10 feb 2020
The woman has not been diagnosed yet; Japan says 135 virus cases found on cruise ship with at least 15 Israeli nationals on board; meanwhile, the death toll in mainland China rises to 908
An Israeli woman on a cruise ship off Japanese coast hit by coronavirus is believed to be suffering from fever and flu like symptoms, sources told Ynet on Monday. Her diagnosis is not yet known.
Japan's health ministry said earlier at least 65 more people on the Diamond Princess liner have tested positive for a new virus, bringing the total of those infected to 135. At least 15 Israelis are believed to be among 3,600 people still in a 14-day quarantine on board the ship.
Health ministry officials said Monday they are double checking the results and could not immediately release the exact figure. They said further details are under way.
Health officials previously said 70 people had the virus among the 3,711 passengers and crew on the ship, quarantined in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo.
One of the Israelis quarantined on the cruise liner, Lena Samoylov, said the passengers have only an hour to go outside, with the rest of the time being spent in their cabins in isolation.
"We are trying not to panic,” she told Ynet on Sunday. “Today we were told that there are two more [coronavirus] patients,” she added.
“It is stressful because we don’t know if these people [the sick] contracted the virus before boarding the ship or after boarding it."
"Lots of the passengers now are getting a bit of cabin fever," British passenger David Able said in a video posted on Facebook. "Depression is starting to set in."
Another said he hoped assurances about the effectiveness of quarantine and ventilation on board would prove true."I will get nervous if we pass 200," said the 43-year-old Hong Kong resident quarantined on the boat with his wife, child and several others of his family. Hoping best for those taken to hospital.
At least two report back to us on Facebook that they are symptom free," said the man, who declined to be identified.
Five of the six new cases announced Sunday aboard the ship are crew assigned to restaurants, bars or housekeeping, according to Japan's health minister, Katsunobu Kato. Testing every person aboard would require them all to remain on the ship until results are available.
Japanese health authorities are scrambling to deliver medicine requested by more than 600 passengers.
"We are doing the utmost to keep everyone in good health," Kato said.
Rise in China
China reported a rise in new virus cases on Monday, possibly denting optimism disease control measures that have isolated major cities might be working, while the government promised billions of dollars in loans to companies involved in fighting the increasingly costly outbreak.
The mainland death toll rose by 97 to 908. Two more fatalities were reported outside the country.
Another 3,062 cases were reported in China over the 24 hours through midnight Sunday. That was up 15% from Saturday and broke a string of daily declines. A government spokesman had said Sunday those declines showed containment measures were working.
Meanwhile, the mother of a physician who died last week in Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak, said she wants an explanation from authorities who reprimanded her son for warning about the virus.
The death of Li Wenliang, 34, prompted an outpouring of public anger. Some postings left on his microblog account said officials should face consequences for mistreating Li. "We won't give up if they don't give us an explanation," said Lu Shuyun in the video distributed by Pear Video, an online broadcast platform.
The video shows flowers in her home with a note that says, "Hero is immortal. Thank you."
China has built two hospitals for virus patients in Wuhan and sent thousands of extra doctors, nurses and other health care workers to the city of 11 million people. Most access to Wuhan was suspended Jan. 23 and restrictions were expanded since then ave spread to cities with a total of 60 million people.
The fatality toll has passed the 774 people believed to have died in the 2002-03 epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome, another viral outbreak that originated in China. The total of 40,171 confirmed cases of the new virus vastly exceeds the 8,098 sickened by SARS.
Outside mainland China
More than 360 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China.
On Monday, Hong Kong reported seven more coronavirus cases, raising its total to 36.
A day earlier, Hong Kong released 3,600 people quarantined aboard the cruise ship Dream World after tests of the crew found no infections. The ship was isolated after previous passengers were diagnosed with the virus.
Hong Kong has shut all but two of its land and sea border points to the mainland. On Saturday, it started enforcing a 14-day quarantine on arrivals from mainland China.
Malaysia confirmed its 18th case in a man who works in Macau, a Chinese territory adjacent to Hong Hong, and visited the mainland before going to Malaysia on Feb. 1. The man was first diagnosed with SARS before testing positive for the new virus.
An Israeli woman on a cruise ship off Japanese coast hit by coronavirus is believed to be suffering from fever and flu like symptoms, sources told Ynet on Monday. Her diagnosis is not yet known.
Japan's health ministry said earlier at least 65 more people on the Diamond Princess liner have tested positive for a new virus, bringing the total of those infected to 135. At least 15 Israelis are believed to be among 3,600 people still in a 14-day quarantine on board the ship.
Health ministry officials said Monday they are double checking the results and could not immediately release the exact figure. They said further details are under way.
Health officials previously said 70 people had the virus among the 3,711 passengers and crew on the ship, quarantined in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo.
One of the Israelis quarantined on the cruise liner, Lena Samoylov, said the passengers have only an hour to go outside, with the rest of the time being spent in their cabins in isolation.
"We are trying not to panic,” she told Ynet on Sunday. “Today we were told that there are two more [coronavirus] patients,” she added.
“It is stressful because we don’t know if these people [the sick] contracted the virus before boarding the ship or after boarding it."
"Lots of the passengers now are getting a bit of cabin fever," British passenger David Able said in a video posted on Facebook. "Depression is starting to set in."
Another said he hoped assurances about the effectiveness of quarantine and ventilation on board would prove true."I will get nervous if we pass 200," said the 43-year-old Hong Kong resident quarantined on the boat with his wife, child and several others of his family. Hoping best for those taken to hospital.
At least two report back to us on Facebook that they are symptom free," said the man, who declined to be identified.
Five of the six new cases announced Sunday aboard the ship are crew assigned to restaurants, bars or housekeeping, according to Japan's health minister, Katsunobu Kato. Testing every person aboard would require them all to remain on the ship until results are available.
Japanese health authorities are scrambling to deliver medicine requested by more than 600 passengers.
"We are doing the utmost to keep everyone in good health," Kato said.
Rise in China
China reported a rise in new virus cases on Monday, possibly denting optimism disease control measures that have isolated major cities might be working, while the government promised billions of dollars in loans to companies involved in fighting the increasingly costly outbreak.
The mainland death toll rose by 97 to 908. Two more fatalities were reported outside the country.
Another 3,062 cases were reported in China over the 24 hours through midnight Sunday. That was up 15% from Saturday and broke a string of daily declines. A government spokesman had said Sunday those declines showed containment measures were working.
Meanwhile, the mother of a physician who died last week in Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak, said she wants an explanation from authorities who reprimanded her son for warning about the virus.
The death of Li Wenliang, 34, prompted an outpouring of public anger. Some postings left on his microblog account said officials should face consequences for mistreating Li. "We won't give up if they don't give us an explanation," said Lu Shuyun in the video distributed by Pear Video, an online broadcast platform.
The video shows flowers in her home with a note that says, "Hero is immortal. Thank you."
China has built two hospitals for virus patients in Wuhan and sent thousands of extra doctors, nurses and other health care workers to the city of 11 million people. Most access to Wuhan was suspended Jan. 23 and restrictions were expanded since then ave spread to cities with a total of 60 million people.
The fatality toll has passed the 774 people believed to have died in the 2002-03 epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome, another viral outbreak that originated in China. The total of 40,171 confirmed cases of the new virus vastly exceeds the 8,098 sickened by SARS.
Outside mainland China
More than 360 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China.
On Monday, Hong Kong reported seven more coronavirus cases, raising its total to 36.
A day earlier, Hong Kong released 3,600 people quarantined aboard the cruise ship Dream World after tests of the crew found no infections. The ship was isolated after previous passengers were diagnosed with the virus.
Hong Kong has shut all but two of its land and sea border points to the mainland. On Saturday, it started enforcing a 14-day quarantine on arrivals from mainland China.
Malaysia confirmed its 18th case in a man who works in Macau, a Chinese territory adjacent to Hong Hong, and visited the mainland before going to Malaysia on Feb. 1. The man was first diagnosed with SARS before testing positive for the new virus.
2 feb 2020
The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) have ordered the demolition of three Palestinian houses in Kafr Qasim and Lod city in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1948.
The so-called Israeli National Council for Planning and Building last week issued orders to demolish two Palestinian homes and a wall in Kafr Qasim City under the pretext that they were built without Israeli licenses.
Another Palestinian family on Sunday morning received a demolition order for their three-floor house in Lod City for the same reason.
Israel to demolish home in Arab town of Lod
Israeli forces today notified a Palestinian family in the Arab town of Lod about their intention to demolish their house, on the pretext of being built without a permit, according to local sources.
Israeli police forces broke into the house of Abu Shalloufah family in Lod and handed them an order to demolish their three-storey house, under the pretext that it was built without an Israeli permit.
Houses and structures Arab cities and towns in Israel are a frequent target for demolitions as Israeli authorities make it very difficult for Arab citizens to obtain building permits.
Israeli authorities rarely issue construction permits to Palestinians in Israel, forcing many to build without permits in order to provide shelter for their families.
Currently, thousands of Palestinian-owned homes in Israel are facing the risk of demolition, with many accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of selectively carrying out demolitions in Israel’s Arab communities in order to distract the public from the ongoing police probe into his corruption charges.
The so-called Israeli National Council for Planning and Building last week issued orders to demolish two Palestinian homes and a wall in Kafr Qasim City under the pretext that they were built without Israeli licenses.
Another Palestinian family on Sunday morning received a demolition order for their three-floor house in Lod City for the same reason.
Israel to demolish home in Arab town of Lod
Israeli forces today notified a Palestinian family in the Arab town of Lod about their intention to demolish their house, on the pretext of being built without a permit, according to local sources.
Israeli police forces broke into the house of Abu Shalloufah family in Lod and handed them an order to demolish their three-storey house, under the pretext that it was built without an Israeli permit.
Houses and structures Arab cities and towns in Israel are a frequent target for demolitions as Israeli authorities make it very difficult for Arab citizens to obtain building permits.
Israeli authorities rarely issue construction permits to Palestinians in Israel, forcing many to build without permits in order to provide shelter for their families.
Currently, thousands of Palestinian-owned homes in Israel are facing the risk of demolition, with many accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of selectively carrying out demolitions in Israel’s Arab communities in order to distract the public from the ongoing police probe into his corruption charges.
26 jan 2020
The Health Ministry says it advises against all 'nonessential travel' to the country where the epidemic of the newly-identified virus has so far claimed the lives of at least 56 people, with a total of 1,975 reported cases
A 60-year-old woman was admitted into a Tel Aviv hospital Sunday four days after she returned from China, exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness and fever.
The woman was put in a dedicated intensive care unit pending tests to determine if she was exposed to the coronavirus.
Ichilov Hospital said the woman was isolated from other patients in a dedicated area in the Emergency Room immediately upon her arrival.
She is in good condition, the hospital went on to say.
A Chinese man, employed as an agricultural worker near Sderot was admitted to hospital in the southern city of Ashkelon Sunday with symptoms that could indicate he contracted the coronavirus. He too is in an isolation ward awaiting test results.
Earlier Israel issued a travel warning urging Israelis to cancel all non-essential travel to China following an outbreak of coronavirus in that country which so far claimed the lives of at least 56 people.
The new virus appears to have accelerated its spread in China, with the latest figures reported Sunday morning cover the previous 24 hours and mark an increase of 15 deaths and 688 cases for a total of 1,975 infections. The case of acute respiratory syndrome has already been confirmed abroad, including in the United States, France, Australia, and Malaysia.
“As part of the assessment of the coronavirus conducted at the Health Ministry, it was decided to recommend the public avoids all nonessential travel to China,” the ministry said in a statement. “We recommend not to travel to Hubei Province at all and that the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government in the various cities should be monitored in real-time.”
The statement adds the health system is prepared to deal with the potential cases of the virus should it reach Israeli territory. "The ministry is in constant contact with the World Health Organization and other world's health authorities."
The ministry said if anyone who has traveled to mainland China in the past 14 days experiences the symptoms of the virus - fever and acute diarrhea - should contact their health care provider or get to the emergency room.
The newly-identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
China's National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said the incubation period for the virus can range from one to 14 days, and the virus is infectious during incubation, which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS was a coronavirus that originated in China and killed nearly 800 people globally in 2002 and 2003.
A 60-year-old woman was admitted into a Tel Aviv hospital Sunday four days after she returned from China, exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness and fever.
The woman was put in a dedicated intensive care unit pending tests to determine if she was exposed to the coronavirus.
Ichilov Hospital said the woman was isolated from other patients in a dedicated area in the Emergency Room immediately upon her arrival.
She is in good condition, the hospital went on to say.
A Chinese man, employed as an agricultural worker near Sderot was admitted to hospital in the southern city of Ashkelon Sunday with symptoms that could indicate he contracted the coronavirus. He too is in an isolation ward awaiting test results.
Earlier Israel issued a travel warning urging Israelis to cancel all non-essential travel to China following an outbreak of coronavirus in that country which so far claimed the lives of at least 56 people.
The new virus appears to have accelerated its spread in China, with the latest figures reported Sunday morning cover the previous 24 hours and mark an increase of 15 deaths and 688 cases for a total of 1,975 infections. The case of acute respiratory syndrome has already been confirmed abroad, including in the United States, France, Australia, and Malaysia.
“As part of the assessment of the coronavirus conducted at the Health Ministry, it was decided to recommend the public avoids all nonessential travel to China,” the ministry said in a statement. “We recommend not to travel to Hubei Province at all and that the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government in the various cities should be monitored in real-time.”
The statement adds the health system is prepared to deal with the potential cases of the virus should it reach Israeli territory. "The ministry is in constant contact with the World Health Organization and other world's health authorities."
The ministry said if anyone who has traveled to mainland China in the past 14 days experiences the symptoms of the virus - fever and acute diarrhea - should contact their health care provider or get to the emergency room.
The newly-identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
China's National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said the incubation period for the virus can range from one to 14 days, and the virus is infectious during incubation, which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS was a coronavirus that originated in China and killed nearly 800 people globally in 2002 and 2003.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD), described by Jewish activist Tony Greenstein as a “pro-Israeli advocacy group”, has expressed outrage over a BBC correspondent’s remarks made during a report on the Holocaust memorial at the Yad Vashem’s Hall of the Dead, marking 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet soldiers.
Orla Guerin, who has previously worked as BBC’s Jerusalem correspondent, was in Jerusalem to cover the solemn event, and began with interviewing a Holocaust survivor, before describing the Hall of the Dead in her report, according to Days of Palestine.
However, the 33 seconds which caused controversy, was her narration over footage of Israeli soldiers entering the hall: “Young soldiers troop in to share the binding tragedy of the Jewish people. The state of Israel is now a regional power. For decades it has occupied Palestinian territories. But, some here will always see their nation through the prism of persecution and survival,” Guerin added.
This prompted the BoD’s vice president, Amanda Bowman, to respond: “In an otherwise moving report on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, Guerin’s attempt to link the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the horrors of the Holocaust was crass and offensive.”
Other groups have joined the condemnation, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has made a formal complaint to the BBC, and threatened to refer the matter to regulatory body, Ofcom. The CAA cited the international definition of anti-Semitism in “drawing comparisons between Israeli policy and the Nazis.”
However, the BBC denied the accusations, stating: “The brief reference in our Holocaust report to Israel’s position today, did not imply any comparison between the two, and nor would we want one to be drawn from our coverage.” Nevertheless, the coverage did draw criticism from former BBC executives.
The Jewish Chronicle’s Stephen Pollard lamented: “I cannot recall a more foul – sickening, indeed – report by any journalist, either in print or broadcast.” In his opinion, the BBC has brought itself “eternal shame” for allowing the material to be broadcast.
Gary Sinyor, also in The Jewish Chronicle, writing in defence of Guerin’s comments, argues that the real “offensive” language was not allegedly drawing comparisons with Nazis, but the continued illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, when she stated: “For decades, it has occupied Palestinian territories.” Although he believes the remark was not necessary, Sinyor explains: “She’s not comparing the Holocaust with the Palestinians.”
The BoD’s website made it clear that they were against the politicising of the report on the memorial: “Linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a report on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.”
However, it appears that Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s inflammatory reference to Iran, a country with the second-largest Jewish population in the region, as the “most anti-Semitic regime on the planet”, during an address marking the same event, along with fear-mongering accusations of nuclear weapons development, went unnoticed by the very same critics.
Orla Guerin, who has previously worked as BBC’s Jerusalem correspondent, was in Jerusalem to cover the solemn event, and began with interviewing a Holocaust survivor, before describing the Hall of the Dead in her report, according to Days of Palestine.
However, the 33 seconds which caused controversy, was her narration over footage of Israeli soldiers entering the hall: “Young soldiers troop in to share the binding tragedy of the Jewish people. The state of Israel is now a regional power. For decades it has occupied Palestinian territories. But, some here will always see their nation through the prism of persecution and survival,” Guerin added.
This prompted the BoD’s vice president, Amanda Bowman, to respond: “In an otherwise moving report on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, Guerin’s attempt to link the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the horrors of the Holocaust was crass and offensive.”
Other groups have joined the condemnation, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has made a formal complaint to the BBC, and threatened to refer the matter to regulatory body, Ofcom. The CAA cited the international definition of anti-Semitism in “drawing comparisons between Israeli policy and the Nazis.”
However, the BBC denied the accusations, stating: “The brief reference in our Holocaust report to Israel’s position today, did not imply any comparison between the two, and nor would we want one to be drawn from our coverage.” Nevertheless, the coverage did draw criticism from former BBC executives.
The Jewish Chronicle’s Stephen Pollard lamented: “I cannot recall a more foul – sickening, indeed – report by any journalist, either in print or broadcast.” In his opinion, the BBC has brought itself “eternal shame” for allowing the material to be broadcast.
Gary Sinyor, also in The Jewish Chronicle, writing in defence of Guerin’s comments, argues that the real “offensive” language was not allegedly drawing comparisons with Nazis, but the continued illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, when she stated: “For decades, it has occupied Palestinian territories.” Although he believes the remark was not necessary, Sinyor explains: “She’s not comparing the Holocaust with the Palestinians.”
The BoD’s website made it clear that they were against the politicising of the report on the memorial: “Linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a report on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.”
However, it appears that Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s inflammatory reference to Iran, a country with the second-largest Jewish population in the region, as the “most anti-Semitic regime on the planet”, during an address marking the same event, along with fear-mongering accusations of nuclear weapons development, went unnoticed by the very same critics.
