israel Health Ministry Releases New Regulations; Coronavirus Diagnoses in Israel Jump to 75 Fifth AIPAC attendee tests positive ■ Israel extends coronavirus quarantine orders to all arrivals ■ Order for Israelis effective as of Monday, foreigners as of Thursday ■ Visitors in Bethlehem told to self-isolate quarantine Israel orders quarantine for all arrivals over coronavirus Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday extended quarantine orders to all people arriving in the country, requiring them to stay isolated in their homes for two weeks. Netanyahu called the move “a difficult but vital decision.” senegal A Senegalese innovation lab is helping the UK develop a 10-minute coronavirus test kit There might soon be a much faster way to diagnose Covid-19—thanks, in part, to a specialized facility in Dakar, Senegal. As part of its £46 million ($60 million) coronavirus prevention and research funding package, the UK government has awarded a £1 million grant to Mologic, a British biotech firm, to develop “point of need” test kits that can diagnose Covid-19 in 10 minutes. In partnership with the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, manufacturing of the test kits will happen at DiaTropix, a new custom-built facility for epidemics-related innovation, in Dakar, Senegal. Manufacturing of the test kits, expected to be a handheld device, is has been slated for June.

italy Over 1,000 People Cured of Coronavirus in Italy ROME — The number of people in Italy cured of COVID-19 passed the 1,000-mark on Tuesday evening as the country ended its first day of lockdown. (Data) The latest data reported by Italian business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore show that 8,514 people are currently infected with coronavirus in Italy, while 631 have died from the disease and 1,004 who were infected have since recovered. Some 10,149 are reported to have been infected in the country in all. On Tuesday, the number of current cases of contagion in Italy grew by only 529, as opposed to the growth of 1,598 cases on Monday, the largest decrease since officials began monitoring the disease. Among other encouraging news, there has not been a single case of the virus among children in Italy, with no one under the age of 18 coming down with COVID-19. The average age of people affected by coronavirus in Italy is 69 years, with only 10 percent of cases affecting those between the ages of 20 and 50, Italian health services (ISS) reported. According to reports from Johns Hopkins University, there have been fewer than 5,000 deaths worldwide (4,284) from COVID-19, and 65,776 who have recovered from the virus. On Wednesday, Italy entered its second day of lockdown and police have set up checkpoints to stop drivers who venture out on the roads. Minimal travel is permitted but only for reasons that the government judges necessary. Supermarkets are open but lines have formed outside since only a limited number of clients are allowed to enter at any given time. pandemic Coronavirus confirmed as pandemic by World Health Organization The coronavirus outbreak has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold in two weeks. He said he was "deeply concerned" by "alarming levels of inaction". A pandemic is a disease that is spreading in multiple countries around the world at the same time. Hours later Italy said all shops except food shops and pharmacies would close. Announcing the toughest lockdown seen yet in Europe, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said bars, hairdressers, restaurants and cafes that could not guarantee a metre's distance between customers and non-essential company departments would also close. thailand Thai immigration officers at Bangkok airport diagnosed with COVID-19 BANGKOK: Two immigration officers at Bangkok's main airport have coronavirus and may have handled the passports of visitors to Thailand, a health official said Wednesday (Mar 11). The men, both working at Suvarnabhumi airport, fell ill on Mar 7 and 8 respectively and potentially came into contact with arriving passengers in the days before their diagnosis.