SPAIN’S coronavirus death toll rose to 10,003 on Thursday, up from 9,053 on Wednesday, an increase of 950. On Tuesday Spain had recorded 864 deaths related to coronavirus, its previous highest figure. Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus has reached 3,136, with 124 deaths in the past 24 hours, the health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV, adding that the country had 50,468 total cases. France’s interior minister Christophe Castaner warned the country to stay at home as the Easter holidays begin. He said roadblocks would be set up on major highways and extra police or soldiers dispatched to train stations and airports to verify the documents of anyone stopped out and about. – Guardian
Police arrest journalist for disorderly conduct
ZIMBABWEAN police have arrested and charged freelance journalist Nunurai Jena for allegedly violating coronavirus containment regulations imposed earlier this week. The 55-year-old was charged with contravening section 11(a)(b) of the Public Health (COVID-19), Prevention, Containment and Treatment (National Lockdown) Order, 2020 and with disorderly conduct as defined in section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act after he was arrested while recording video footage of some police officers who were manning a checkpoint set up long the Chinhoyi-Chegutu highway in Mashonaland West province. Police claim he insulted officers who were manning the check point, accusing them of being corrupt. He was taken to Chinhoyi Magistrates Court but could not appear before a Magistrate as the courts were closed, is expected to appear in court on Friday 3 April 2020.– Kukurigo
China denies blame for under reporting Corona Virus.
CHINA rejected the American intelligence community’s conclusion that Beijing concealed the extent of the coronavirus epidemic, and accused the U.S. of seeking to shift the blame for its own handling of the outbreak. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Thursday defended as “open and transparent” China’s response to the virus first identified in December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. She was responding to a Bloomberg News report saying that the U.S. intelligence community had concluded in a classified report to the White House that Beijing under-reported both total cases and deaths from the disease. “Some U.S. officials just want to shift the blame,” Hua told a regular briefing in Beijing.– Time
Bill Gates calls for 10 weeks lockdown
BILLIONAIRE philanthropist Bill Gates is calling for a “consistent nationwide approach to shutting down” in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus, arguing that at least 10 more weeks of national shutdown are required to minimize the impact of the epidemic. In a new Washington Post op-ed published Thursday, Gates criticized the fact that some states have not yet ordered restrictive stay-at-home orders. – Business Insider
Corona virus can be spread through talking : Research
A PRESTIGIOUS scientific panel told the White House Wednesday night that research shows coronavirus can be spread not just by sneezes or coughs, but also just by talking, or possibly even just breathing. “While the current [coronavirus] specific research is limited, the results of available studies are consistent with aerosolization of virus from normal breathing,” according to the letter, written by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of a committee with the National Academy of Sciences. Fineberg told CNN that he will wear start wearing a mask when he goes to the grocery store. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, told CNN Tuesday that the idea of recommending broad use of masks in the US to prevent the spread of coronavirus is under “very active discussion” by the group. CNN
