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US Warns of ‘Apparent Community Spread’ in Countries Outside China

‘Unhealthy Partisanship’: Move Afoot to Improve the Workings of Parliament

Canada’s Parliament is increasingly moving away from forming decisions based on debates, with decisions instead largely dictated by parties or party leaders, says a veteran MP. A recent report backs up this view, showing the majority of MPs believe that “unhealthy partisanship” has become more prevalent in Parliament, with democratic practices declining, particularly in the areas of MP independence and debates. In the current minority Parliament, some MPs are working toward modernizing the House in order to increase efficiency and eliminate parliamentary dysfunction, among other issues that have long plagued the legislative body. Engaged in the discussions is Conservative MP Michael Chong, who has been committed to democratic reform ever since he was elected in 2004. In his view, Parliament has increasingly gravitated toward conformity to the point that new…

US Warns of ‘Apparent Community Spread’ in Countries Outside China

The United States warned travelers of “apparent community spread” of the new virus in five countries outside of China, as well as the island of Taiwan.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending Americans not travel to China and is also advising travelers of the apparent spread in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan.

“Community spread means people have been infected with the virus, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected. At this time, the extent of virus spread is not sustained or widespread enough to meet the criteria for a travel notice,” the agency stated on its website.

A level 1 advisory is in place for Japan and Hong Kong as the number of cases grow in each place. Multiple instances of community spread have been reported in both Japan and Hong Kong, the CDC noted. If travelers go to either place, they should take steps including avoiding contact with sick people and not touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

US Warns of ‘Apparent Community Spread’ in Countries Outside China The quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship sits docked at the Daikoku Pier at night in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 20, 2020. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

Experts say one of the best ways to prevent infection is frequently washing hands with soap or water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Most of the cases in Japan are among passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that’s docked in Yokohama. The United States evacuated more than 300 American passengers several days ago, quarantining them at military bases in California and Texas. Other countries followed suit or made plans to, including Australia and Canada. Two elderly Japanese passengers from the ship died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus, Japanese authorities said on Wednesday.

The 87-year-old man who died had bronchial asthma while the 84-year-old woman who perished didn’t have any preexisting conditions, officials said.

Hundreds of passengers were let go this week after testing negative for the virus in Japan, where at least 73 people not from the ship have tested positive for COVID-19.

US Warns of ‘Apparent Community Spread’ in Countries Outside China A woman wearing a mask to prevent contracting the coronavirus rides on a subway in Seoul on Feb. 20, 2020. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

The other places the United States is highlighting as having apparent community spread have also reported at least 16 cases each. Singapore has the second-highest number of cases outside China behind Japan with 81 as of Feb. 19, according to the World Health Organization.

South Korea on Thursday reported the first death from pneumonia caused by the virus. Thirteen other patients have tested positive at the hospital where he was bedridden. South Korea also reported 53 new confirmed cases, many in Daegu, a city about 186 miles south of Seoul. About two dozen are linked to a woman who tested positive after attending a recent church service.

SK Hynix, a chipmaker in the country, said 800 workers self-isolated as a precaution after a trainee had contact with a known virus patient.

US Warns of ‘Apparent Community Spread’ in Countries Outside China An employee (L) puts a protective face mask on a child at a railway station in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 2, 2020. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images)

Few updates have emerged from Vietnam since last week, when officials said they quarantined over 10,000 people. The country has 16 confirmed cases.

Thailand, which has 35 confirmed cases, has also reported no new cases in several days.

Taiwan reported the first death from the disease on Sunday and has at least 20 known cases of COVID-19. President Tsai Ing-wen took offense at the CDC’s claim that community spread is taking place on the island, telling reporters that Taiwan doesn’t meet the standard set for community spread.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said the ministry has asked the United States to correct Taiwan’s status, reported the Taipei Times. The president asked members of the public not to panic and emphasized officials are working to prevent further spread of the virus.

This article is from the Internet:US Warns of ‘Apparent Community Spread’ in Countries Outside China

Shaking Hands With Bad State Actors Not Smart ‘Chess’

News Analysis Diplomatic relations is a chess game, one that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t play very well when he had a friendly handshake with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, says former cabinet minister and longtime MP David Kilgour. “You need to know how to move your pieces in a way that you’re going to serve your country and its interests, and not serve the interests of the other country, which is trying to hurt you in every way it can,” Kilgour says. Images of Trudeau greeting Zarif with a friendly handshake and bowing his head on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14 was shared widely by Iranian state media, with critics raising concerns that the prime minister is being used as a propaganda prop by…