Coronavirus

ECB launches emergency €750bn coronavirus package

The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched an emergency €750bn package to ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It will buy government and company debt across the eurozone, including…

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Trump puts USA on war footing to combat virus outbreak

Describing himself as a "wartime president", President Donald Trump has vowed the US will achieve "total victory" over the coronavirus. He spoke as he revived a Korean War-era measure allowing…

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France joins Italy in highest daily deaths from coronavirus, Italian lockdown could be extended

Italy and France have had their highest numbers of deaths from coronavirus in a day, with 475 and 89 more fatalities respectively. The deaths in Italy - an increase of…

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CoVid19 – Malta Bulletin – Malta’s Economic CoVid Emergency Plan – Review

Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that Government has prepared a 1.8 billion euro package to support the economy, business and families. Government’s priority is that no jobs were lost but…

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Let your love be known – U2’s Bono new song for doctors, nurses and carers on CoVid19 front line

U2’s Bono has shared a new song called “Let Your Love Be Known”, dedicated to “the doctors, nurses, [and] carers on the front line,” and was inspired by the crisis in…

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CoVid19 Update – Another dark day for Europe

Thirty-two more people have died in England after testing positive for coronavirus - taking the total number of UK deaths to 104. It follows the biggest daily leap in confirmed cases…

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Covid19 Malta Bulletin – Wednesday 18th March 2020

Update 20:21 Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that Government has prepared a 1.8 billion euro package to support the economy, business and families. Government's priority is that no jobs were…

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Germany closing borders to travellers from EU countries

Germany is closing its borders to travelers from other EU countries in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said on Wednesday evening. "Today we are taking a…

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I asked the Lord to stop the epidemic – Pope Francis

“During these difficult days we can find small, concrete gestures expressing closeness and concreteness towards the people closest to us, a caress for our grandparents, a kiss for our children,…

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Parents need to prepare kids to guard against CoVid-19

The World Health Organization said parents need to prepare their kids to guard against COVID-19 after a new study showed that babies and very young children can sometimes develop severe…

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€38 billion relief plan announced by Austria

Austria will spend up to 38 billion euros to secure jobs and keep companies afloat, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Wednesday, joining other European countries providing more funds to limit…

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CoVid19 Italy Update – Lombardy will ‘soon’ not be able to deal with new CoVid19 cases

Lombardy medical facilities will "soon" be unable to help new coronavirus cases, Governor Attilio Fontana said Wednesday urging everyone to stay at home. "Unfortunately the numbers of the contagion are…

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Ryanair and its subsidiaries to ground nearly all of its flights

Budget airline Ryanair says it will ground nearly all its flights from next week due to the coronavirus crisis gripping Europe.

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Kosovo’s government facing crisis as Interior minister is fired on CoVid19 response

Kosovo’s government faces a major crisis only a few weeks after taking power as one of the coalition partners is threatening to walk out of government. On Wednesday morning, Prime…

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Eurovision cancelled in wake of coronavirus concerns

The popular Eurovision Song Context has been cancelled in the wake of recent developments related to the spread of the coronavirus. Malta was due to be represented by 17-year-old singer…

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Norway’s Prime Minister addresses youngsters about coronavirus

Last Monday, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg, together with two of her Cabinet Ministers, met up with a group of children to answer their questions related to CoVid-19 and the…

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#WeApplaud trends in France as population supports healthcare workers

COVID19: #Weapplaud trends in France as population supports healthcare workers As France edges perilously close to the 8,000th patient mark, placing the health care system under further stress, numerous hashtags…

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US shifts to aggressive economic intervention to support business and protect jobs

Following an initial soft approach to the impact that COVID19 is having on American businesses, the White House has suddenly changed its approach and prepare for a significant economic…

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COVID19 Malta – What changes from today

Government has yesterday evening enacted a series of legal notices bringing into force a number of changes required by the exceptional circumstances of the spreading of the coronavirus in Malta.…

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Germany to build hospital for coronavirus patients

As the number of patients infected with coronavirus in Germany topped 7,500 late Tuesday evening, the German Government has announced the creation of a new hospital completely dedicated the new…

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There is no singing in Bergamo

While other Italian cities share stories of flash mobs of singing citizens on social media, the city of Bergamo is pervaded with silence, only broken by the sound of ambulance…

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Athletes express concern at IOC’s insistence to go ahead with Olympics

An increasing number of athletes from various sporting disciplines are speaking out against the International Olympic Committee’s intentions to run the Games as scheduled this July. Although sports personalities have…

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Turkey confirms first CoVid19 death

Turkey confirmed its first death from the coronavirus late Tuesday, according to its health minister. Anadolu News Agency said that a patient, 89, died while 51 additional cases were diagnosed,…

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Flights to Malta to be suspended as of March 21st – Reports

The Horizon Facebook Page, reports that a Notice to Airmen was issued tonight, where by it informed that following a decision taken by the Malta Health Authorities all passenger flights inbound…

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EU’s proposed travel ban explained

Travelers from outside Europe will soon be unable to enter the EU, under a new plan aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus and preventing any added burden…

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Germany kicks off tourists’ repatriation process of its nationals

Germany has begun the process of bringing home tens of thousands of its nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told DW in an exclusive…

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Italy now has nearly a third of the world’s deaths from coronavirus

At a press briefing on Tuesday night, Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organizations regional director for Europe, said that 152 countries were now affected by COVID-19, creating a…

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500 Maltese in Belgium set to be affected by Belgium’s confinement order

The Belgian Prime Minister is set to announce new measures for the Belgians including the mandatory confinement which is expected to enter in vigour from tomorrow and should last till…

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Agnelli Family and its companies roll out a series of measures worth over €10 million to support Italy

In response to the COVID-19 emergency, the Agnelli Family and its Companies have put in place a series of measures, in coordination with the Italian Civil Protection Department, to support…

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Five-month-old boy tests positive for CoVid19 in Rome

A five-month-old boy has tested positive for the coronavirus at Rome's Bambino Gesù children's hospital and is in good condition, the hospital said Tuesday. ANSA said that the boy was taken to…

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Britain unveils £330 billion government backed loans and other measures to help businesses and families

The British Government announced Government-backed loans worth £330bn and a three-month mortgage moratorium, as part of "unprecedented" measures to help businesses and families. Rishi Sunak unveiled the package of…

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Bergamo Hospital runs out of intensive care beds

A hospital in Bergamo, among the northern cities hardest hit by the coronavirus, on Tuesday said it had run out of intensive care beds. ANSA reports that the Papa Giovanni…

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Life during lockdown, the French way

The French population has officially started living in lockdown conditions as of noon today. The government has instructed everyone to limit their movements as much as possible because of the…

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Italy reports a 2,941 recoveries, with an increase of 192 since yesterday

In Italy, since the beginning of the Coronavirus epidemic, 31,506 people have contracted the Sars-CoV-2 virus (+3,526 compared to yesterday for a growth of 12.6%) Of these, 2,503 died (+345,…

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Spain announces €200 billion relief package

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday afternoon announced a relief package of €200 billion to fight the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis. The measures include delaying mortgage payments,…

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Luxembourg declares state of emergency

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel announced that the country is triggering Article 32.4 to declare a state of emergency. The state of emergency, which can last for up to three…

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UK registers 26% increase in cases

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK has reached 1,950 - up 407 in the past 24 hours and a rise of 26%. The latest confirmed number of…

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Amazon suspends shipment of items except for medical supplies

Amazon has temporarily suspended the shipment of all items from independent merchants to its warehouses that are not medical supplies or "high-demand" products, the Independent (UK) reports. This temporary suspension will go…

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UK government advises against foreign travel

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the government is advising against foreign travel anywhere in the world. Mirror reports that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected thousands of people across…

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UEFA EURO2020 postponed to 2021

Euro 2020 has been postponed to 2021 as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the Norwegian Football Association has announced. The tournament was due to have been held this year…

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Silvio Berlusconi donates 10 million euros to Lombardy region

Silvio Berlusconi donated 10 million euros for the construction of the new four hundred field hospital located in pavilions 1 and 2 of the ex Fiera di Milano at Portello.…

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Germany to take radical measures to fight coronavirus spread

Germany will take "radical measures" to fight the spread of coronavirus by banning people from traveling for pleasure and closing non-essential shops, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.Non-essential businesses and shops will…

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EU’s external borders and Schengen area to be closed as of noon for 30 days

EU leaders decided to close the bloc's external borders to travelers in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. "As of tomorrow noon, external borders of the…

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I want to hug my child, but I can’t – Medical Director of Cremona Hospital

For all of us who think that being stuck at home is some form of punishment, for those complaining about how difficult it is to maintain a semblance of normality,…

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New Zealand expels two tourists who failed to follow self-isolation rules

Two people who arrived in New Zealand from South East Asia and failed to self-isolate will be kicked out of the country. The New Zealand Herald reports that Immigration NZ…

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Gambling groups issue profit warnings

Gambling groups Flutter Entertainment, GVC and William Hill all issued profit warnings on Monday, as the widespread cancellation of sporting events ground betting to a halt. Flutter, the bookmaker behind…

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Covid19 Malta Bulletin – Tuesday 17th March 2020

Update 14:24 PN Leader Adrian Delia has announced a set of proposals to safeguard employment in the wake of the COVID19 crisis. The Opposition has urged government to safeguard employees…

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“This is the rainy day we have been planning for” – New Zealand launches economic rescue package

New Zealand’s government announced a spending package equivalent to 4% of GDP in an attempt to fight the effects of Covid-19 on the economy, in what ministers called the most…

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US introduces self-isolation, ban gatherings of more than 10 people

The White House on Monday released a series of sweeping guidelines that for the next 15 days will temporarily rewrite the norms of American society. AP reports that President Donald…

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CoVid 19 knows no old, young, poor or rich, it has no country, no religion too…

Iran's Ambassador in France Bahram Qasemi said on Monday that coronavirus does not know people and country, old and young and poor and rich, and nobody should be left alone…

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Carmakers announce work stoppages amidst worst disruption in a decade

Production lines fell silent across Europe on Monday. Factories across the region were mothballed. Manufacturers fought to contain the damage of an unprecedented loss of business. The Financial Times reports…

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Netherlands’ PM excludes a total national lockdown

Government measures prompted by the coronavirus pandemic are "unprecedented in peacetime," says Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Monday, but he vowed not to impose a national lockdown on the Netherlands.…

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Lavazza donates €10 million for emergency services in Piemonte

Coronavirus, Lavazza donates €10 million for emergency services in Piemonte to finance projects which sustain health, education and the most susceptible citizens within the region In order to address the health…

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We are at war – Macron

"We are at war" through these words, the French President Macron urged the French to stay home as he announced tougher new 15-day restrictions to stop the spread of the…

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Greece shuts all shops, orders anyone coming into country to go into quarantine

Greece’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 infections stands at 352, as 21 new cases were added since Sunday, according to Health Ministry spokesman and infectious diseases Professor Sotiris Tsiodras who…

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Swedish Government launches €27 billion rescue plan for its economy

The Swedish government on Monday presented a package of measures worth more than 300 billion Swedish crowns ($30.94 billion) to support the economy in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.…

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Italy’s ‘Cure Italy’ decree launched

The cabinet on Monday issued its highly anticipated 'cure Italy' decree to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic. Premier Giuseppe Conte said the government had passed a "mighty"…

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