ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece will expand a night-time curfew on movement and shut restaurants and bars in the most populous areas of the country for one month from Nov. 3 to contain a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.



The country has reported less cases of the novel coronavirus than most in Europe, but has seen a gradual increase in infections since early October. Restaurants, bars, coffee houses, cinemas, museums and closed gyms will be shut from this coming Tuesday, Nov. 3, for a period of one month across northern Greece and Attica region, which includes the capital Athens.



A curfew on night-time movement, until now applicable to the hardest-hit areas, would be expanded across the country from midnight to 5.00 am.“These new rules.. are focussed on two sources which are, verifiably, conducive to the spread of the virus; entertainment and the movement of people,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an public address.



He said authorities would introduce support measures, costing an estimated 1.5 billion euros, to the sectors impacted. Greece has already disbursed more than 14 billion euros to support the economic impact of the first wave of the virus.Retail businesses, industry and schools will remain open, along with service industries like hotels and hairdressing salons.



The regional lockdowns affect the most populous regions of the country; Attica has a population of 3.9 million and the northern regions about 1.5 million.Greece registered a new peak of 1,690 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, and five deaths bringing the number of victims since the onset of the virus in late February to 620.

Greece to shut most bars, restaurants in country for month from Tuesday

Washington: International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s, a member of The World Bank Group, has focused on reaching the most vulnerable people in developing countries. Of the $8 billion in IFC COVID-19 fast-track financing approved by the IFC Board in March 2020, $4 billion has been committed to date, of which close to half is expected to benefit people in the poorest countries and fragile states, with the remainder helping to support the fight against COVID-19 across other developing countries and emerging markets. “Supporting the private sector will be crucial to helping developing countries achieve an inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery and stem the current rise in extreme poverty,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “Our goal with IFC’s fast-track COVID-19 facility is to provide needed liquidity for corporate and financial institution clients, which will provide working capital, support jobs and facilitate trade.” IFC’s Board in March approved $8 billion in financing to help companies affected by the outbreak. IFC, the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets, has since fully deployed the $2 billion allocated under the trade-finance envelope of the fast-track facility. This support is helping client financial institutions keep liquidity flowing to businesses that depend on trade, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), a major source of employment. “IFC’s fast-track COVID-19 facility was designed to provide immediate liquidity to our financial institutions and real sector clients to preserve jobs and prevent short-term damage,” said Stephanie von Friedeburg, Interim Managing Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of IFC. “By supporting private sector clients and interventions, we are hoping in the longer term to help reignite economic growth, paving the way for a better, more resilient and sustainable future once COVID-19 recedes.” IFC has committed an additional $2 billion under the facility, benefiting every region in which IFC operates. This financing is being used for a range of purposes, from bolstering healthcare providers to helping the battered tourism sector and keeping viable businesses afloat, thus saving jobs. Another $623 million has been mobilized for these clients from private sector partners. Additionally, the IDA Private Sector Window (PSW), a tool developed by the World Bank Group to catalyze private-sector investment in the world’s poorest countries, has provided $281 million in guarantees supporting trade-finance and working-capital loans to small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in eligible countries since March. IFC’s response is part of the World Bank Group’s effort to take broad, fast action to help developing countries strengthen their pandemic response, increase disease monitoring and improve public-health interventions. The World Bank Group has the financial capacity to deploy $160 billion over the next 15 months, including a potential $47 billion from IFC in overall support for the private sector. Looking ahead, IFC will work with its partners to help restructure and recapitalize viable businesses and set the stage for an inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery. In August, IFC also launched the $4-billion Global Health Platform, which is helping developing countries expand access to medical supplies such as masks, ventilators, test kits and, eventually, a COVID-19 vaccine.

IFC helps businesses in poorest countries with $4 Billion

Kathmandu: Covid-19 infection is on the rise in Kathmandu. More than half of the daily infections are in Kathmandu. At present, more than 2,000 infected people are being added to the Kathmandu Valley every day. Infections have been added to Kathmandu at consistently high points this week. About 70 percent of the infected people across the country are found in the Kathmandu Valley. The number of confirmed cases in Kathmandu is close to 58,000. Most of those added are from within the Kathmandu metropolis. About 45 percent of Kathmandu residents are infected in the metropolis. Of the 57,000 infected, there are more than 22,000 in the metropolis alone. The number of corona infections in the metropolis has reached 22,975 as of October 25. More than 100 unidentified people have been infected and the death toll has risen to 129. The number of infected people in all the wards of the metropolis has reached over one hundred. Infected people of all wards are losing their lives. The infection has spread to all the wards of the metropolis in 90 percent of the infected homes. According to the health department of the metropolis, the number of infected people living in home isolation is increasing while the number of people living in hospital and institutional isolation is decreasing. There are more than 200 infected people in 30 wards of Kathmandu metropolis. Most of the wards are in Swayambhu. In Swayambhu, 1,660 people have been confirmed infected and nine have died. In the adjoining ward no. Seven infected people have lost their lives here.

Covid-19 'hotspot' Kathmandu; 129 killed, 23,000 infected so far

Amsterdam (The Economist) : For a few months this summer it was almost possible for Europeans to believe that life had returned to normal. Parisian museums and Barcelona’s cafés were open, if less crowded. Germans, Dutch and Danes jetted off to holidays on Mediterranean beaches. 



In August and September, as children across the continent returned to school, covid-19 infections began to rise. Yet governments, worried about a backlash, chose not to reintroduce harsh social-distancing measures.



Their decision has had a price. A second wave of covid-19 is now washing over Europe. In many countries the daily numbers of confirmed cases exceed their spring peaks, though this is mostly because there is a lot more testing; death rates are substantially lower. 



A model developed by The Economist, based on serological tests showing how many people have been exposed to the virus, suggests the second wave has yet to match the first (see chart), though numbers are clearly rising, as are hospitalisations. Most countries failed to use the summer to build robust testing and tracing operations. 



Now they are falling back on blunt measures: shutting restaurants and introducing quarantines and curfews

A second wave of covid-19 sends much of Europe back into lockdown

New York: United Sherpa Association, the umbrella organization of Nepalese Sherpas in the USA, and the Humanitarians of the World, Inc. organized ‘COVID-19 Champion Award and Dinner Gala 2020’ on Saturday, October 24th, 2020, to honor community heroes who have been making an exceptional contribution in combating the global pandemic in New York City. 



During the event organized at the temple of United Sherpa Association, Inc. Jackson Heights, Queens, the President of United Sherpa Association Mr. Urgen Sherpa and Founder of Humanitarians of the World Inc. Dr. Adul Hussain shared stories of their instrumental charity work in supporting New Yorkers to fight the pandemic.



United Sherpa Association has been distributing face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, Tylenol, thermometers and thousands of meals to needy, homeless, and hungry people at the temple since the pandemic out-break in the world’s most happening city. The volunteers of the United Sherpa Association delivered PPEs and groceries to over 800 Covid-19 infected families. Similarly, the Humanitarians of the World Inc has been providing food and necessities to thousands of people in the Elmhurst area, specifically, and throughout the five Boroughs of NYC, in general. Speaking as the Keynote speaker the Queens Borough District Attorney, Malinda Katz said, “the job you have done is the best job in this hard time and will never be forgotten.” She praised both organizations for their remarkable community service. 



Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee praised the United Sherpa Association and Humanitarians of the World Inc and presented them with citations.Council Member Daniel Dromm said United Sherpa Association is leading by example and said he is proud to have the United Sherpa Association in his district. He also presented citations to both organizations and honored the top volunteers of United Sherpa Association with certificates.



Catalina Cruz, New York State Assembly member appreciated the job done by both organizations to help the families infected by Covid-19. “When fear and need was everywhere you stepped up for the humanity,” she said.State Assemblyman Jaffrion Aubry presented President Urgen Sherpa and Dr. Adal Hussain with proclamations from the New York Stare Assembly. State Senator Jessica Ramos, newly elected Assembly member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas and other elected officials were there to praise the champions. The award was distributed to Melinda Katz, Queens District Attorney, Grace Meng, US Representative, District- 6 NY, Catalina Cruz, Member of New York State Assembly- District 39, Jeffrion L. Aubry, Member of New York State Assembly- District- 35, Jessica Ramos, New York State Senator, Daniel Dromm, New York City Council Member, District 25, Costa Constantinides, New York City Council Member- District 22, Jessica Gonzalez Rojas, Member, New York State Assembly- District 34 and Urgen Shrepa and Dr. Adal Hussain- Co-Organizers of the eventSimilarly, the organiser has honoured, Israel Roche, CEO, Elmhurst Hospital, Department of Nursing, Elmhurst Hospital, Department of Emergency, Elmhurst Hospital, Department of Executive Administration and Pulmonary, Medicine/Critical Care. 



Meanwhile, special award was presented to Jean Shafiroff, Philanthropist/ humanitarian, Alba Lucia Yepees, T. centi-citi Church, Mohammed Pier, Philanthropist, Farida Yesmin, Community Leader and Rev Bruce Grodner, Interfaith Leader.Likewise, community award was distributed to Pemba G. Sherpa, Trustee Co-Ordinator, Phurba Sherpa, Vice President United Sherpa Association, Karma Lama, General Secretary, United Sherpa Association, Sonam G. Sherpa, Founding President, United Sherpa Association &amp; the Co-Chair of Covid-19 Relief Campaign, Tenzing Norgey Sherpa FoundationDrukpa USA Atoms Inc, Singapore Gurkha Police Ex-Servicemen Association, Nepalese America Nurse Association (NANA ) among others.

United Sherpa Association organises Covid-19 Champion Award

Kathmandu: Due to the great festival of Nepalese, Dashain, most of the laboratories have been closed and the number of tests has dropped in the last 24 hours. According to an update released by the Ministry of Health and Population on Tuesday, 2,725 PCRs have been tested in just 24 hours. Even in Monday's report, only 5,006 people underwent PCR testing. Before that, 12,311 on October 26, 13, 846 on October 25 and a PCR test of 16,863 people was conducted on October 25. According to the ministry, the number of coronavirus infected people has reached 160,400 across the country, including 570 added today. Of those infected, 118,843 have been cured so far. So far, the number of deaths from corona has reached 876 across the country. Similarly, 40 thousand 631 people are actively infected. More than half of the active infected, i.e. 20 thousand 586 active infected people are in Kathmandu Valley. In the last 24 hours, 97 women and 155 men have been infected and 252 more have been infected. Of the three districts in the Kathmandu Valley, 16,958 are actively infected. A total of 57,000 infected people have been found in Kathmandu, 40,042 have been cured and 200 have died. Similarly, 1,194 people have been actively infected in Bhaktapur and 4,141 have been cured. The total number of infected people in Bhaktapur is 5,393 where 58 people lost their lives. Similarly, the number of active infected people in Lalitpur is 2,434 and the number of those recovering is 5,562. A total of 8,052 people have been infected in Lalitpur where 56 people have lost their lives so far. According to the ministry, there are 10,501 in home isolation in Kathmandu, 1,719 in Bhaktapur and 2,362 in Lalitpur.

Covid tests declines due to festive season

Kathmandu: For the second day in a row, the number of cured and discharged patients is higher than the number of newly infected people in Nepal. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2,856 people have been infected in the last 24 hours, while 3,336 have returned home after recovering. A total of 2,846 people were cured of the coronavirus infection on Saturday. So far, 111,670 people have recovered and returned home. The recovery rate in Nepal is 70.6 percent. In the last 24 hours, 12,311 people were tested. The total number of infected people in Nepal has reached 158,089. The number of active infected people is 45,572. In the last 24 hours, 1,849 people have been found infected in Bagmati and 59 in Province 2. Coronavirus infection has been confirmed in 1535 people in Kathmandu Valley alone. Of these, 906 are males and 629 are females. Five more people have lost their lives in the last 24 hours. At the same time, the death toll has reached 857. The mortality rate in Nepal is 0.5 percent. At present, 32,593 people are in home isolation, while 277 people are undergoing treatment in ICU and 66 people in ventilator.

More healing than being infected

Kathmandu: The Ministry of Health and Population has urged all hospitals to provide free treatment to those who cannot afford the treatment. The government had recently decided to provide free testing and treatment to the poor, helpless, disabled and frontline workers only if they show symptoms and others should be treated at their own expense. After widespread criticism, the government defended itself, saying it would be free of charge if it could not afford the treatment. But on Sunday, the ministry's Incident Command System (ICS) coordinator, Dr. Gunaraj Lohani said in a press release that some hospitals had demanded money for the admission of Covid-19 patients and deprived them of treatment due to non-payment. Stating that the treatment of the poor, destitute, disabled, helpless and senior citizens will be provided free of cost by the government and self-declaration on behalf of the patients will be accepted, Lohani said that the hospitals will be responsible if they do the opposite. Addressing all government, community, private, non-government hospitals and medical colleges, he said, "This release has been issued to provide free treatment to Covid-19 infected people who cannot afford the treatment."

Health ministry direct to provide free treatment for infected who cannot afford it

(Reuters) - The United States broke its daily record for new coronavirus infections on Friday as it reported 84,218 new cases due to outbreaks in virtually every part of the country, according to a Reuters tally. The spike in cases comes less than two weeks before the presidential election on November 3 and is hitting battleground states such as Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. On Thursday, the United States reported a near-record 76,195 new cases. The previous record was 77,299 new cases on July 16. At the time, hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients hit 47,000 and two weeks later deaths rose to an average of 1,200 per day. Now, hospitalizations are over 41,000 and deaths average nearly 800 per day. Sixteen states had record one-day increases in new cases on Friday and 11 reported a record number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Health experts have not pinpointed the reason for the rise but have long warned that colder temperatures driving people inside, fatigue with COVID-19 precautions and students returning to schools and colleges, could promote the spread of the virus. The United States has the most cases in the world at 8.5 million and the most fatalities with 224,000 lives lost. The United States has reported over the past week an average of 60,000 new cases per day, the highest seven-day average since early August. The Midwest has been the epicenter of the latest surge but infections are rising nationwide. The Northeast reported an 83% increase in cases in the past month. New cases have doubled in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New Jersey in the past four weeks as compared to the prior four weeks, according to a Reuters analysis. Western states including Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming have reported a 200% increase in cases in the past four weeks when compared with the previous four weeks.

U.S. breaks daily record for coronavirus cases with over 84,000 new infections

(REUTERS): French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced a curfew imposed last week on Paris and eight other cities would be extended to 38 more departments, confining 46 million out of the country’s 67 million population to their homes from 9 pm to 6 am. “A second wave of the coronavirus epidemic is now under way in France and Europe. The situation is very serious,” Castex said at a news conference. Shortly after the measures were announced, French health authorities reported a record 41,622 new confirmed cases, bringing the cumulative total to 999,043. According to a Reuters tally, Wednesday saw the highest total of infections reported in a single day across the world, at 423,290. In Spain, which this week became the first European country to pass 1 million cases, Health Minister Salvador Illa said the epidemic was now “out of control” in many areas. Regional authorities debated a curfew but stopped short of taking a decision. After Europe appeared to have gained a measure of control over the epidemic following the dramatic lockdowns of March and April, a surge in cases over recent weeks has put the continent back at the heart of the crisis. While hospitalisations and deaths have not so far overwhelmed health systems as they did during the initial wave early this year, authorities in many countries worry the situation is rapidly reaching a tipping point. Germany, which reported more than 10,000 daily cases for the first time, extended travel warnings for Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, most of Austria and Italian regions including Rome. “We still have a chance to slow a further spread of the virus,” Lothar Wieler, of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s infectious diseases agency, said in Berlin. More than 5.3 million people across Europe have contracted the disease and over 204,000 have died, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. That compares with 8.4 million cases in the United States and 7.7 million in India. As millionth case looms, COVID tears through France faster than in spring Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes went into intensive care on Thursday, just a day after German Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive. The resurgence over recent weeks stands in contrast to several countries in Asia, from China to South Korea or New Zealand, where draconian lockdowns and rigorous contact tracing have helped contain the disease. Grappling with the enormous costs of the coronavirus, Europe’s leaders are desperate to avoid a repeat of the blanket lockdowns that shut down their economies in the spring. As cases have surged and health services have come under increasing pressure, they have been forced to impose and expand local restrictions aimed at reducing public gatherings to ever wider areas. Italy’s three most populous regions -- Lombardy around Milan, Lazio, around Rome and Campania around Naples -- have already imposed overnight curfews. Britain also tightened restrictions on three more areas on Thursday. Amid the growing public alarm, Germany’s statistics office noted that sales of toilet paper rose almost 90% last week from pre-crisis levels with almost equally sharp jumps in sales of disinfectants and soap. Only Sweden, a European outlier which has relied largely on voluntary measures to promote social distancing, was an exception, declaring senior citizens no longer need to isolate themselves given lower COVID infection rates than in spring. As the crisis has intensified, much of the public goodwill seen in the first phase of lockdowns has evaporated and central governments have engaged in angry spats with local authorities from Manchester to Madrid over issues ranging from health and welfare to transport and schools. With winter coming, health services are looking ahead with apprehension as the wave of COVID patients coincides with the usual seasonal respiratory illnesses. “We are already swamped,” said Bruno Megarbane, head of intensive care at the Lariboisiere hospital in Paris. “So, indeed, there is the fear that we will face a very difficult situation.”

France extends curfew as COVID second wave surges in Europe

BERLIN/MADRID (Reuters) - Germany warned on Thursday against travel to neighbouring countries, Belgium’s foreign minister went into intensive care and Spain said COVID-19 was “out of control” in many areas, as governments across Europe took action to fight the pandemic.



As German authorities reported more than 10,000 daily cases for the first time, Berlin issued travel warnings for Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, most of Austria and many Italian regions, including the capital Rome.



“The situation overall has become very serious,” Lothar Wieler, of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s infectious diseases agency, said in Berlin, adding: “We still have a chance to slow a further spread of the virus.”



After Europe appeared to have gained a measure of control over the epidemic following the dramatic lockdowns of March and April, a surge in cases over recent weeks has put the continent back at the heart of the crisis.



Hospitalisations and deaths across most of Europe have not yet reached the levels of the initial wave early this year, but authorities in many countries worry the situation could rapidly get worse. More than 5.3 million people in Europe have contracted the disease and over 204,000 have died, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).



India has had more than 7.7 million cases - the world’s highest tally after the United States with 8.3 million. But elsewhere in Asia, from China to South Korea or New Zealand, draconian lockdowns and rigorous contact tracing have helped contain the disease.



Grappling with the enormous costs of the coronavirus, Europe’s leaders are desperate to avoid a repeat of the blanket lockdowns that shut down their economies in the spring.But as cases have surged, and health services have come under increasing pressure, they have been forced to impose and expand local restrictions aimed at reducing public gatherings to ever wider areas.



Underlining the reach of the disease, Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes went into intensive care on Thursday. German Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive a day earlier.



“OUT OF CONTROL”



“The second wave is a reality,” Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Thursday. “In many areas of our country, the epidemic is out of control.”



A number of Spanish regions are calling for localised curfews such as those implemented in France and Italy, where Lazio, the region around Rome, has joined Lombardy and Campania around Milan and Naples in imposing overnight curfews.



Amid the growing public alarm, Germany’s statistics office noted that sales of toilet paper rose almost 90% last week from pre-crisis levels with almost equally sharp jumps in sales of disinfectants and soap.Only Sweden, a European outlier which has relied largely on voluntary measures to promote social distancing, was an exception, declaring senior citizens no longer need to isolate themselves given lower COVID infection rates than in spring.



As the crisis has intensified, much of the public goodwill seen in the first phase of lockdowns has evaporated and central governments have engaged in angry spats with local authorities from Manchester to Madrid over issues ranging from health and welfare to transport and schools.With winter coming, health services are looking ahead with apprehension as the wave of COVID patients coincides with the usual seasonal respiratory illnesses.



“We are already swamped,” said Bruno Megarbane, head of intensive care at the Lariboisiere hospital in Paris. “So, indeed, there is the fear that we will face a very difficult situation.”

Germany issues travel warnings as COVID surges in Europe

Kathmandu: Nepal government has set a criteria for the free treatment of covid-19 infection. The Ministry of Health and Population has categorized those infected with free treatment into seven lists. According to the list made public by the Health Emergency Operations Center under the Ministry, the first priority is to provide free treatment is to the needy. Now, if any infected person submits his / her certificate of deprivation or declares himself / herself, the government will provide free treatment to such infected people. Similarly, the government has also promised to provide free treatment to the disabled people. In the third lists, helpless people will also get free covid-19 treatment from the government. For which such person has to make a recommendation from their local government or self-declaration. Likewise, helpless single women in the fourth category will also get free treatment if they have a certificate or self-declaration. Fifth, those with severe disabilities are also said to receive free treatment. For that, the infected person has to submit a certificate of disability. Sixth, the government will provide free treatment to senior citizens who are infected. The information made public by the ministry states that free treatment will be provided if the self-declaration of citizenship certificate or age has reached 70 years. And the seventh is health workers, sanitation workers, security personnel and other employees working in the risky areas will also be treated free of cost. Such persons have to submit their identity card or recommendation letter of the concerned office. However, in the case of insured persons who have reached the mentioned basis, it is mentioned that all the testing and treatment expenses will be deducted from their insurance amount. Apart from these, in the case of other persons, the government has decided that the entire cost of treatment should be beared by the infected person himself.

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