical equipment or failing to share key data swiftly.

    The national leaders agreed on Tuesday to close the external borders of most European countries for 30 days and establish fast-track lanes at their countries’ frontiers to keep medicines and food moving.

    Ireland will not join the travel ban on Europe’s borders, von der Leyen said, because the United Kingdom – which left the EU in January – was not either. Despite Brexit, the two have an obligation to preserve an open border on the island of Ireland.

    Should Ireland go with the majority of European countries while the UK stays away, it would mean erecting controls on the sensitive border with Northern Ireland, something sides sought to avoid at all cost in three years of tortuous Brexit divorce talks.

    Damaged unity

    France went into lockdown on Tuesday to contain the spread of the highly contagious new coronavirus and Belgium announced it would follow suit, as the death toll in Italy jumped above 2,000, European banks warned of falling incomes and pummelled airlines pleaded for government aid.

    The EU’s executive European Commission warned member states that this was just the beginning of the crisis and Germany said it would run for “months rather than weeks”, diplomats said.

    Alarmed by the unilateral border restrictions being imposed in a bloc that prizes the free movement of people, French President Emmanuel Macron had pressed for the decision to close Europe’s external borders to foreigners.

    “That was meant to convince European countries to drop internal and unilateral border moves. But it’s hard to see anyone doing it,” an EU diplomat said, adding the move was largely symbolic as the virus was already within.

    Indeed, tensions over borders still abounded across the EU, with three Baltic countries – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – criticising Poland for blocking their citizens in transit from returning home.

    Portugal and Spain on Tuesday notified Brussels that they have introduced controls on Europe’s internal borders, bringing the total taking such measures to at least 12 countries.

    Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary have not formally informed the EU about such moves despite pursuing them, meaning the real number is likely higher.

    The EU has also moved to repatriate Europeans stranded abroad as airlines cut flights. Von der Leyen said nearly 300 Austrian and other European nationals were flown back from Morocco to Vienna on Tuesday.

    Their border control steps aside, the EU leaders have come together on a “whatever it takes” approach to cushioning the economic blow from the pandemic, including by relaxing limitations on state aid.

    The bloc’s antitrust chief proposed allowing governments to offer grants or tax advantages of up to 500,000 euros ($550,000) to ailing companies, though some EU countries want Brussels to go further.

    Source: reuters.com

  • Dr. Osei Kwame Despite being impersonated on social media Video

    Business mogul and CEO of Despite Media, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite is being impersonated on social media.

    The honorable man is being impersonated by some people on social media and taking monies from innocent and ignorant people.

    The said person also claims to be recruiting workers for Despite Media that is Peace Fm, Okay Fm and others on social media.

    However there has been a disclaimer and a caution sent out to the general public to be careful of such impersonators as the honorable man is not on any social media platform.

    Watch video below;

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    Disclaimer

    A post shared by Fadda Dickson (@faddick) on

    Source: ghgossip.com

  • FIFA postpones new Club World Cup 2021 in China, AFCON schedule to be discussed

    The Federation of International Football Association has revealed that it will recommend to its Bureau of Council members today to accept the proposal to postpone next year’s FIFA Confederations Cup and the revamped FIFA Club World Cup in the wake of the CoronaVirus crisis that has ravaged football.

    The proposal will be tabled during a Fifa Bureau of the Council meeting via video conference scheduled for later today which would also discuss the timing for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he will recommend accepting the postponement of the European Championship and Copa America to next summer because of the health crisis facing the world.

    The postponement of the two competitions in Europe and South America means it will clash with the two aforementioned Fifa competitions.

    The two competitions will also clash with the original schedule of the Africa Cup of Nations which is also scheduled to be held in June and July of 2021.

    With the postponement of the Euros and Copa America, the Afcon will also be affected which means some compromise must be reached in that direction too.

    In a pragmatic approach, Fifa President said they will be looking to moving the FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, which were originally scheduled for next summer so that the world’s football calendar would not be in disarray while maintaining a common purpose among the global football family.

    Those suggestions, “to find balanced solutions for the good of football,” Infantino said, will be made by him on a Bureau of the Council conference call today.

    “The world is facing an unprecedented health challenge and a global and collective response is needed,” Infantino said.

    “Cooperation, mutual respect and understanding must be the guiding principles for all decision-makers to have in mind at this crucial moment in time.”

    Infantino said a decision would be made at a later day, “when there is more clarity on the situation,” on when to play the FIFA Club World Cup, either later in 2021, in 2022 or in 2023.

    He said he will also have a conversation with the Chinese FA and the Chinese government to postpone that competition, which includes the winner of the Concacaf Champions League.

    Infantino will also discuss the current international calendar with the hopes of finding solutions by the end of April.

    He also pledged $10 million from FIFA to the World Health Organization COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, while also mentioning the possibility of establishing “a Global Football Assistance Fund to help members of the football community affected by this crisis.”

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Venezuela asks IMF for $5 billion to tackle coronavirus

    President Nicolas Maduro’s government has requested $5 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deal with the coronavirus pandemic in Venezuela, where 33 cases have been reported so far.

    “We come up to your honorable organism to request your assessment, regarding the possibility of granting Venezuela a financing facility for $5 billion from the Emergency Fund of the Rapid Financing Instrument (IFR), resources that will contribute significantly to strengthen our detection and response system ” reads the letter signed by Maduro.

    Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza published the letter on his Twitter account on March 17.

    “President Nicolas Maduro has formally requested financing for $5 million to the International Monetary Fund to strengthen the response capacity of our health system during the Covid-19 contingency. Another timely action to protect the people,” Arreaza wrote.

    It is the first time Venezuela turns to the International Monetary Fund in almost 20 years. In 2007, Former President Hugo Chavez announced the country was withdrawing from the IMF because he believed it served U.S. interests, but the decision to withdraw was not materialized.

    In January last year, the IMF suspended activity with Venezuela because of the political crisis in which it is immersed.

    The letter, dated March 15th, 2020, is addressed to the Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, and mentions the “hard and unexpected battle the world is facing today against the outbreak of the new coronavirus”.

    “Only under the spirit of solidarity, brotherhood and social discipline we will be able to overcome the situations that come our way, and we will know how to protect the life and well being of our people,” it adds.

    Maduro has placed the country in quarantine to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and has suspended all work and school activities.

    “I want to announce that starting Tuesday, March 17, Venezuela will enter into social quarantine, the entire country, the 23 states and the capital district, all into social quarantine, into collective quarantine,” Maduro said on Monday. He confirmed 16 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 33.

    Source: www.aa.com.tr