Prince Charles tests positive for novel coronavirus - CNN

The Prince of Wales is only displaying mild symptoms and is otherwise in good health, Clarence House said in a statement. It is not known how he caught the virus because of his busy schedule of public events in recent weeks.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen remains in "good health." Last Tuesday, the Palace said the 93-year-old monarch was rearranging her diary "as a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances."

The Queen last saw Prince Charles briefly after an investiture ceremony for public awards at Buckingham Palace in London on March 12. A Palace spokeswoman said she was "following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare."

Prince Charles had a number of private meetings following the March 12 event with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware of the situation, according to PA Media.

Prince Charles's wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has been tested and does not have the virus, according to the statement from Clarence House.

It read: "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual.

"The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing.

"It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks."

Prince Charles, 71, is the eldest child of the Queen and her 98-year-old husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

As someone over 70, he is considered to be at higher risk than average for coronavirus.

Earlier this month, his office said he was not yet self-isolating because UK government and medical advice at the time were not advising over-70s to do so.

This is a developing story. More to follow.

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2020-03-25 11:55:11Z
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Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus - Fox News

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Prince Charles, who is first in line to the British throne, has tested positive for coronavirus after displaying mild symptoms, his office has announced.

“The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus.  He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual," the Clarence House said to Fox News in a statement Wednesday morning.

The statement confirmed that the 71-year-old British royal's wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, tested negative. They are currently at their home, Burnham on the Balmoral Estate, in Scotland "self-isolating," the statement confirmed.

IDRIS ELBA TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

The Prince of Wales, 71, has otherwise been displaying good health and is working from home.<br data-cke-eol="1"> (Getty Images)

"The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing."

While Clarence House said it is "not possible to ascertain" whom Prince Charles may have caught the virus from, the office made note of a "high number of engagements" he carried out in recent weeks."

The news comes on the heels of Prince Albert of Monaco revealing his positive diagnosis of COVID-19. According to multiple reports, Prince Charles sat across from Prince Albert at a WaterAid charity event in London days before testing positive.

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla had canceled their upcoming eight-day royal tour, which was set to begin on March 17 and conclude on March 25, with stops in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Cyprus and Jordan.

'GAME OF THRONES' STAR KRISTOFER HIVJU TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

“Owing to the unfolding situation with the coronavirus pandemic, The British Government has asked Their Royal Highnesses to postpone their spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan,” their office shared in a statement.

The British royal family also announced on its official website last week that Queen Elizabeth II would temporarily move to Windsor Castle amid the growing coronavirus pandemic one week earlier than planned.

"As a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, a number of changes are being made to The Queen’s diary," the statement said. "Audiences due to take place this week at Buckingham Palace will go ahead as planned. These include receiving the Prime Minister, the Commanding Officer of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and the Bishop of Hereford. Future Audiences will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with the appropriate advice."

The royal family's statement also made it clear it is making steadfast decisions based on advice from the family's "medical household" as well as government officials. This means events with "large numbers of people" that were due to be attended by the queen and other royal family members will be canceled or postponed "in the coming months."

The family's annual Maundy service at St. George's Chapel on April 9 has already been canceled, and along with it, three garden parties scheduled to be hosted by the queen in May will also no longer be held, the statement confirmed.

MEL BROOKS, MAX BROOKS SHARE VIDEO TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS: #DONTBEASPREADER

In a statement on Thursday, the palace of Monaco shared Albert is being treated by doctors from the Princess Grace Hospital, named after his late mother. It revealed the royal is continuing to work from his home office in the palace and is in constant contact with the members of his government.

On March 17, it was revealed that Karl von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria, also tested positive for the coronavirus.

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The 59-year-old royal has been holed up since Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19 and called into the local TV channel, oe24 in Austria, to share his status.

“It’s annoying, but I’m fine. It’s not the Black Plague,” von Habsburg,  told the network.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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2020-03-25 10:42:26Z
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Gunmen Storm Sikh Temple and Community Center in Kabul - The New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — A gunman assaulted a Sikh temple and community center in Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 25 people and taking dozens of people hostage, Afghan officials said.

The attack on the Sikh complex ended after six hours of fighting, according to Ahmad Tariq Arian, the interior ministry spokesman, who said that eight civilians were wounded and 80 hostages were rescued.

More than 20 Sikh families were living at the center, which was attacked in the early morning hours. The police were quickly deployed and were clearing the center, the interior ministry said.

Anarkali Kaur Honaryar, a member of the Afghan Senate who was transferring dead bodies, said only one of those killed was a Muslim, who was guarding the temple. The rest of those killed were Sikhs, he said, including one child.

Islamic State loyalists claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Site Intelligence Group, which monitors militant media sites.

Hindus and Sikhs, once numbering in the hundreds of thousands in the country, are oppressed minorities in Afghanistan who have been frequently attacked in recent years. In July 2018, a large group was attacked by a suicide bomber while waiting to meet President Ashraf Ghani in Nangarhar Province. The blast killed 17, including a candidate for Parliament.

Community leader estimate that only a couple of hundred Hindu and Sikh families remain in Afghanistan, with the rest migrating to India or the West over the past four decades.

Elsewhere in the country, a vehicle carrying civilians was blown up by a roadside bomb in the Musa Qala district of southern Helmand Province, killing eight people, including children, local officials said.

Najim Rahim and Mujib Mashal contributed reporting from Kabul, and Taimoor Shah from Kandahar.

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2020-03-25 11:30:05Z
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Trump Says He'll Stop Using 'Chinese Virus,' Easing Blame Game - Bloomberg

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Trump Says He'll Stop Using 'Chinese Virus,' Easing Blame Game  BloombergView Full Coverage on Google News
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2020-03-25 10:00:07Z
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U.S. Seeks Medical Equipment, Possibly Including Coronavirus Tests, From South Korea - NPR

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People wait to receive a COVID-19 novel coronavirus test at a testing booth outside the Yangji hospital in Seoul on March 17. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Updated at 5:25 a.m. ET Wednesday

President Trump has requested test kits from South Korea to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

According to a readout from the Blue House, as the presidential office here is known, a 23-minute phone call with President Moon Jae-in was initiated at the "urgent request" of Trump.

Neither the White House, which confirmed the call, nor the Blue House initially specified exactly what medical equipment Trump requested. But on Wednesday morning, Moon confirmed that it was in fact test kits.

Moon made the revelation on a visit to Seegene, a Korean biotech firm which recently agreed to sell an initial batch of 20,000 test kits to Los Angeles for $1.25 million.

The Blue House says Moon would provide as much support as South Korea can spare. But he cautioned that it might require U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Trump replied that he could secure that approval the same day.

South Korea has lately garnered praise for quickly ramping up mass production and use of test kits. Not long after the first cases were discovered, South Korea fast-tracked approval for Seegene and several other local companies to start making test kits. It also lined up nearly 100 labs to analyze samples and get quick test results.

South Korea can now do some 15,000 to 20,000 tests a day. Since January, it has tested nearly 350,000 people, far more than the U.S. Testing has been the linchpin in South Korea's efforts to slow the spread of the disease. After peaking in late February at more than 900 new cases a day, infections have gradually declined.

The Blue House says Trump mentioned this downward trend in the call, and said South Korea is "doing very good."

On other issues, though, Trump has been harshly critical of Seoul, describing it as a wealthy freeloader that benefits from the stationing of U.S. troops on its soil, without paying its fair share.

Failure to reach a deal on South Korean payment by the end of this month is expected to result in the furloughing without pay of thousands of Korean employees, which the U.S. says will affect the functioning of its bases in South Korea and its military readiness.

The Blue House did not elaborate on whether the two presidents discussed the defense cost issue, or any linkage with the epidemic.

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2020-03-25 09:26:42Z
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Gunmen Storm Sikh Temple and Community Center in Kabul - The New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — Gunmen assaulted a Sikh temple and community center in Kabul on Wednesday, taking dozens of people hostage, Afghan officials said.

One senior security official, speaking of condition of anonymity to brief a reporter, said that at least 11 people had been confirmed dead so far, but that the number could rise as the operation continues.

More than 20 Sikh families were living at the center, which was attacked in the early morning hours. The police were quickly deployed and were clearing the center, according to the Afghan interior ministry.

“The clearing operation is underway in the temple,” said “According to our initial information, four attackers are involved in the attack,” said Ahmad Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the ministry. Some parts of the temple were cleared and a number of people were rescued, he said, without providing a number.

It was not clear how many people were still stuck inside. Mr. Arian said 40 people were trapped, while Anarkali Kaur Honaryar, a Sikh member of Afghan Senate, said it could be as many as 150.

“Most of our people inside are in danger,” Ms. Honaryar said.

Islamic State loyalists claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Site Intelligence Group, which monitors militant media sites.

Hindus and Sikhs, once numbering in the hundreds of thousands in the country, are oppressed minorities in Afghanistan who have been frequently attacked in recent years. In July 2018, a large group was attacked by a suicide bomber while waiting to meet President Ashraf Ghani in Nangarhar Province. The blast killed 17, including a candidate for Parliament.

Community leaders estimate that only a couple of hundred Hindu and Sikh families remain in Afghanistan, with the rest migrating to India or the West over the past four decades.

Elsewhere in the country, a vehicle carrying civilians was blown up by a roadside bomb in Musa Qala district of southern Helmand Province, killing eight people, including women and children, local officials said.

Reporting was contributed by Najim Rahim from Kabul and Taimoor Shah from Kandahar.

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2020-03-25 09:00:04Z
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China's premier warns local officials not to hide new coronavirus infections - CNN

Li, the country's second-in-command, urged local governments Monday to "seek truth from facts" and be "open and transparent" in releasing information on the epidemic.

"Being open and transparent means a new case must be reported once it's discovered. It is what it is. There must be no concealing or underreporting," he told senior officials tasked with battling Covid-19 during a meeting he chaired, according to an official government statement posted online Tuesday.

The Chinese premier was appointed the head of a central government task force -- or a "central leading group" as it is called -- to fight the coronavirus in January. He visited the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, back in late January, more than a month earlier than the tour by China's top leader Xi Jinping in March.

Li's warning appears to be part of a concerted effort to rebuild public trust amid persistent accusations that local officials deliberately downplayed the reality of the situation during the early stages of the outbreak.

It also comes as China faces increased scrutiny from overseas over its initial efforts to prevent the virus from spreading beyond its borders after it was first identified in Wuhan in December.

Since then, the virus has claimed 3,281 lives and sickened more than 81,000 people in China. It has put hundreds of millions under varying forms of lockdown and brought the economy to a halt.

Three months on, however, China appears to have turned a corner in its fight to contain the outbreak. Last Thursday, the country reported no local transmissions, and the number has stayed close to zero since. On Wednesday, China eased travel restrictions in Hubei, and the lockdown on Wuhan will soon be lifted too, on April 8.

At Monday's meeting, Li said that while the public had long looked forward to the good news of zero local infections, the statistics on the epidemic must be "truthful and accurate," urging local governments not to "hide or underreport cases in pursuit of zero cases."

Being transparent also means the public is less likely to let down its guard, which can help the implementation of epidemic control measures and prevent a rebound in cases, Li added.

On Tuesday, after new cases dropped to zero for five consecutive days, Wuhan reported a new confirmed case -- a doctor working at the Hubei General Hospital. The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a statement that the possibility of cross-infection within that hospital could not be ruled out.

Lingering threat

The threat of a so-called second wave continues to loom large in China.

To date, the virus has now spread to 170 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, and put nearly a third of the world's population -- or 2.5 billion people -- under coronavirus-related movement restrictions.

With the number of global infections surging past 423,000, a growing number of cases have been imported back to China from overseas -- many of them Chinese students and workers eager to return home as outbreaks flare up globally.

As of Tuesday, 474 imported cases have been reported by Chinese authorities, and cities like Beijing and Shanghai have imposed strict quarantine rules for international arrivals.

But as the number of local transmissions in China decreases, concerns have grown around the reliability of the current data -- with many online questioning the role of asymptomatic carriers.

In China, only patients showing symptoms and positive results in nucleic tests are included in the official tally of confirmed cases. Asymptomatic patients who have tested positive are monitored and placed under quarantine until they develop symptoms or turn negative in later tests.

The World Health Organization, however, says in its guideline that "a person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms" should be counted as a confirmed case.

The risk posed by asymptomatic cases has drawn significant attention in China in recent days. Addressing these concerns, Wu Zunyou, a spokesman for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news conference Tuesday that the asymptomatic patients had all been found when monitoring those who had come into close contact with confirmed cases.

"Will they cause the spread (of the virus)? No they won't," Wu said.

"Why? Because in China, under our current measures, all close contact (patients) have been placed under quarantine and isolated medical observation, and will be sent to hospital for diagnosis and treatment once they develop symptoms. So they won't cause any spread in society," he added.

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2020-03-25 08:58:34Z
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