Venezuela’s embattled president Nicolás Maduro has suggested a novel solution for the coronavirus crisis: drink more tea, writes Joe Parkin Daniels in Bogotá.
Late on Tuesday, the leader of the South American nation – which is now under a militarized lockdown – gave a rambling televised address on measures his government is taking to combat the spread of Covid-19, with 91 cases confirmed.
Sipping from a small cup, Maduro told Venezuelans to drink aromática – a herbal tea made of lemongrass, ginger, elderberry, black pepper, lemons and honey – “every two or three hours, five or six times a day”. He added that he and his wife prepared 10 jugs of the elixir for their family. “It’s tasty,” he said.
Maduro’s playful tone jars with the bleak outlook for Venezuela, which despite boasting the largest proven oil reserves on the planet is already mired in social and economic turmoil. Shortages in basic goods and medical supplies are widespread and hyperinflation has rendered the local Bolivar currency practically useless.
Twitter took issue with Maduro’s comments on the disease on Tuesday morning, deleting one of his tweets that shared articles from a discredited scientist on grounds that it amounted to misinformation. One of those articles alleged the tea would remedy the virus. Another claimed Covid-19 was a “bioterrorist weapon”.
Argentina reports 86 new cases, two deaths in 24 hours
Officials confirmed on Tuesday night that 86 new cases of the novel Covid-19 coronavirus had been diagnosed in Argentina over the last 24 hours – the highest daily figure of the pandemic to date, reports the Buenos Aires Times.
La Nación reported on Wednesday that seven people have now died, the latest an 81-year-old women who has contact with an 82-year-old man who had recently returned from the US.
In total, 387 individuals have been infected with the virus, the health ministry said in a statement.
Our thanks to Peter Lawrence in Argentina for providing information from the country.
Saudi Arabia reports 133 new positive cases, one death in last 24 hours
Akhtar Mohammad Makoii
Saudi Arabia has reported 133 new positive cases and one death in the last 24 hours, reports Akhtar Mohammad Makoii in Herat.
Saudi Arabia has announced its second coronavirus-related death in the last 24 hours with 133 new infections, pushing the total number of Coronavirus cases in the kingdom to 900.
A health ministry spokesman said a 46-year-old man had died as a result of Covid-19.
He added that the majority of infected patients were receiving medical care but in good condition. Three people are in critical condition but are receiving extra care in the intensive care unit, Al Arabia reported.
Russia delays vote on changes to allow Putin to stay in power until 2036
Andrew Roth
Russian president Vladimir Putin has delayed a public vote on constitutional amendments that will allow him to stay in power until 2036 due to the coronavirus outbreak in Russia, writes Andrew Roth in Moscow.
The plebiscite, which was seen as an important public endorsement of Putin’s ability to remain in power after 2024, were scheduled for 22 April. A new date will be set later, Putin said during a nationwide address. The vote does not have any legal impact and the constitutional amendments have already been accepted into law.
The announcement came as the Russian president rolled out a series of emergency measures to limit the health and economic impact of the spread of the virus in Russia . While asking Russians to stay home, the Russian president stopped short of issuing a mandatory quarantine or state of emergency.
Speaking on television, the Russian president announced a nationwide weeklong holiday in order to slow the spread of coronavirus through Russia. The holiday would extend from 28 March until 5 April, he said. Workers across the country would be guaranteed to receive their salaries, he added.
He also announced a series of economic initiatives, debt relief for those diagnosed with coronavirus, support for the unemployed, additional benefits for families with small children, a tax holiday for small businesses, and a moratorium on some bankruptcies.
In a direct appeal to Russians, Putin said: “Don’t think this can’t happen to me. It can happen to anyone.” He told the country to stay home.
The address came one day after a senior Russian official told Putin that government tallies underestimated the number of coronavirus victims in the country and that the Kremlin needed to take urgent measures to address the virus’ spread before it turned into a crisis.
Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin told Putin on Tuesday that the rate of coronavirus “growth is high; a serious situation is developing”, and warned that the healthcare system may be overwhelmed at the virus’s peak.
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Official statistics have revealed a significant acceleration in the spread of coronavirus in Russia. A record 163 new cases were confirmed by officials on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total to 658 cases. Most of the new infections were identified in Moscow, which posted a jump of 120, or 43%, overnight. One death has been attributed to the disease.
Russia’s parliament on Wednesday said it would review legislation that could put quarantine breakers in jail for a period of three to seven years. Currently, those who return from abroad or exhibit symptoms of sickness are required to self-isolate for 14 days. And those found guilty of intentionally infecting others could even face terrorism charges, a Russian lawmaker said.
“In the event of intentional causing of one or more deaths as a result of the deliberate violation of sanitary and epidemiological regulations, irrespective of the intentions, such an action will be defined as terrorism, hooliganism or sabotage,” Russian lawmaker Pavel Krasheninnikov told reporters.
The French prime minister, Édouard Philippe, has outlined the help the government is giving businesses to assuage the economic crisis resulting from the lockdown in a debriefing of this morning’s council of ministers, reports my colleague Kim Willsher in Paris.
Philippe said the government was anxious to “mitigate the economic” consequences of the lockdown. The measures he introduced include:
€1bn economic fund for small “micro” enterprises to stop them going out of business or firing and laying off staff. Small companies will be able to obtain help to pay, electricity, water, rent and bills.
Extension of eligibility for unemployment and social security benefits.
”War economy” number of conditions companies can “temporarily” put in measures for Sunday and overtime work.
He said there would be a total of 25 new decrees coming in next few days. State would take over the salaries of all companies affected by the crisis and had set aside €4.5bn for this.
Philippe concluded: “These decrees help us to bear the brunt of the lockdown. This is a health crisis, a health emergency, but this crisis will also bring about an economic crisis … the president has asked us to take all measures for the long haul. We are preparing for the long haul.”
An international aid group said that closures aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic are preventing it from reaching 300,000 people in conflict zones across the Middle East.
It comes after authorities in Libya’s capital reported the first case in the war-torn country.
The Norwegian Refugee Council said it was unable to reach people in Syria, Yemen and the Gaza Strip, where authorities have imposed strict measures to halt the spread of the virus.
All have fragile healthcare systems that could be overwhelmed by an outbreak, and only Yemen has yet to report any cases.
The group said virus lockdowns have also limited access to parts of Africa and Asia.
While governments are taking tough and much-needed measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, millions of refugees and displaced people still depend on humanitarian assistance, said Jan Egeland, head of the aid group.
If supermarkets and pharmacies can remain operational during this crisis, then so should the delivery of humanitarian aid, he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has postponed a nationwide vote on proposed constitutional amendments that include a change that would allow him to seek another term in power.
Putin didn’t set a new date for the plebiscite originally set for April 22, saying Wednesday that it would depend on how the new coronavirus pandemic develops.
He also announced during a televised address to the nation that the government doesn’t want Russians except those working in essential sectors to come to work next week. He said that stores, pharmacies and banks will stay open.
Photograph: Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin Pool/Planet Pix via ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Health, life and safety of the people is an absolute priority for us, Putin said.
Russian authorities reported 658 cases of the new virus on Wednesday, with 163 new cases registered since the day before. That marked a significantly bigger daily increase from previous days, when the number of new infections grew only by several dozens.
Canadian banks on Tuesday followed US heavyweights in offering one-time bonuses and extra paid days off to customer-service employees who are required to work in branches and call centres amid the coronavirus crisis.
Banks have largely been excluded from government-mandated shutdowns in many countries because they are considered an essential industry, meaning most bank branches, call centres and trading floors have stayed open even as many firms send their employees home.
The coronavirus is unlikely to disappear in summer, the European Union agency for disease control said on Wednesday, in a stark warning that the epidemic could continue when temperatures rise unless measures to hamper it are applied.
The notice leaves little room for hopes that SARS-CoV-2, the name of the new virus, could behave as the other four coronaviruses, which are endemic in human populations and are usually not detected in summer months.
