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France enters two-month state of emergency A message reading "I love you but from far" is posted in the windows of an apartment building in Rennes on Tuesday. Damien Meyer / AFP - Getty Images France will be under a state of health emergency for two months, the French government announced Tuesday. The new emergency law, passed by the Senate and the Parliament last week, gives the government special powers to enforce the lockdown, which first began two weeks ago. Local officials will determine in each city if a curfew is necessary, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said. Health officials said France has confirmed 19,856 cases of coronavirus, more than 2,000 of which are in intensive care, and 860 have died. The tighter measures rolled out Monday night by Philippe allow residents to leave their homes for only one hour to do only essential tasks, and for physical exercise within 0.6 miles of their residence. They will also need to mark the time they leave home on a special form they need to carry when venturing outside. Share this -







Tokyo 2020 Olympics postponed The Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been postponed, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Tuesday. Abe said Japan and the International Olympic Committee came to an agreement during a phone call with the head of the IOC, Thomas Bach, following growing calls for the games to be delayed or canceled because of the concerns around coronavirus pandemic. The Japanese leader said they have agreed that the games would not be canceled and will be held by the summer of 2021, his office said on Twitter. The Olympics was set to run from July 24 through Aug. 9, and the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6. Read the full story here. Share this -







Spanish doctor warns situation in hospitals likely to become 'unsustainable' A doctor in Spain has warned that unless the number of new coronavirus infections decreases, the situation in Madrid's hospitals will be "almost unsustainable" in a few days. "One of the worst shifts I can remember," Miguel Guirao, 27, a Spanish anesthesiologist, wrote on Twitter, posting a photo of his face marked with red lines from his protective mask after a 19-hour shift. "And they said it was like the flu." Guirao told NBC News that staff at the Hospital Universitario La Paz where he works have "literally just enough" personal protective equipment, but not enough ventilators for patients. Doctors need to decide which patients can be admitted to their critical care units, taking into account medical history and prognosis. "There is even an age limit: Above it, you do not enter, because there isn't a bed for everyone," explained Guirao. Madrid has been the city worst affected by the pandemic in Spain, with a total of 10,575 cases and 1,263 deaths reported in the capital so far, according to officials on Tuesday. Y este era mi careto a las 03:05 despues de 2 horas y media con el epi puesto viendo e ingresando pacientes en una ud de criticos. De las peores guardias que recuerdo.

Y nos decian que era como una gripe.#COVIDー19#anestesia pic.twitter.com/ITMTJWu3AZ — Miguel Guirao (@chispy92) March 24, 2020 Share this -







FEMA to use Defense Production Act for test kits, chief says FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said Tuesday that his agency planned to use its authorities under the Defense Production Act “to get our hands on” coronavirus test kits. “We're going to use it for about 60,000 test kits, and so we're really going to use the allocation portion of the DPA, and again many different levers and options in that,” he said in an interview on CNN. Gaynor said that they were also going to insert “DPA language” into contracts for 500 million masks. President Donald Trump has come under fire in recent days for not using the powers of the DPA to authorize the mass production of critical supplies. Share this -







'This is only the beginning,' says New York City mayor New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that "April will be much worse than March" as coronavirus spreads through the city. New York now accounts for 35 percent of all cases across the United States, he said in an appearance on NY1. "This is only the beginning of a much bigger crisis. I take no joy in saying that, but April will be much worse than March, and I fear that May will be worse than April. We are just beginning on a very difficult road," he said, according to the remarks released by his office. There are more than 13,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York City and 125 people have died, according to city statistics. A state-wide lockdown took effect Monday as authorities rushed to set up thousands of hospital beds. De Blasio, who has criticized President Donald Trump's response to the outbreak, said on Monday that he had "hopeful" conversations with the White House and had seen some "movement" on getting protective gear and medical support. Share this -







Most of India under lockdown as prime minister set to address nation People wait for transportation on Monday along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway following a lockdown order by Delhi's government and some districts of Uttar Pradesh. Prakash Singh / AFP - Getty Images Police enforced lockdowns across large parts of India on Tuesday, with curfews in place in some areas, as domestic air travel was set to end at midnight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepared to address the nation on Tuesday for a second time in a week on the risks that coronavirus poses to the country of 1.3 billion people. India has already severed international flight links and Indian states have imposed their own lockdowns, suspending train and bus services and ordering traffic off the roads. Health officials have warned that the coronavirus is spreading out of big cities where it first appeared and into smaller towns. Share this -







Egypt announces 2-week, night-time curfew DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Egypt has announced a two-week, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for its over 100 million people to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly told a news conference on Tuesday that the 11-hour curfew would go into effect Wednesday across the country and last for two weeks. He says all kinds of transportation will be halted during the curfew. Egypt, the Arab World most populous country, has 366 confirmed cases and 21 fatalities, including two senior military officers. Share this -





