OVERSEAS | ABS-CBN News

China clamps down on COVID-19 test kit exports after accuracy questioned

Roxanne Liu and Alexandra Harney, Reuters
Apr 01 06:37 PM

Chinese exporters of coronavirus tests must now obtain a registration certificate from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in order to be cleared by China’s customs, the NMPA said in a statement late on Tuesday. Read more »

Pinoy in Spain makes face shields for health workers

Sandra Sotelo Aboy, ABS-CBN News
Apr 01 06:11 PM

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain - A Filipino stuck at home because of the nationwide lockdown heeded the government's call to help produce 3D-printed gears to fill in the shortage of protective equipment for health workers dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Read more »

In Taiwan, anger at China over COVID-19 drives identity debate

Ben Blanchard, Reuters
Apr 01 05:03 PM

Anger at being confused with China amid the coronavirus outbreak and Beijing's stepped-up efforts to assert sovereignty is stirring heated debate in Taiwan about how to further distance itself from its giant and often threatening neighbor. Read more »

Pandemic pranks off the table on April Fools' Day

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 02:48 PM | Updated Apr 01 02:49 PM

It may be the global day for pranks but with the world under assault from the deadly coronavirus pandemic many governments on Wednesday were warning against virus-themed April Fools' jokes -- some even threatening jail.  Read more »

Only 1 Pinoy from virus ship in Japan remains in hospital due to COVID-19: envoy

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Apr 01 02:30 PM

Filipinos who opted to stay in Japan after disembarking the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship are doing "okay" with only one left in the hospital, Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V said Wednesday. Read more »

Taiwan to spend $35 billion fighting coronavirus, to donate 10 million masks

Reuters
Apr 01 02:28 PM

Taiwan dramatically upped its estimate for how much it would spend helping the economy deal with the impact of the coronavirus to $35 billion on Wednesday, and said it would donate 10 million face masks to the most needy countries. Read more »

Pinay nun dies in Spain due to coronavirus

Sandra Sotelo Aboy, ABS-CBN News
Apr 01 02:02 PM

A Filipina nun on a short visit to Spain to renew her visa died Saturday due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), her Benedictine congregation announced. Read more »

China starts to report asymptomatic coronavirus cases

Reuters
Apr 01 02:00 PM

Chinese health authorities began on Wednesday reporting on asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus as part of an effort to allay public fears that people could be spreading the virus without knowing they are infected with it. Read more »

US virus deaths pass 4,000: Johns Hopkins

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 01:24 PM

WASHINGTON - The total US death toll from the coronavirus pandemic topped 4,000 early Wednesday, more than double the number from three days earlier, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Read more »

PH repatriates 881 seafarers from US

ABS-CBN News
Apr 01 12:53 PM

Some 881 Filipino seafarers on Tuesday arrived in Manila from cruise ships moored in the United States, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Read more »

Coronavirus: California to release 3,500 non-violent prison inmates

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 12:35 PM

The prison system in the largest US state of California plans to release about 3,500 non-violent inmates early to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 illness, officials said Tuesday. Read more »

Taking a break from COVID-19 response in Wuhan

Olivia Zhang, AP Photo
Apr 01 10:47 AM

Volunteers from a hospital pose for a photo as they enjoy a day off at a shopping street in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. Read more »

COVID-19 testing continues in Wuhan quarantine hotel

Ng Han Guan, AP
Apr 01 10:44 AM

A woman receives a COVID-19 test at a quarantine hotel in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Tuesday. Read more »

Italy ends March with day of mourning

Remo Casilli, Reuters
Apr 01 10:07 AM

An Italian flag is drawn to half mast, as mayors across Italy stand in silence to honor the country's dead due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Campidoglio in Rome, Italy on Tuesday. Read more »

6.5 magnitude quake hits US state of Idaho

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 10:07 AM

A 6.5-magnitude quake hit the western US state of Idaho on Tuesday with no immediate reports of damage or fatalities.   Read more »

Mass disinfections to combat COVID-19 pose another health hazard

Prasto Wardoyo and John Geddie, Reuters
Apr 01 08:52 AM | Updated Apr 01 08:58 AM

Mass disinfections, often by workers in protective gear resembling characters from the comedy film Ghostbusters, have become a common sight -- from Turkey's Grand Bazaar to bridges in Mexico and migrant workers in India.   Read more »

She’s alone, 105 and in a nursing home threatened by coronavirus

John Leland, The New York Times
Apr 01 08:33 AM

In New York City, nursing homes account for 1 in 4 coronavirus deaths. Nearly 1.5 million Americans live in nursing homes. Depleted staffs means more residents per worker — and also more room for error or neglect, less time to fully scrub between residents and greater opportunities to carry the virus from one room or wing to another. Read more »

Coronavirus the worst global crisis since WWII, says UN chief

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 08:01 AM

The coronavirus pandemic is the worst global crisis since World War II, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday, expressing concern that it could trigger conflicts around the world. Read more »

Loss of taste, smell key COVID-19 symptoms -British scientists' study

Reuters
Apr 01 07:21 AM

LONDON - Losing your sense of smell and taste may be the best way to tell if you have COVID-19, according to a study of data collected via a symptom tracker app developed by British scientists to help monitor the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. Read more »

13-year-old UK boy dies after contracting COVID-19

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 07:15 AM

A 13-year-old British boy has died days after testing positive for COVID-19, hospital officials and his family said on Tuesday, with relatives saying he had no underlying illnesses. Read more »

Captain of US aircraft carrier pleads for help as virus cases increase onboard

Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Helene Cooper, The New York Times
Apr 01 07:07 AM

WASHINGTON — The captain of a U.S. aircraft carrier deployed to the Pacific Ocean has pleaded with the Pentagon for more help as a coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship continues to spread, officials said Tuesday. Military officials said dozens of sailors have been infected. Read more »

Obama suggests Trump team 'denied warnings' of pandemic

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 07:01 AM

Former US president Barack Obama took a veiled swipe Tuesday at his successor Donald Trump, chastising those who have "denied warnings" of a deadly coronavirus pandemic and cautioning against ignoring the consequences of climate change.   Read more »

Airlines refuse to collect passenger data that could aid coronavirus fight

Natalie Kitroeff and Jessica Silver-Greenberg, The New York Times
Apr 01 07:01 AM | Updated Apr 01 07:04 AM

For 15 years, the U.S. government has been pressing airlines to prepare for a possible pandemic by collecting passengers’ contact information so that public-health authorities could track down people exposed to a contagious virus. Read more »

Deadliest day for Europe virus hotspots, as US toll surges

Mariette Le Roux andPeter Hutchison, Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 06:51 AM

Deaths from the coronavirus spiked in Europe on Tuesday with Spain, France and Britain reporting their highest daily tolls to date, as field hospitals shot up across New York, the epicenter of the US outbreak bracing for dark times ahead.   Read more »

Canada to spend $2 billion on medical equipment as virus toll rises

Agence France-Presse
Apr 01 06:41 AM

Canada will spend $2 billion (USD 1.43 billion) on medical equipment as hospitals fear shortages in the face of the accelerating coronavirus epidemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday.   Read more »