Foreign minister of Germany, Heiko Maas said Monday the rights to coronavirus vaccine research were not for sale. Followed by reports, Donald Trump wanted the US to buy exclusive access to a potential vaccine developed by a German biotech firm. According to Maas, researchers play a leading role in drug and vaccine development and they cannot allow others to seek exclusive results.
The Punjab government on Sunday imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), banning public gatherings in wake of a surge in novel coronavirus cases across the country. Section 144 of the CrPc allows the State to issue temporary orders in case of emergencies. The move was notified by Additional Chief Secretary Momin Agha.
Twenty new cases of the coronavirus were reported in Pakistan on Sunday, taking the country’s tally to 53. Five new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karachi, the Sindh health department confirmed. Thirteen others returning from Iran via Taftan tested positive for the virus in Sukkur. This brought the total number of cases in Sindh to 35, the health department said. One coronavirus case was reported in Islamabad, according to PIMS spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja.
Saudi Arabia said Saturday it would suspend international flights for two weeks in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Saudi Arabia has recorded 86 cases of the virus so far, but no deaths, according to the health ministry. The Kingdom had already halted flights to some countries and closed schools and universities as part of measures to contain the disease.
Netflix is now stopping production on all movies and TV shows including the highly anticipated Stranger Things. In compliance with the US and Canadian government’s restrictions against COVID-19, Netflix will be stopping production on numerous shows for two weeks. Some of the most noteworthy names that will be affected by this setback include The Witcher, Lucifer, Russian Doll, Stranger Things, and others.
One new coronavirus case was confirmed at PIMS in Islamabad on Saturday. The patient is a 30-year-old woman who has been put on the ventilator after her condition deteriorated. Earlier she was under treatment at a private hospital where she was tested for COVID-19. After her test came out positive she was referred to PIMS on Friday, said PIMS Spokesperson Dr Waseem Khwaja.
A rapid spread of coronavirus in Europe has spurred panic among the football teams as the La Liga has been suspended for two weeks. Real Madrid players were sent in isolation after one of the city’s basketball team players contracted the virus. Though no football player at Real Madrid showed symptoms, the club shut down as a preventive measure.
The Pakistan Cricket Board and the Sindh government have decided that the remaining Pakistan Super League(PSL) matches in Karachi will be held behind closed doors at the National Stadium. The decision comes hours after Pakistan’s coronavirus count reached 21, with a majority of those cases being reported in Sindh. The PCB said the precautionary decision has been made to better protect the health and safety of spectators, players, officials and the media.
Pakistan’s 20th coronavirus case was confirmed on Wednesday in Skardu. The patient is a 14-year-old boy. The Gilgit-Baltistan Health Department said that the boy arrived home from Iran on March 5. He has been isolated. The federal health ministry has confirmed the case, which is the second in Gilgit-Baltistan. The patient is under treatment at City Hospital in Skardu.
Two more persons have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus in Sindh, taking the total number of the COVID-19 infections in the country to 18. According to Sindh Health Department, one of the infected persons reached Karachi from Syria via Doha while second patient, who is resident of Hyderabad, arrived in Karachi from Iran via Dubai. On Monday, Sindh Health Department confirmed nine new cases of coronavirus in Karachi