People wearing face masks walk by a placard reminding people of COVID-19 safety in Georgetown of Washington D.C., the United States, May 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
- Iran's COVID-19 cases surpass 140,000
- Mortgages granted in Spain fall due to lockdown measures
- Global energy investment forecast to plunge 20 pct in 2020
- AU organs call on African nations to be innovative, collaborative
BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
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A woman wearing a mask walks on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 25, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)
TEHRAN -- The Iranian Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 2,080 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 141,591, state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Over the past 24 hours, 56 more people died from the virus, raising the death toll to 7,564, said Kianush Jahanpur, head of Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
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Workers paint a line on the street to adapt the mobility of pedestrians and ensure social distancing in Barcelona, Spain, May 19, 2020. (Barcelona City Hall/Handout via Xinhua)
MADRID -- A virtual lockdown imposed by the Spanish government to halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was a key factor in the reduction of mortgages in March, statistics showed.
The Spanish Statistical Office (INE) on Wednesday reported that 26,382 mortgages were granted in March, 26.8 percent down from February's 36,050 operations and 14.6 percent lower than the same period last year.
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PARIS -- Global energy investment is forecast to fall by 20 percent or 400 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday.
According to the IEA, the predicted largest decline of global energy investment in history could have "serious" side effects for energy security and clean energy transitions.
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People receive food provided by charity groups in Pretoria, South Africa, May 20, 2020. (Photo by Yeshiel/Xinhua)
JOHANNESBURG -- African countries have to be innovative, collaborative, and comprehensive to tackle the scourge of COVID-19, said organs of the African Union (AU) in South Africa.
Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), said his organization has developed a COVID-19 comprehensive response plan of action which is proactive and multidimensional to help tackle the COVID-19 challenges and post-pandemic effects at regional and country levels.
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DHAKA-- Bangladesh confirmed 22 more fatalities from the COVID-19 Wednesday, bringing the country's death toll to 544.
Nasima Sultana, a senior health ministry official, told an online media briefing in Dhaka that "1,541 new COVID-19 positive cases and 22 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh."
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ACCRA -- Ghana has confirmed 153 more COVID-19 cases, bringing its total number of cases to 7,117, as of Wednesday morning, said the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
The latest update by the GHS also captured 220 more recoveries, increasing the number of recovered cases to 2,317, while the number of deaths increased to 34, with two more deaths recorded.
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Health volunteers perform morning gym for self-quarantine people amid the COVID-19 outbreak at a quarantine site in Tangerang, Indonesia, May 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Agung Kuncahya B.)
JAKARTA -- The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 686 within one day to 23,851, with the death toll adding by 55 to 1,473, Achmad Yurianto, a health ministry official, said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
According to him, 180 more people had been discharged from hospitals, making the total number of recovered patients stand at 6,057.
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XI'AN -- A China-Europe freight train carrying anti-epidemic supplies left Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, for Poland on Wednesday.
The train, loaded with over 120 tonnes of anti-epidemic supplies including masks, medical shoe covers and gloves, is expected to arrive in Poland in 10 days, according to the China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd.■