Türkiye's President Erdogan tests negative for Covid-19 – latest updates

Covid-19 has infected more than 404M people and killed over 5.7M worldwide. Here are some of the latest coronavirus-related developments:

"The PCR tests we have done over the past two days have come back negative," Erdogan's doctor Serkan Topaloglu said.
Reuters

"The PCR tests we have done over the past two days have come back negative," Erdogan's doctor Serkan Topaloglu said.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Türkiye's President Erdogan tests negative for Covid-19

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been isolating since Saturday after contracting the coronavirus, tested negative for Covid-19 on Thursday, Anadolu News Agency cited his doctor as saying. 

"Thank God, the tests carried out over the last two days have come back negative. I would like to express my gratitude to my brothers and sisters who supported us with their prayers and messages of wellbeing from all over the country and the world," Erdogan said in a tweet.

In another tweet he said, "My wife Emine Erdogan has very mild symptoms. I hope her tests will also come back negative soon."

He thanked the healthcare team and conveyed his greetings to all the healthcare professionals. 

"I wish all our patients a speedy recovery as soon as possible," he added.

Erdogan's doctor Serkan Topaloglu said, "I think the president will go back to his routine programme very soon, even tomorrow."

Türkiye's Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, tweeted, "Thank God our president recovered in a short time. With God's permission and grace, with the power of prayers, with love, our president will start his busy work tomorrow from where he left off."

 Prince Charles tests positive for second time

Prince Charles, the eldest son and heir to Queen Elizabeth II, is isolating after testing positive for coronavirus for the second time, his office said.

"The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating," said a message on the prince's official Twitter page.

Charles had been due to unveil a statue in Winchester, southern England, on Thursday but his attendance was cancelled at the last minute, leaving him "deeply disappointed", Clarence House said.

The prince met recently with the queen, but the 95-year-old monarch is not currently displaying any symptoms, an unnamed royal source told the domestic Press Association news agency.

Police warn Canada truckers

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lambasts trucker-led protests that have strangled the capital and blocked a key bridge to the United States, with police warning they will arrest those responsible as copycat protests spread.

Paris, Brussels ban convoys

Paris police say they will ban so-called "Freedom Convoys" inspired by the Canadian truckers' protest, warning those blocking roads could face two years in prison and driving bans.

Brussels mayor Philippe Close tweets that "means are being put in place" to block similar protests in the Belgian capital next week. 

UK reports 66,638 new cases, 206 deaths

Britain has reported 66,638 new Covid-19 cases and 206 deaths within 28 days of a positive test on Thursday.

Case numbers in the last seven days have fallen 25 percent compared with the previous seven days, while deaths have fallen 20 percent on the same measure.

Costa Rica president tests Covid positive

Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado has tested positive for Covid-19, his office has said.

"He is doing well and will be in isolation at his home," his office said in a statement.

WHO estimates Africa infections could be much higher

The World Health Organization has estimated that the number of infections in Africa could be seven times higher than official data suggests, while deaths from the virus could be two to three times higher, its regional head said.

"We're very much aware that our surveillance systems problems that we had on the continent, with access to testing supplies, for example, have led to an underestimation of the cases," Dr Matshidiso Moeti told a regular online media briefing.

Japan approves Pfizer anti-Covid oral drug

A Japanese Health Ministry committee has approved the oral Covid-19 drug made by US drugmaker Pfizer Inc, the ministry said in a statement.

Jiji news agency said final approval of the drug for use, which officials had said they expected would come around mid-February, could come as early as Friday night under emergency approval measures.

Pfizer applied for approval in January.

Germany's virus wave flattens as regions ease curbs

Germany's daily rise in the number of infections has been slowing, data from the Robert Koch Institute showed, indicating that a fourth wave of the pandemic could flatten soon.

Germany reported 247,862 new daily cases on Thursday, up 5 percent from the same day last week. 

The 7-day infection incidence per 100,000 people also rose to 1,465 from 1,451 a day earlier.

Russia's daily cases hit record high at over 197,000

Russia has reported 197,076 cases, a record daily high, as the Omicron variant, which accounted for 70 percent of detected infections, continued to spread across the country.

Russia also recorded 701 deaths in the past 24 hours, the government's coronavirus task force said. 

COVAX cuts N.Korea's vaccine allotment after no deliveries accepted

The COVAX global vaccine-sharing programme has scaled back the number of doses allocated for North Korea, international aid organisations said, as the country has so far failed to arrange for any shipments.

A website dashboard maintained by the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, shows the number of doses earmarked for North Korea now stands at 1.54 million, down from as many as 8.11 million last year.

Brazil reports nearly 1,300 new deaths

Brazil had 178,814 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 1,264 deaths from Covid-19, data from the Health Ministry has shown.

The South American country has now registered 26,955,434 confirmed cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 635,074, according to ministry data.

Mexico's Covid death toll rises

Mexico has reported 743 confirmed coronavirus deaths, according to Health Ministry data, bringing the overall death toll to 310,627.

South Korea reports high daily record of cases

South Korea has reported a daily record high of 54,122 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total infections to 1,185,361 with 6,963 deaths among its 52 million people, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

Canadia's Trudeau defends Covid restrictions 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm against an easing of the country's Covid-19 restrictions in the face of mounting pressure from protesters using trucks to blockade the capital and US border crossings, including the economically vital bridge to Detroit.

A growing number of Canadian provinces have moved to lift some of their precautions as the Omicron surge levels off, but Trudeau defended the measures the federal government is responsible for, including the one that has angered many truck drivers: a rule that took effect January 15 requiring truckers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated.

Trudeau said in Parliament that Canadians getting vaccinated to almost 90 percent ensured that the pandemic didn't hit Canada as hard as elsewhere in the world.

The country has been beset in recent weeks by protests against Covid-19 restrictions and against Trudeau himself.

New Zealand police clash with protesters

Police and anti-vaccine protesters have clashed on the grounds of New Zealand's parliament, with dozens arrested after demonstrators who have laid siege to the legislature for three days were ordered to move on.

Activists chanted the Maori haka and yelled: "hold the line" as they scuffled with a line of police moving to clear an impromptu protest camp from the lawns of parliament.

Police moved in after taking a hands-off approach to the first two days of protests, using loudhailers to warn a crowd of about 150 they faced arrest unless they left.

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