France appeals to workers as coronavirus claims first doctor
By Nyashadzashe Ndoro
France’s health minister Olivier Veran has confirmed the death of an emergency specialist doctor working at a hospital in Compiegne, north of Paris from the coronavirus, the first medic to succumb to the deadly virus in the country.
On Sunday, minister Veran told all front-line medical staff to keep essential services running despite the worldwide lockdown.
Speaking to LCI television Veran said, “The medical profession is making a heavy sacrifice in our country today.
“We’re asking citizens to continue mobilising to keep our economy working.
“Not for the sake of economic objectives or budgets, but because a single missing link can bring down the entire production system,” Veran said.
Meanwhile, France’s death toll rose by 112 to 562 on Saturday, while the number of confirmed cases increased from 15% to 14,459 in 24 hours as per the health ministry report.
In spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has pledged to ask the parliament to extend the state of emergency for another 15 days until April 11 in effort to try to curb the spread of the virus.
On Sunday, Spain announced 394 new deaths caused by the virus, raising to 1,720 the official death toll in Europe’s worst-hit country after Italy.
The Italian Prime minister Giuseppe Conte has emotionally said “all solutions are exhausted on ground.”
“We have lost control, we have killed the epidemic physically and mentally. Can’t understand what more we can do, all solutions are exhausted on ground. Our only hope remains up in the Sky, God rescue your people,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Africa, Mozambique has on Sunday, through health minister Armindo Tiago confirmed its first case of coronavirus.
Speaking to Journalists, Tiago said a 75-year-old man who had recently returned from Britain mid-March, has tested positive. Nehanda Radio
