USA

Mexico receives ventilator shipment from US

The 211 machines were purchased from a US firm following an informal agreement between the neighbouring nations' leaders in mid-April.

Last week, several hospitals in Mexico City said they were turning patients away because of a lack of equipment.

President Trump has previously called the US "the king of ventilators".

In early April, President Trump said that the US would have 110,000 ventilators by the end of June.

He also said at the time that some of the machines could go to countries that were "desperate" for the machines.

     

Coronavirus: Trump warns US death toll could hit 100,000

Speaking at a two-hour virtual "town hall", Mr Trump also denied that his administration had acted too slowly.

More than 67,000 people have already died with Covid-19 in the US.

But Mr Trump expressed optimism about the development of a vaccine, saying one would be ready by the end of this year - although public health experts believe it will take 12 to 18 months.

High Covid-19 rates for Pacific islanders in the US

The organization cited the "alarming disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities," and announced it has formed a Covid-19 Response Team to focus on Covid-19's impact on the US-based Pacific Islander community.

Many states don't separate data on Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders. But in states where statistics are available, they show that the highest rates of infection are in Pacific island communities.

As of last week, California's state-wide average number of confirmed Covid-19 cases per 100,000 population was 62.

President Donald Trump says US to halt World Health Organisation funding

He says had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China, the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak could have been contained.

"I am directing my administration to halt funding while a review is conducted to access the World Health Organisation's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," Trump said.

"The WHO failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable...

"Many countries said they were going to listen to the WHO and they have problems now the likes of which they cannot believe," Trump said.

US not evacuating Covid-19 stricken ship from Guam despite plea

Reuters reports a letter from Captain Brett Crozier, the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, called for the removal of over 4,000 sailors from the ship to place them in isolation.

However Mr Esper told CBS News he didn't think it was time to evacuate the carrier.

"We're moving a lot of supplies and assistance, medical assistance, out to the carrier in Guam. We're providing additional medical personnel as they need it."

Mr Esper says the goal is still to contain the virus and none of the crew were seriously ill.

'Millions' of Americans could be infected with coronavirus, expert warns

Dr Anthony 

Covid-19: US cases exceed 100,000, doctors plead for more drugs, equipment

Physicians have called particular attention to a desperate need for additional ventilators, machines that help patients breathe and are widely needed for those suffering from Covid-19, the respiratory ailment caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus.

Hospitals in New York City, New Orleans, Detroit and other virus hot spots have also sounded the alarm about scarcities of drugs, medical supplies and trained staff while the number of confirmed US cases rose by about 18,000 on Friday, the highest jump in a single day, to more than 103,000.

First child in US dies from coronavirus epidemic

Public health officials said the death of the Lancaster, Los Angeles, child is "a devastating reminder that COVID-19 infects people of all ages."

LA County health officials wrote in a press release on Tuesday that the minor was one of three new deaths.

The officials said: "One of the individuals was a youth under the age of 18."

Dr Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director, said: "Each loss we experience in LA County is tragic, and we are sending our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones who've had to endure this tragedy.

Fiji restricts travel from US, UK and Europe

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has announced that, beginning tomorrow, they will face the same restrictions as visitors from other coronavirus hot-spots and must self-isolate in another country for 14-days.

Further, anyone entering Fiji from any overseas destination will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

"From midnight tonight our border restrictions on mainland China, Italy, Iran, Spain and South Korea will be extended to foreign nationals who have been present in the United States of America and all of Europe," he said.

Donald Trump declares Covid-19 coronavirus a US national emergency

Trump made the announcement at a Rose Garden news conference.

Trump said he was declaring the national emergency in order to "unleash the full power of the federal government."

He urged every state to set up emergency centers to help fight the virus.

The declaration enabled the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist state and local governments and coordinate the US response to the crisis. The virus has killed 41 people in the United States.