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Showing posts with label New Zealand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Zealand. Show all posts

Pet parrots declared a threat to endemic birds

Pet parrots declared a threat to endemic birds

A biologist has called for a nationwide ban on breeding and selling man’s favorite talking birds in New Zealand


Hundreds of pet parrots flee from their owners in New Zealand every year, putting the island nation’s endemic birds, many of which are already endangered species, under a serious threat, a biologist has warned.

An average of 331 parrots escape or are deliberately released into the wild annually in the country, according to Dr. Margaret Stanley, an associate professor in biological studies at the University of Auckland.

The actual figure should be much higher than that as her statistics were only based on the lost birds that are reported by their owner, she added.

But even the conservative numbers are alarming, with simulations run by Stanley revealing a high chance of escaped parrots of the same species meeting in the wild and starting to reproduce.

“We looked at all the details on survivorship and lifespan for these species, and what we found was that for the seven species that we modeled, it was more than an 80% chance that a male-female pair were at large in the same local board area, at any given time,” the biologist told the Guardian.

The number was “even worse” and reached 100% for species like the Indian ring-necked parakeet and the Alexandrine parakeet as they could hybridize with each other, Stanley added.

Parrots might be cute and colorful creatures, but they could become a real menace for New Zealand’s unique birds, 40% of which are already considered endangered.

The uncontrolled breeding of the invasive species will eventually see them competing with local birds for food and nesting space, she explained. The parrots also carry diseases.

New Zealand’s fauna has already suffered immensely over time, thanks to the rabbits, rats, and possums brought into the country in the 19th century. Stanley and her colleagues are eager to prevent the parrots from doing even more damage.

The selling and breeding of several species of these exotic birds, including monk and ringneck parakeets, as well as rainbow lorikeets, will be banned in Auckland from September 1. It’s being done as part of the city’s pest management plan.

But Stanley insisted that it’s not enough: Breeders are already considering moving out of Auckland to go on with their business. The measure “is a little bit toothless if it’s not nationwide,” she argued, calling for parrots to be outlawed everywhere across the country.


A biologist has called for a nationwide ban on breeding and selling man’s favorite talking birds in New Zealand


Hundreds of pet parrots flee from their owners in New Zealand every year, putting the island nation’s endemic birds, many of which are already endangered species, under a serious threat, a biologist has warned.

An average of 331 parrots escape or are deliberately released into the wild annually in the country, according to Dr. Margaret Stanley, an associate professor in biological studies at the University of Auckland.

The actual figure should be much higher than that as her statistics were only based on the lost birds that are reported by their owner, she added.

But even the conservative numbers are alarming, with simulations run by Stanley revealing a high chance of escaped parrots of the same species meeting in the wild and starting to reproduce.

“We looked at all the details on survivorship and lifespan for these species, and what we found was that for the seven species that we modeled, it was more than an 80% chance that a male-female pair were at large in the same local board area, at any given time,” the biologist told the Guardian.

The number was “even worse” and reached 100% for species like the Indian ring-necked parakeet and the Alexandrine parakeet as they could hybridize with each other, Stanley added.

Parrots might be cute and colorful creatures, but they could become a real menace for New Zealand’s unique birds, 40% of which are already considered endangered.

The uncontrolled breeding of the invasive species will eventually see them competing with local birds for food and nesting space, she explained. The parrots also carry diseases.

New Zealand’s fauna has already suffered immensely over time, thanks to the rabbits, rats, and possums brought into the country in the 19th century. Stanley and her colleagues are eager to prevent the parrots from doing even more damage.

The selling and breeding of several species of these exotic birds, including monk and ringneck parakeets, as well as rainbow lorikeets, will be banned in Auckland from September 1. It’s being done as part of the city’s pest management plan.

But Stanley insisted that it’s not enough: Breeders are already considering moving out of Auckland to go on with their business. The measure “is a little bit toothless if it’s not nationwide,” she argued, calling for parrots to be outlawed everywhere across the country.


New Zealand records first Covid-19 death in more than three months: official

New Zealand records first Covid-19 death in more than three months: official


AFP: New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 death in more than three months on Friday when a man in his 50s succumbed to the virus. Health officials said the man was part of a second-wave cluster of infections that emerged in Auckland last month, ending a spell of 102 days free of community transmission in the South Pacific nation.

The death at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital on Friday afternoon takes New Zealand's death toll from the virus to 23, with the most recent previous fatality on May 24.

"I acknowledge the anxiety New Zealanders may be feeling about today’s news, both in the wider community and also for the family and whanau (relatives) grieving over this death," health chief Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement.


"Our thoughts are with his family and community at this time of loss and grief."

The man was reportedly the youngest to die from Covid-19 in New Zealand.

Health authorities did not say whether he had a pre-existing medical condition.

The Auckland cluster emerged in a family of four and has since grown to 152, including three new cases recorded on Friday.

It has proved difficult to eliminate despite a two-and-a-half week lockdown in Auckland that ended on Sunday night.

"We have always recognised that further deaths linked to Covid-19 were possible," Bloomfield said.

"Today's news reinforces the importance of our shared vigilance against Covid-19, the very serious consequences the virus can carry with it."

- 'Caution required' -

While Aucklanders were allowed out of their homes this week, the government limited non-school social gatherings in the city of 1.5 million to 10 people and made masks compulsory on public transport nationwide.

Authorities said earlier on Friday, before the latest death was announced, that the restriction would remain in place until at least September 16.

The source of the Auckland cluster remains unknown but genome testing indicates it is not linked to the virus strain that New Zealand experienced earlier this year, which was largely eliminated in a seven-week lockdown that began in late March.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said indications were that the Auckland cluster was contained but there was no room for complacency.

"We've been prepared and, by going hard and early, particularly with Aucklanders pitching in, we look at this early stage to have contained our resurgence," she told reporters.

"But (there are) also areas which suggestion caution is very much required... every country has faced second outbreaks in this global pandemic, and some have turned into significant second waves."

New Zealand, with its low death rate of 23 in a population of five million, has been hailed as one of the countries most successful in handling the virus.

Its response to the latest outbreak has included a blitz of around 600,000 tests in recent weeks, accompanied by extensive contact tracing and the pre-emptive quarantine of close contacts linked to confirmed cases.

ns/arb/je

AFP: New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 death in more than three months on Friday when a man in his 50s succumbed to the virus. Health officials said the man was part of a second-wave cluster of infections that emerged in Auckland last month, ending a spell of 102 days free of community transmission in the South Pacific nation.

The death at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital on Friday afternoon takes New Zealand's death toll from the virus to 23, with the most recent previous fatality on May 24.

"I acknowledge the anxiety New Zealanders may be feeling about today’s news, both in the wider community and also for the family and whanau (relatives) grieving over this death," health chief Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement.


"Our thoughts are with his family and community at this time of loss and grief."

The man was reportedly the youngest to die from Covid-19 in New Zealand.

Health authorities did not say whether he had a pre-existing medical condition.

The Auckland cluster emerged in a family of four and has since grown to 152, including three new cases recorded on Friday.

It has proved difficult to eliminate despite a two-and-a-half week lockdown in Auckland that ended on Sunday night.

"We have always recognised that further deaths linked to Covid-19 were possible," Bloomfield said.

"Today's news reinforces the importance of our shared vigilance against Covid-19, the very serious consequences the virus can carry with it."

- 'Caution required' -

While Aucklanders were allowed out of their homes this week, the government limited non-school social gatherings in the city of 1.5 million to 10 people and made masks compulsory on public transport nationwide.

Authorities said earlier on Friday, before the latest death was announced, that the restriction would remain in place until at least September 16.

The source of the Auckland cluster remains unknown but genome testing indicates it is not linked to the virus strain that New Zealand experienced earlier this year, which was largely eliminated in a seven-week lockdown that began in late March.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said indications were that the Auckland cluster was contained but there was no room for complacency.

"We've been prepared and, by going hard and early, particularly with Aucklanders pitching in, we look at this early stage to have contained our resurgence," she told reporters.

"But (there are) also areas which suggestion caution is very much required... every country has faced second outbreaks in this global pandemic, and some have turned into significant second waves."

New Zealand, with its low death rate of 23 in a population of five million, has been hailed as one of the countries most successful in handling the virus.

Its response to the latest outbreak has included a blitz of around 600,000 tests in recent weeks, accompanied by extensive contact tracing and the pre-emptive quarantine of close contacts linked to confirmed cases.

ns/arb/je

Australia & New Zealand chosen to host 2023 women's World Cup

Australia & New Zealand chosen to host 2023 women's World Cup



(AFP) - Australia and New Zealand will host the 2023 women's World Cup after the countries' joint bid was chosen by FIFA on Thursday.

The overwhelming favourites won ahead of their only rival Colombia, with Japan having withdrawn its own bid earlier in the week and Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and a joint Korean proposal already having fallen by the wayside.

The 2023 tournament is set to be the first 32-team women's World Cup, up from the 24 nations who competed at last year's finals in France, won by the United States.

It will be the ninth women's World Cup.

"WE DID IT! LETS GO AUSTRALIA & NZ! WORLD CUPS COMING HOME", said Chelsea's Sam Kerr, the leading star of Australian women's football, in a celebratory Instagram post.

The joint proposal by Australia and New Zealand will see games played in 13 venues across 12 cities in July and August 2023, with the opening match at Eden Park in Auckland and the final in Sydney.

Seven cities in Australia will host games, and five in New Zealand. There will be two stadiums in Sydney. Four groups will be based in each country during the first phase.

Thursday's vote came at a video-conference meeting of the 37 members of the FIFA Council as football, and global sport in general, struggles to get back on its feet in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australia and New Zealand bid was given the highest score, of 4.1 out of five, in an evaluation by world football's governing body published earlier this month.

It was followed by Japan, on 3.9, but the Japanese bid was withdrawn on Monday, with the head of the country's football association, Kozo Tajima, noting that key support was moving towards Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, he admitted that Japan's focus was on hosting next year's Olympics in Tokyo.

FIFA's evaluation report gave Colombia a score of just 2.8 out of five as it raised doubts about the ability to provide investment required to carry out "necessary improvements" and also highlighted security worries in the South American country.

Australia and New Zealand both have considerable experience when it comes to hosting major international sporting events.

Australia hosted the men's Asian Cup in 2015, with New Zealand hosting the men's under-20 World Cup in the same year.

In addition, Australia has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

Both countries have recently hosted the men's Rugby World Cup having also jointly organised the first edition of that competition in 1987.

They also jointly staged the 1992 and 2015 Cricket World Cups.

Australia are seventh in the current FIFA women's world rankings, but the Matildas have never been beyond the quarter-finals at the World Cup and lost on penalties to Norway in the last 16 last year.

New Zealand's "Football Ferns" have never been beyond the group stage and in 2023 will be hoping to win a game at the finals for the first time.

AFP


(AFP) - Australia and New Zealand will host the 2023 women's World Cup after the countries' joint bid was chosen by FIFA on Thursday.

The overwhelming favourites won ahead of their only rival Colombia, with Japan having withdrawn its own bid earlier in the week and Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and a joint Korean proposal already having fallen by the wayside.

The 2023 tournament is set to be the first 32-team women's World Cup, up from the 24 nations who competed at last year's finals in France, won by the United States.

It will be the ninth women's World Cup.

"WE DID IT! LETS GO AUSTRALIA & NZ! WORLD CUPS COMING HOME", said Chelsea's Sam Kerr, the leading star of Australian women's football, in a celebratory Instagram post.

The joint proposal by Australia and New Zealand will see games played in 13 venues across 12 cities in July and August 2023, with the opening match at Eden Park in Auckland and the final in Sydney.

Seven cities in Australia will host games, and five in New Zealand. There will be two stadiums in Sydney. Four groups will be based in each country during the first phase.

Thursday's vote came at a video-conference meeting of the 37 members of the FIFA Council as football, and global sport in general, struggles to get back on its feet in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australia and New Zealand bid was given the highest score, of 4.1 out of five, in an evaluation by world football's governing body published earlier this month.

It was followed by Japan, on 3.9, but the Japanese bid was withdrawn on Monday, with the head of the country's football association, Kozo Tajima, noting that key support was moving towards Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, he admitted that Japan's focus was on hosting next year's Olympics in Tokyo.

FIFA's evaluation report gave Colombia a score of just 2.8 out of five as it raised doubts about the ability to provide investment required to carry out "necessary improvements" and also highlighted security worries in the South American country.

Australia and New Zealand both have considerable experience when it comes to hosting major international sporting events.

Australia hosted the men's Asian Cup in 2015, with New Zealand hosting the men's under-20 World Cup in the same year.

In addition, Australia has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

Both countries have recently hosted the men's Rugby World Cup having also jointly organised the first edition of that competition in 1987.

They also jointly staged the 1992 and 2015 Cricket World Cups.

Australia are seventh in the current FIFA women's world rankings, but the Matildas have never been beyond the quarter-finals at the World Cup and lost on penalties to Norway in the last 16 last year.

New Zealand's "Football Ferns" have never been beyond the group stage and in 2023 will be hoping to win a game at the finals for the first time.

AFP

Five Eyes spies have NO EVIDENCE that coronavirus emerged from Wuhan lab, report suggests creating a U-turn on previous leaks

Five Eyes spies have NO EVIDENCE that coronavirus emerged from Wuhan lab, report suggests creating a U-turn on previous leaks

There is no evidence to substantiate the Trump administration’s claims that Covid-19 came from a Chinese laboratory, according to intelligence sources, raising questions about a leaked dossier blaming Beijing for the pandemic.

Sources that spoke to the Guardian said that a 15-page dossier which accused China of carrying out a cover-up to hide its role in the global health crisis was not based on intelligence taken from the infamous ‘Five Eyes’ network, which includes spy agencies from the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Beijing could have been more forthcoming about what was happening in Wuhan – the original epicenter of the pandemic – but pressing the issue could risk a dangerous escalation between the West and China, Five Eyes agencies believe, according to the Guardian report.

Over the weekend, the Australian Sunday Telegraph claimed it saw a dossier, allegedly compiled by “concerned Western governments,” which claimed that the Five Eyes intelligence agencies are probing Beijing’s involvement in the Covid-19 outbreak.

The leak coincided with incendiary remarks from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who claimed there was a “significant amount of evidence” that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Although it’s still not clear how Covid-19 emerged, Washington has promoted the theory that China is to be blamed for the health crisis.

The UK has taken a different approach to determining the cause of the crisis. Downing Street has resisted assigning blame for Covid-19, though it has stressed that questions need to be answered about the origin and spread of the virus in order to better prepare for future global pandemics.

Beijing has strongly denied any involvement in the spread of the illness, and has challenged Pompeo to produce the evidence purportedly showing its links to the pandemic. The secretary of state is engaged in the spread of a dangerous “political virus,” China has said.



There is no evidence to substantiate the Trump administration’s claims that Covid-19 came from a Chinese laboratory, according to intelligence sources, raising questions about a leaked dossier blaming Beijing for the pandemic.

Sources that spoke to the Guardian said that a 15-page dossier which accused China of carrying out a cover-up to hide its role in the global health crisis was not based on intelligence taken from the infamous ‘Five Eyes’ network, which includes spy agencies from the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Beijing could have been more forthcoming about what was happening in Wuhan – the original epicenter of the pandemic – but pressing the issue could risk a dangerous escalation between the West and China, Five Eyes agencies believe, according to the Guardian report.

Over the weekend, the Australian Sunday Telegraph claimed it saw a dossier, allegedly compiled by “concerned Western governments,” which claimed that the Five Eyes intelligence agencies are probing Beijing’s involvement in the Covid-19 outbreak.

The leak coincided with incendiary remarks from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who claimed there was a “significant amount of evidence” that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Although it’s still not clear how Covid-19 emerged, Washington has promoted the theory that China is to be blamed for the health crisis.

The UK has taken a different approach to determining the cause of the crisis. Downing Street has resisted assigning blame for Covid-19, though it has stressed that questions need to be answered about the origin and spread of the virus in order to better prepare for future global pandemics.

Beijing has strongly denied any involvement in the spread of the illness, and has challenged Pompeo to produce the evidence purportedly showing its links to the pandemic. The secretary of state is engaged in the spread of a dangerous “political virus,” China has said.



New Zealand's health minister demoted after taking family to beach

New Zealand's health minister demoted after taking family to beach

Health Minister David Clark
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted the country's health minister for breaching nationwide lockdown rules but rejected his offer to resign because it could jeopardise plans to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Health Minister David Clark drove his family to the beach in the early stages of a lockdown that started in late March. "Under normal conditions, I would sack the minister of health. What he did was wrong and there are no excuses," Ardern said in Wellington.

Instead, she demoted Clark to the bottom of cabinet rankings and stripped him of his role as associate finance minister.

"I expect better and so does New Zealand," she said.

Clark said in a statement that he had been "an idiot".
Health Minister David Clark
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted the country's health minister for breaching nationwide lockdown rules but rejected his offer to resign because it could jeopardise plans to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Health Minister David Clark drove his family to the beach in the early stages of a lockdown that started in late March. "Under normal conditions, I would sack the minister of health. What he did was wrong and there are no excuses," Ardern said in Wellington.

Instead, she demoted Clark to the bottom of cabinet rankings and stripped him of his role as associate finance minister.

"I expect better and so does New Zealand," she said.

Clark said in a statement that he had been "an idiot".

China announced that 1,716 medical workers contracted the coronavirus, 6 of them have died

China announced that 1,716 medical workers contracted the coronavirus, 6 of them have died

China reports over 5,000 new coronavirus cases

China calls on virus survivors to donate blood plasma in the hopes of creating a treatment.



Health authorities in China said 5,090 new coronavirus cases and 121 new deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the latest reports

In China epidemic hit centres, 1,716 medical workers have contracted the coronavirus and 6 of them have died, the government said on Friday.

It was the first time officials have disclosed the number. The announcement was the first official confirmation about the number of infected medical workers, and is likely to ratchet up fears about the spread of the virus.

Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said the numbers of infected workers represent 3.8 percent of China’s overall confirmed infections. The victims represent 0.4 percent of all deaths nationwide.

Mr. Zeng said that Hubei, the province at the center of the outbreak, recorded 1,502 cases of infected medical workers, with 1,102 of them in Wuhan, the provincial capital. He added that further research was needed to ascertain whether the infections spread throughout the hospital or within the community.

“I think it’s quite concerning,” said Benjamin Cowling, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong. “Healthcare workers face the challenge of caring for a substantial number of patients in Wuhan. It’s worrying to discover that a number of them have been infected.”

Medical workers in Hubei, already working round the clock, face a shortage of personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns and safety goggles. They have resorted to begging from friends, putting out frequent calls for donations, and using tape to patch up torn masks and gowns. Many doctors and nurses there say they eat only one meal a day because going to the restroom means removing and discarding safety gowns that they would not be able to replace.

During the SARS outbreak of 2002-2003, 961 medical workers were infected, representing 18 percent of all infections, according to government data. About 1 percent of the medical workers infected with SARS died, the medical expert Xu Dezhong told Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

Adam Kamradt-Scott, an infectious diseases expert at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney said the new figures give no indication the outbreak is nearing a peak .

“Based on the current trend in confirmed cases, this appears to be a clear indication that while the Chinese authorities are doing their best to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the fairly drastic measures they have implemented to date would appear to have been too little, too late,” he said.

The epidemic has given China’s ruling Communist Party one of its sternest challenges in years, constrained the world’s second-largest economy and triggered a purge of provincial bureaucrats.

Numbers continued to climb after the government changed the criteria by which it tracks confirmed cases. The authorities said a total of 63,851 people have been infected by the coronavirus and at least 1,380 people have been killed by the disease.

Most of the cases occurred in Hubei, the center of the outbreak, which recorded 4,823 new cases and 116 deaths over the same period.

The tally in Hubei jumped most dramatically on Thursday after the authorities changed the diagnostic criteria for counting new cases. The government now takes into account cases diagnosed in clinical settings, including the use of CT scans, and not just those confirmed with specialized testing kits.

Japan confirmed its first coronavirus death on Thursday – a woman in her 80s living in Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo. The death was the third outside mainland China, after two others in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Japan is one of the worst affected of more than two dozen countries and territories outside mainland China that have seen hundreds of infections.

Japanese policymakers vowed to step up testing and containment efforts after the death and confirmation of new cases, including a doctor and a taxi driver.

The world’s third-largest economy is already bracing for a sharp slowdown in growth and some analysts expect another contraction in the current quarter as the virus outbreak hurts exports, output, and consumption through a sharp drop in overseas tourists.

“Investors will surely avoid Asia for the time being and will shift funds to the U.S., geographically the most separated from the region,” said Norihiro Fujito, chief investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

China calls on virus survivors to donate blood plasma in the hopes of creating a treatment.

A senior health official in Wuhan, China, the center of the outbreak, has called on residents who have recovered from the coronavirus to donate blood plasma, believing their naturally produced antibodies could be used to treat patients who are still sick.

Dr. Zhang Dingyu, the director of the Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, made his appeal on Thursday after Chinese researchers said they believed such antibody treatments could help people recover from the virus.

The search for a drug capable of treating or curing the virus has frustrated researchers, as rates of infection and deaths continue to mount.

The government is currently prescribing a combination of anti-viral drugs and traditional Chinese medicine. But on Thursday, China National Biotec Group, a state-owned company under the Ministry of Health, said it found that administering a round of human antibodies from the survivors to more than 10 critically ill patients caused inflammation levels to drop significantly after 12 to 24 hours of treatment.

The company called the use of plasma “the most effective method, which can significantly reduce the mortality of critically ill patients.”

Benjamin Cowling, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong, said the use of antibodies to treat the coronavirus is “a really good idea,” noting that it’s been used before in influenza pandemics. But he cautioned that it needed to be proven in a controlled trial.

“It’s basically transferring immunity from a patient who has recovered to a patient still fighting the infection, and then helping them to recover,” he said.

(With NYT)

China reports over 5,000 new coronavirus cases

China calls on virus survivors to donate blood plasma in the hopes of creating a treatment.



Health authorities in China said 5,090 new coronavirus cases and 121 new deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the latest reports

In China epidemic hit centres, 1,716 medical workers have contracted the coronavirus and 6 of them have died, the government said on Friday.

It was the first time officials have disclosed the number. The announcement was the first official confirmation about the number of infected medical workers, and is likely to ratchet up fears about the spread of the virus.

Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said the numbers of infected workers represent 3.8 percent of China’s overall confirmed infections. The victims represent 0.4 percent of all deaths nationwide.

Mr. Zeng said that Hubei, the province at the center of the outbreak, recorded 1,502 cases of infected medical workers, with 1,102 of them in Wuhan, the provincial capital. He added that further research was needed to ascertain whether the infections spread throughout the hospital or within the community.

“I think it’s quite concerning,” said Benjamin Cowling, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong. “Healthcare workers face the challenge of caring for a substantial number of patients in Wuhan. It’s worrying to discover that a number of them have been infected.”

Medical workers in Hubei, already working round the clock, face a shortage of personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns and safety goggles. They have resorted to begging from friends, putting out frequent calls for donations, and using tape to patch up torn masks and gowns. Many doctors and nurses there say they eat only one meal a day because going to the restroom means removing and discarding safety gowns that they would not be able to replace.

During the SARS outbreak of 2002-2003, 961 medical workers were infected, representing 18 percent of all infections, according to government data. About 1 percent of the medical workers infected with SARS died, the medical expert Xu Dezhong told Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

Adam Kamradt-Scott, an infectious diseases expert at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney said the new figures give no indication the outbreak is nearing a peak .

“Based on the current trend in confirmed cases, this appears to be a clear indication that while the Chinese authorities are doing their best to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the fairly drastic measures they have implemented to date would appear to have been too little, too late,” he said.

The epidemic has given China’s ruling Communist Party one of its sternest challenges in years, constrained the world’s second-largest economy and triggered a purge of provincial bureaucrats.

Numbers continued to climb after the government changed the criteria by which it tracks confirmed cases. The authorities said a total of 63,851 people have been infected by the coronavirus and at least 1,380 people have been killed by the disease.

Most of the cases occurred in Hubei, the center of the outbreak, which recorded 4,823 new cases and 116 deaths over the same period.

The tally in Hubei jumped most dramatically on Thursday after the authorities changed the diagnostic criteria for counting new cases. The government now takes into account cases diagnosed in clinical settings, including the use of CT scans, and not just those confirmed with specialized testing kits.

Japan confirmed its first coronavirus death on Thursday – a woman in her 80s living in Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo. The death was the third outside mainland China, after two others in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Japan is one of the worst affected of more than two dozen countries and territories outside mainland China that have seen hundreds of infections.

Japanese policymakers vowed to step up testing and containment efforts after the death and confirmation of new cases, including a doctor and a taxi driver.

The world’s third-largest economy is already bracing for a sharp slowdown in growth and some analysts expect another contraction in the current quarter as the virus outbreak hurts exports, output, and consumption through a sharp drop in overseas tourists.

“Investors will surely avoid Asia for the time being and will shift funds to the U.S., geographically the most separated from the region,” said Norihiro Fujito, chief investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

China calls on virus survivors to donate blood plasma in the hopes of creating a treatment.

A senior health official in Wuhan, China, the center of the outbreak, has called on residents who have recovered from the coronavirus to donate blood plasma, believing their naturally produced antibodies could be used to treat patients who are still sick.

Dr. Zhang Dingyu, the director of the Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, made his appeal on Thursday after Chinese researchers said they believed such antibody treatments could help people recover from the virus.

The search for a drug capable of treating or curing the virus has frustrated researchers, as rates of infection and deaths continue to mount.

The government is currently prescribing a combination of anti-viral drugs and traditional Chinese medicine. But on Thursday, China National Biotec Group, a state-owned company under the Ministry of Health, said it found that administering a round of human antibodies from the survivors to more than 10 critically ill patients caused inflammation levels to drop significantly after 12 to 24 hours of treatment.

The company called the use of plasma “the most effective method, which can significantly reduce the mortality of critically ill patients.”

Benjamin Cowling, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong, said the use of antibodies to treat the coronavirus is “a really good idea,” noting that it’s been used before in influenza pandemics. But he cautioned that it needed to be proven in a controlled trial.

“It’s basically transferring immunity from a patient who has recovered to a patient still fighting the infection, and then helping them to recover,” he said.

(With NYT)

How Thousands Flee Severe Flooding In New Zealand

How Thousands Flee Severe Flooding In New Zealand

Wellington (AFP) - Severe flooding forced thousands of residents in New Zealand's South Island to flee their homes on Wednesday and left hundreds of tourists stranded at the remote Milford Sound beauty spot.

The Southland region declared a state of emergency after being deluged with more than 1,000 mm of rainfall in 60 hours, triggering landslides on major roads and causing rivers to burst their banks.

Authorities told residents in the low-lying areas of Gore and Mataura to evacuate immediately early on Wednesday as floodwaters in the Mataura river peaked, warning those further downstream in Wyndham to prepare to leave.

"We have issued notices to evacuate and to prepare to evacuate to 6,000 people across the region," an Emergency Management Southland (EMS) spokeswoman told AFP.

Residents were advised to grab medication, clothing and identification documents, then head to higher ground.

Power to affected areas was cut off as a precaution and evacuation centres were set up in local churches and schools.

Floodwaters washed away sections of the only road to Milford Sound, a popular hiking spot for international tourists, and EMS said almost 200 people were being airlifted to nearby Te Anau.

"The tourists... have been well catered for," it said.

"Morale has been high amongst the visitors and staff, as they received regular briefings and have been in contact with friends and family."

Only two minor injuries have been reported after a landslide hit a hut on the Routeburn walking track, with both people receiving treatment at the scene.




Source
Wellington (AFP) - Severe flooding forced thousands of residents in New Zealand's South Island to flee their homes on Wednesday and left hundreds of tourists stranded at the remote Milford Sound beauty spot.

The Southland region declared a state of emergency after being deluged with more than 1,000 mm of rainfall in 60 hours, triggering landslides on major roads and causing rivers to burst their banks.

Authorities told residents in the low-lying areas of Gore and Mataura to evacuate immediately early on Wednesday as floodwaters in the Mataura river peaked, warning those further downstream in Wyndham to prepare to leave.

"We have issued notices to evacuate and to prepare to evacuate to 6,000 people across the region," an Emergency Management Southland (EMS) spokeswoman told AFP.

Residents were advised to grab medication, clothing and identification documents, then head to higher ground.

Power to affected areas was cut off as a precaution and evacuation centres were set up in local churches and schools.

Floodwaters washed away sections of the only road to Milford Sound, a popular hiking spot for international tourists, and EMS said almost 200 people were being airlifted to nearby Te Anau.

"The tourists... have been well catered for," it said.

"Morale has been high amongst the visitors and staff, as they received regular briefings and have been in contact with friends and family."

Only two minor injuries have been reported after a landslide hit a hut on the Routeburn walking track, with both people receiving treatment at the scene.




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