Hope in Germany and low deaths in America .. Guterres warns of Corona's threat to international peace and calls on the Security Council to act

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the emerging Corona Virus pandemic poses a major threat to international peace and security, while mortality has decreased in America for the first time, amid a high number of infections worldwide.

Guterres said during a closed briefing he gave to members of the Security Council Thursday evening that the pandemic may lead to an increase in social unrest and violence, which could undermine the ability to combat the disease.

He added that the pandemic threatens to further erode trust in public institutions, noting that the crisis may lead to an escalation of violence and possibly damaging miscalculations, which could cement ongoing wars and complicate efforts to combat the epidemic.

He also said that the economic repercussions of this crisis could lead to great pressures, especially in fragile societies, the least developed countries and countries in transition.

On Thursday evening, the UN Security Council held a closed video emergency session to discuss the outbreak of the Corona virus and ways to combat it, and to call for a global ceasefire to enable international efforts to respond to the pandemic, amid ongoing criticism of the low international coordination in dealing with the spread of the virus and in providing medical devices and equipment.

Diplomatic sources at the United Nations revealed differences between the major powers in the Security Council, and one of the reasons for the dispute lies in the United States insistence to include any statement or decision issued by the Council a paragraph indicating that the origin of the epidemic is Chinese, which Beijing strongly rejects.

Three demands
The UN Secretary-General submitted three basic demands to the UN Security Council in which he asked representatives of member states to "do more and support for their implementation" in order to meet the challenges of the spread of the Coruna virus around the world.

Guterres said in his briefing during the session that the first demand is "to ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid and the opening of corridors (in conflict areas) for the safe and timely movement of goods and individuals."

The second requirement is "to mobilize strong and flexible funding for the response plan to respond to the virus and related humanitarian appeals."

The third requirement is the need to "protect the most vulnerable and least able to protect themselves, and to implement international humanitarian law, human rights law, and refugee law."

He added that the participation of the Security Council will be "decisive" to alleviate the repercussions of Corona on international peace and security, stressing that showing unity and resolve from the Council will have a great return in this difficult time.

A sign of optimism
And in Germany, Minister of Health Jens Young announced that the number of cures of the Corona virus in his country has exceeded 50,000.

Young men told a news conference in the capital Berlin yesterday, Thursday, that the measures taken by the government to reduce the outbreak of Corona, had a great impact on normal life in Germany.

He added that the preventive measures showed their effectiveness in limiting the spread of the virus, as the statistics of the "Robert Koch" Institute indicate that there are 110 thousand infections, while more than 50 thousand people recovered.

Young men pointed out that the government aims to lift the measures one by one with the aim of returning life to normalcy at the earliest opportunity, but it is not possible at the present time.

He stressed that the German health sector is based on solid foundations, adding that the number of people infected with the virus under treatment in the intensive care department is about 3000, while about 10,000 beds in intensive care are still vacant.

Europe
The finance ministers of the European Union member states reached an agreement on an economic stimulus plan worth 500 billion euros to face the economic repercussions of the outbreak of the Corona virus.

The agreement came after the talks, which continued over the past Tuesday and Wednesday, failed to reach an agreement. The agreement is expected to be submitted to the leaders of the member states for approval.

For its part, the British government said after its meeting Thursday that it should be prepared to extend the isolation in the face of the increasing spread of Corona in the country, in light of the improvement in the health condition of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his exit from intensive medical care.

On Thursday evening, Johnson, who was infected with the Coronavir virus, was discharged from intensive care, but he is still in hospital, his spokesman announced.

The country recorded 881 additional deaths of people living with the virus, which raises the total to 7978 deaths, according to a daily census announced Thursday by Foreign Minister Dominic Rapp who heads the government temporarily.

China
China announced at dawn today, Friday, the registration of 42 new infections with the Corona virus, bringing the number of infections in the country to 81,907. It also announced the registration of a new death in the virus, bringing the number of deaths to 3336, according to official figures.

For his part, the director of the Jintan Hospital in Wuhan Zhang Dingu ruled out the outbreak of a second wave of corona virus in China.

Dingo said that the virus will not disappear and that it may spread on a small scale in a few separate cases. But he stressed that sporadic cases mean the need to coexist with the continuation of this virus, and that this requires thinking about the new step later to deal with it, adding that there may be a need to allocate a wing or more space to deal with the infected without the need for exceptional measures.

Drop in America
On Thursday evening, the United States reported that 1,783 people died as a result of the Corona virus within 24 hours, in a slightly lower result than the previous day, which amounted to 1973, according to data published by Johns Hopkins University.

The university data, which is a reference in tracking cases and deaths caused by the Corona virus, showed that in the United States in the last 24 hours, the epidemic claimed the lives of 1,783 people, i.e. 190 cases less than the previous day, bringing the total number of deaths to about 16.5 thousand cases.

The United States ranks second in the world in terms of the number of deaths caused by the virus, behind Italy, which is nearly two thousand deaths before it.

Medical and government officials in the United States said Thursday that Americans should continue to apply rules of social separation as signs of slowing out the spread of the virus begin.

In a sign that the disease’s curve has begun to stabilize in the New York area, the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, City Governor Andrew Como said Thursday that there has been a noticeable decline in the number of hospitalizations due to HIV infection, reaching 200 in the past 24 hours only.

Arab world
In the Arab region, Algeria announced that the total number of Corona virus deaths increased to 235, after 30 new deaths were recorded. It also announced 94 new cases of the virus, bringing the total to 1666, while the number of people recovering from the virus reached 374 people.

The Saudi Ministry of Health announced 272 new cases, bringing the total to 2,800, and 41 to 41.

In the Sultanate of Oman, the Ministry of Health announced the third death of the Coronavirus, and 38 new infections, raising the total number to 457 and recovering to 109.

In Kuwait, the total number of infections has increased to 910, after 55 new infections were recorded.

In Qatar, 166 new infections were announced, bringing the number of HIV infections to 2,376 and recovering cases to 206.

The UAE Ministry of Health also announced the registration of 300 new injuries, exceeding the total number of 2659, while the number of people recovering reached about 240.

In Morocco, 71 new cases of coronavirus were registered yesterday, bringing the total number to 1346, while three deaths were recorded, bringing the number to 96.

In Tunisia, the Ministry of Health announced death registration and 15 cases of coronavirus, raising the total to 643 cases, including 25 deaths.

In Lebanon, the Ministry of Health said that 7 new cases of coronavirus were recorded, taking the total number to 582.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health also announced the registration of 30 new cases of the virus, bringing the total to 1232, in addition to 69 deaths, and 496 cases recovered from the disease.