Coronavirus Pandemic | Live Updates on Covid-19 – Part 1

Coronavirus fears push Google and Amazon to limit the travel of employees

February 29, 2020

Canada has 16 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

February 29, 2020

South Korea reports 594 new cases bringing the total confirmed cases of the country to 2,931

February 29, 2020

Australia’s confirmed cases of coronavirus reach 25, Malaysia also reaches a total of 25 cases

February 29, 2020

Trump’s upcoming meetings with Southeast Asian leaders has been postponed due to the coronavirus scare.

February 29, 2020

Bill Gates pens about How to respond to COVID-19

February 29, 2020

In this story, Bill Gates talks about the difficulties of working on the cure for the virus. He says that government funding to run the research is essential. Below is what he says.

Why does this require government funding—can’t the private sector solve this on its own? Pandemic products are extraordinarily high-risk investments, and pharmaceutical companies will need public funding to de-risk their work and get them to jump in with both feet. In addition, governments and other donors will need to fund—as a global public good—manufacturing facilities that can generate a vaccine supply in a matter of weeks. These facilities can make vaccines for routine immunization programs in normal times and be quickly refitted for production during a pandemic. Finally, governments will need to finance the procurement and distribution of vaccines to the populations that need them.

Obviously, billions of dollars for anti-pandemic efforts is a lot of money. But that’s the scale of investment required to solve the problem. And given the economic pain that an epidemic can impose—just look at the way COVID-19 is disrupting supply chains and stock markets, not to mention people’s lives—it will be a bargain.

Finally, governments and industry will need to come to an agreement: During a pandemic, vaccines and antivirals won’t simply be sold to the highest bidder. They’ll be available and affordable for people who are at the heart of the outbreak and in greatest need. Not only is this the right thing to do, but it’s also the right strategy for short-circuiting transmission and preventing future pandemics.

These are the actions that leaders should be taking now. There is no time to waste.

Read the full story here.

Geneva Motor Show cancelled on coronavirus fears

February 28, 2020

Japan reports ninth death due to coronavirus as Hokkaido declares state of emergency

February 28, 2020

Lithuania confirms first coronavirus case

February 28, 2020

Mongolian President in quarantine after visit to China

February 28, 2020