At a press conference on Monday, Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr Deena Hinshaw said the number of confirmed cases of covid19 in the province had doubled to 14. She said all of the cases were travel-related.

She named TT as one of 11 destinations that patients had visited.

The others were France, the Netherlands, Egypt, Iran, Taiwan, Germany, Malaysia, Panama, the Philippines, and the US.

Hinshaw said many of the travellers had visited more than one country during their trip and so could not say where each patient may have contracted the virus.

She added that one of the people who tested positive had travelled in the Caribbean on the cruise ship the MS Braemar.

That cruise ship docked in Port Royal, Jamaica.

Hanks and Wilson, both 63, sought medical advice after experiencing the symptoms of a cold in Queensland, the actor wrote on Instagram.

They are now isolated in stable condition at an Australian hospital, officials said.

The couple were on the Gold Coast as Hanks made a film about Elvis Presley.

Their diagnosis came shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a pandemic.

Hanks wrote on Instagram: “We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too.

“To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive”.

The Academy Award winner, whose films include Forrest Gump and Saving Private Ryan, said he and Wilson would keep the world “posted and updated”.

“We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?”

In 2013, the actor revealed he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the more common form. Diabetes UK says people with the condition may experience more severe symptoms of coronavirus, and has issued advice on how to take precautions.

‘In good spirits’

In a video message posted on social media, the couple’s eldest son Chet said: “I just got off the phone with them, they both are fine, they’re not even that sick.

“They’re not worried about it, they’re not tripping, but they’re going through the necessary health precautions, obviously.”

Colin, Hanks’ son from his first marriage, said the couple were “receiving excellent care” and were “in good spirits given the circumstances”.

He added that he had been “in constant contact with them and am confident that they will make a full recovery”.

Work on the star’s latest, untitled movie has been temporarily suspended.

Quarantine

“All the people who were on set have gone home and self-quarantined,” said Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

The studio behind the film, Warner Bros, said it was “working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone” who may have come into direct contact with the star.

Wilson, a singer and actress, had performed concerts at Brisbane’s Emporium Hotel and the Sydney Opera House in the past week.

Opera House staff told the AFP news agency they were helping authorities track “approximately 207 people” who “may have been in contact with the couple” at the concert on Saturday.

Wilson also appeared on Channel 9’s TV talk show Today Extra, whose hosts and crew are now in quarantine.

Fellow celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Reese Witherspoon and Tim Allen sent their support to the couple on social media, while singer Richard Marx said he had spoken to Wilson and she “sounds pretty good”.

Actor and comedian Marlon Wayans joked in reply to Hanks’ Instagram message: “DAMN YOU TOM!!! You always gotta be first. First Emmy winner, first Oscar winner, first Hollywood Coronavirus.”

Meanwhile, DeGeneres announced she would film her US talk show without a studio audience for the time being “for the health of my fans, my staff and my crew”.

Australia has recorded more than 130 cases of coronavirus.

Elsewhere, Italy is to close all shops except food stores and pharmacies in Europe’s toughest lockdown yet as virus deaths and cases continue to mount.

US President Donald Trump has suspended all travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days from Friday.

He was found guilty in a trial in New York last month, a dramatic fall from grace for one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures.

The 67-year-old appeared in court on Wednesday in a wheelchair.

His lawyers had appealed for leniency, saying even the minimum sentence of five years could be a “life sentence”.

But prosecutors argued Weinstein should be given the maximum possible sentence given his “lifetime of abuse” towards women and “lack of remorse” for his actions.

Weinstein addressed the court for the first time on Wednesday, saying he had “deep remorse” but described him and other men as “totally confused” by events in comments seen as critical to the #MeToo movement.

Dozens of women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, including rape, against Weinstein since October 2017.

He has consistently denied wrongdoing and his lawyers have vowed to appeal against his conviction.

These were the first charges to make it to trial. Weinstein still faces further criminal charges, for rape and sexual assault, in Los Angeles, where officials have started extradition proceedings.

Hours after being sentenced, he was taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan with chest pains, a spokesman said. He had heart surgery after his conviction.

What was he convicted of?

Weinstein was found guilty of committing a first-degree criminal sexual act against production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and of the third-degree rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013.

New York jurors acquitted him of the most serious charges, of predatory sexual assault, which could have seen him given an even longer jail term.

All six women who testified against him during his trial sat together on Wednesday as he was sentenced and told to register as a sex offender.

The two women he was convicted of assaulting both read out victim impact statements in court.

“It scarred me deeply, mentally and emotionally,” Ms Haley, who is also known as Mimi Haleyi, said of the assault where Weinstein forced oral sex on her. “What he did not only stripped me of my dignity as a human being and a woman, but it crushed my confidence.”

Ms Mann criticised Weinstein’s lawyers for trying to “twist the truth” during the trial, and said she hoped for a future where “we no longer have to worry about monsters hiding in our closet”.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr thanked the court for the tough sentence, saying it put “predators and abusive partners” elsewhere in society “on notice”.

“Harvey Weinstein deployed nothing less than an army of spies to keep them silent. But they refused to be silent, and they were heard,” he said of the women who testified. “Their words took down a predator and put him behind bars, and gave hope to survivors of sexual violence all across the world.”

What has the reaction been?

“Harvey Weinstein’s legacy will always be that he’s a convicted rapist,” the group Silence Breakers, which speaks out against sexual assault and harassment and includes Weinstein accusers, said in a statement.

“He is going to jail – but no amount of jail time will repair the lives he ruined, the careers he destroyed, or the damage he has caused.”

Speaking outside court, Gloria Allred, who represents three of the accusers, held up a sign with the words: “This is what justice looks like.”

“If you are a sexual predator and you are confused, all you have to do is remember this – 20 plus three years,” she said.

“For all those who are still preying on women, who want to engage in the high risk-taking of harming women and thinking you’ll get away with it, that gamble is likely not to pay off for you anymore,” she added.

“And if you’re a high-profile figure, don’t expect anything but equal justice.”

The US Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) praised the significant prison term Weinstein was given.

“This case – and the national reckoning about the pervasiveness of sexual violence it sparked – will have a lasting legacy,” president Scott Berkowitz said in a statement.

“We hope that survivors will feel encouraged to come forward, knowing that it can truly make a difference in bringing perpetrators to justice.”

How did we get here?

• Allegations against Weinstein began to emerge in October 2017, when the New York Times first reported incidents dating back decades
• Weinstein issued an apology acknowledging he had “caused a lot of pain”, but disputed the allegations
• As dozens more accusations emerged, Weinstein was sacked by the board of his company and all but banished from Hollywood
• A criminal investigation was launched in New York in late 2017, but Weinstein was not charged until May 2018 when he turned himself in to police.

The regulations will apply to a range of everyday items such as mobile phones, textiles, electronics, batteries, construction and packaging.

They will ensure products are designed and manufactured so they last – and so they’re repairable if they go wrong.

It should mean that your phone lasts longer and proves easier to fix.

That may be especially true if the display or the battery needs changing.

It’s part of a worldwide movement called the Right to Repair, which has spawned citizens’ repair workshops in several UK cities.

The plan is being presented by the European Commission. It’s likely to create standards for the UK, too – even after Brexit.

That’s because it probably won’t be worthwhile for manufacturers to make lower-grade models that can only be sold in Britain.

‘Ambitious’ proposal

It’s all part of what one green group is calling the most ambitious and comprehensive proposal ever put forward to reduce the environmental and climate impact of the things we use and wear.

Proposals aim at making environmentally-friendly products the norm. It could mean manufacturers using screws to hold parts in place, rather than glue.

The rules will also fight what is known as “premature obsolescence”, the syndrome in which manufacturers make goods with deliberately low lifespan to force consumers into buying a newer model.

One green group, the European Environment Bureau (EEB), said: “The strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way we manufacture, use and dispose of our products in a way that benefits people and the planet.”

It urges Europe’s politicians to turn the plans into reality.

Recycled material

The EU also wants to set a food waste reduction target, end over-packaging, and curb microplastic pollution. Other recommendations under the proposals, known as the Circular Economy Action Plan, are:

• increasing recycled content in products
• reducing the impact of products on the climate and environment
• providing incentives for a new type of consumer use where producers keep the ownership of the product or the responsibility for its performance throughout its lifecycle – similar to car leasing

The idea is to encourage manufacturers to make sure things don’t break – because they’ll have to pick up the bill for repair or replacement.

The new rules take a step further than previous narrower regulations aimed at securing the repair-ability of “white goods” such as fridges and washing machines.

But the EEB complains that the package should go even further by setting waste prevention targets for businesses and industries, and setting goals for reducing resource use overall across Europe.

The new EU package may restore some of the block’s reputation for environmental leadership following condemnation of last week’s climate package.

Certainly the tone of the document strikes a green note. It begins: “There is only one planet Earth, yet by 2050, the world will be consuming as if there were three.”

It notes: “Many products break down too quickly, cannot be easily reused, repaired or recycled, and many are made for single-use only.”

The report says global consumption of materials such as biomass (plant material), fossil fuels, metals and minerals is expected to double in the next 40 years.

And it says half of total greenhouse gas emissions and more than 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress come from resource extraction and processing.

The measures will need to be agreed by member states and MEPs. But they are likely to be under pressure to act from their own citizens who don’t appear to appreciate the throwaway society.

He was speaking at the Caricom heads meeting in Barbados on Tuesday. Dr Rowley’s remarks were directed at Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne who was present, even as Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau cancelled his intended visit.

Champagne had told leaders his country is taking steps to strengthen its relationship with Caricom, and has proposed an annual meeting between the two.

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said in reply to Champagne, Rowley asked Canada to consider lifting its visa requirements for TT nationals and by extension those of the region. He said both sides will be “well served by the removal of this barrier given Trinidad and Tobago’s deep and historical connections with Canada.”

Rowley also vowed to help further the work of the Caricom Single Market and Economy. He promised two officers from the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs will be seconded to the unit to bolster the regional integration initiative.

Caricom chairman and Barbados PM, Mia Mottley, spoke of the region’s response to the Wuhan novel coronavirus.

“When we left Castries in July last year, we had no clue that we would be facing a potential pandemic in the world with COVID-19.

“We didn’t have any idea that our ability to function as a single domestic space would be threatened by that development.”

She said the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security can track the movement of people and so alert border agents of risks posed by individuals entering the region. Mottley said this regional agency provides front-line protection for member states.

Outgoing caricom chairman, St Lucia PM Allen Chastanet, hailed the region’s collaboration against COVID-19.

“As many of you are aware, a week ago Saint Lucia was on high alert and thankfully the RSS (Regional Security System) stepped in to help get our samples to CARPHA for immediate testing and they quickly came back to us with news that we were coronavirus free.”

He hailed the RSS and CARPHA for going above and beyond the call of duty. “This reminds us of the importance of being part of a union; being part of a group that in times of emergency have your back. This is what being part of Caricom is about.”

On Wednesday, the leaders will consider the challenges of blacklisting, de-risking and the withdrawal of correspondent banking services, plus a proposed Caricom-African summit and other matters.

The ministry, in a media release on Monday, said that, while nearly 100,000 vaccines have been administered, there have been just 224 suspected cases of influenza as of Friday. Included are 40 confirmed deaths from influenza. There were 3,854 suspected cases for the 2019 calendar year.

The release read: “The Influenza virus is serious and is generally more severe than the common cold. The flu vaccine is available, at no cost, at all health centres.”

It added that the following groups are most vulnerable to the virus and are especially urged to get the flu vaccine: children between six months to five years; pregnant women, adults over 65; people with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes mellitus; and people with chronic respiratory illnesses, such as asthma.

People involved in health case and essential services have also been urged to get the vaccine.

The public has been advised to contact their nearest health centre to confirm the dates and times for the distribution of vaccines.

Meanwhile, the ministry has announced that as at 6 am on Monday, 858 flights and 69,196 passengers have been screened for the the Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus). There has been no confirmed cases.

It issued advice for the public to take precautionary measures for protection against the influenza virus and other diseases.

“Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub; avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth; clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs; where possible, avoid close contact with sick people; while sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them; cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. After using a tissue, throw it in the bin and wash hands thoroughly.”

St Lucia Zouks sold to Kings XI Punjab owners

A total of 74,185 infections have been recorded in mainland China, most of them in Hubei province and its capital, Wuhan – the epicentre of the outbreak.

Here are all the latest updates:

Wednesday, February 19

Pompeo denounces China’s expulsions of WSJ reporters

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has denounced China’s expulsion of three Wall Street Journal reporters and urged Beijing to respect freedom of the press.

“Mature, responsible countries understand that a free press reports facts and expresses opinion. The correct response is to present counter arguments, not restrict speech,” Pompeo said in a statement.

The move follows a complaint about the headline of an opinion article, which referred to China as the “Real Sick Man of Asia” and a decision by Washington earlier this week to treat five government-controlled Chinese news organisations as foreign government functionaries.

All Ukrainians being evacuated from China are healthy: Deputy health minister

All Ukrainians being evacuated from China’s Hubei province this week are in a healthy condition, Dmytro Koval, the deputy health minister, told reporters.

“Everyone is healthy,” he told a televised briefing. “There is no threat”.

Ukraine is evacuating 48 of its citizens in response to the outbreak. They are expected to arrive on a charter plane at .800 local time (0600 GMT) and be put in quarantine for two weeks. A number of foreigners are being evacuated on the same flight.

Man with coronavirus in Egypt recovering, no longer a carrier: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the person previously confirmed as having coronavirus in Egypt is on his way to recovery, after latest tests showed he was “no longer carrying the virus”.

“He will remain in quarantine until the full 14-day period is over and will be undergoing further required tests to ensure he was fully recovered,” WHO spokeswoman Inas Hamam said in an email.

Two Iranians die after testing positive for virus

Two Iranians have died in hospital after testing positive for the new coronavirus in the central city of Qom, the head of the city’s University of Medical Sciences told Iran’s Mehr news agency, saying the two had died of “respiratory illness”.

Separately, health ministry official Kianush Jahanpur said in a post on Twitter that “both patients died in ICU due to age and immune system deficiency”.

Iran had confirmed the two cases – the first in the country – earlier on Wednesday.

Surviving coronavirus in Wuhan

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes – that’s the first dish Yangyang made for herself after being discharged from No 7 Hospital in Wuhan.

After escaping what she describes as a near-death experience, Yangyang is now one of the estimated 14,000 people in mainland China who had beaten the COVID-19 virus.

Read the full story here.

 Some 14,000 people have reportedly recovered from coronavirus in China [Stringer/EPA]

Malaysia firm offers AI-based profiling of Chinese visitors for virus

Malaysia’s MYEG Services Bhd said it had developed a coronavirus risk-profiling system for visitors from China and was offering the artificial intelligence-based serviced to the government of Malaysia and the Philippines.

The fully-automated system analyses a “vast number of available data points, including visitors’ previous known whereabouts as well as heart rate and blood pressure readings crossed-referenced against public transportation ridership and exposure to locations with incidences of infections,” MYEG said in a statement to the stock exchange.

HIV patients in China risk running out of drugs: UNAIDS

HIV patients in China risk running out of life-saving drugs because quarantines and lockdowns aimed at containing the coronavirus disease outbreak mean they cannot replenish vital medicine stocks, the United Nations AIDS agency said.

Nearly a third of the more than 1,000 HIV positive people surveyed by UNAIDS said lockdowns and restrictions on movement in China meant they were at risk of running out of their HIV treatment in the coming days.

Of these, almost half – 48.6 percent – said they did not know where to collect their next antiretroviral therapy refill form.

China ‘virtual idols’ removed after mockery

The Chinese Communist Party’s Youth League has removed a pair of anime-like characters this week after their introduction amid the coronavirus outbreak unleashed a storm of criticism and mockery online.

The fictitious brother-and-sister duo, dressed in traditional attire and named after characters in poems by Mao Zedong, were rolled out on Monday as “virtual idols” in an apparent attempt to lift spirits as China deals with the outbreak.

“Instead of spending time crafting the idols, I’d rather you make some real contribution to help with Wuhan,” one person wrote in a now-deleted post on Weibo.

China vice premier says Hubei virus control improving, situation still severe

Efforts to prevent and control the coronavirus in China’s Hubei province have made progress but the situation remains severe, Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said, according to state-run CCTV.

Authorities in Beijing are urging both Hubei province and its city of Wuhan to strengthen checks on patients with fever, the broadcaster said.

Coronavirus outbreak slashes China carbon emissions: Study

China’s carbon emissions have dropped by least 100 million metric tonnes over the past two weeks, according to a study published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in Finland.

That is nearly 6 percent of global emissions during the same period last year.

“Measures to contain coronavirus have resulted in reductions of 15 percent to 40 percent in output across key industrial sectors,” the report said.

The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has led to a drop in demand for coal and oil, resulting in the emissions slump, the study published on the British-based Carbon Brief website said [File: Jason Lee/Reuters]

Iran reports its first two cases of new coronavirus

Iranian authorities confirmed two cases of the new coronavirus, the first in the country, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

The report did not elaborate on the nationality of the two people infected by the virus. ISNA quoted an official in the country’s health ministry, Kianush Jahanpur, as saying that “since last two days, some suspected cases of the new coronavirus were found”.

The two confirmed cases were detected in the central province of Qom.

Olympics could not be held now: Virologist

A Japanese virologist said if the Tokyo Olympics were tomorrow, the games probably could not be held because of the fast-spreading coronavirus.

“We need to find the best way to have a safe Olympics,” Dr Hitoshi Oshitani said, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan.

“Right now we don’t have an effective strategy, and I think it may be difficult to have the Olympics (now). But by the end of July, we may be in a different situation.”

South Korea coronavirus cases jump by two-thirds in one day

South Korea reported 20 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus – increasing its total by nearly two-thirds – including a cluster of at least 16 centred around the southern city of Daegu.

The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement that 20 new coronavirus cases had been confirmed, raising its total from 31 to 51.

Fifteen of the new cases are believed to be linked to a single patient, a 61-year-old woman [File: Reuters]

Japan draws criticism over coronavirus response

As the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship is evacuated, Japan faces deepening criticism over its response to the outbreak.

Critics say the government’s response has seemed more concerned with managing public perception than the outbreak. Some of the most pointed criticism has come from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Japan is just months away from hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. “The spread of the virus is wider than the government said,” said Shinichi Niwa, an adjunct professor at Fukushima Medical University.

The government has repeatedly said its response has been appropriate, and some prominent doctors have defended it.

China revokes press credentials of three at Wall Street Journal over opinion piece

China has revoked the press credentials of three Beijing-based reporters for the United States newspaper Wall Street Journal over an editorial headline deemed by the government to be racist and slandering, the foreign ministry said.

Spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing that Beijing made several representations to the newspaper over the column, which criticised its efforts to combat the coronavirus epidemic – but the Journal failed to apologise or investigate those responsible.

The move follows a complaint about the headline, which referred to the current outbreak in China and called the country the: “Real Sick Man of Asia”.

‘Terrible situation’: Pakistani students say Imran Khan-led government ignoring them

Pakistani students in China say their government is “continuously ignoring and they have disowned us” amid the new coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Wuhan, medical student Rahatullah Khan said students made repeated attempts to reach out to Pakistani authorities, but no “responsible person has contacted us”.

Khan said students from other countries were being evacuated except for Pakistanis – and it was their “constitutional right to be evacuated” by their government.

“They are treating us like we are not Pakistanis,” Khan added.

US warns of ‘ongoing risk’ after Japan evacuates victims

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned Japan’s release of hundreds of passengers on board a cruise-liner carrying coronavirus victims posed a threat.

The CDC said there was an “ongoing risk” and keeping the 3,700 passengers on board the ship could have slowed new infections. But it added it “may not have been sufficient to prevent transmission among individuals on the ship”.

“To protect the health of the American public, all passengers and crew of the ship have been placed under travel restrictions, preventing them from returning to the United States for at least 14 days after they had left the Diamond Princess,” CDC said in a statement.

New virus cases in China fall again as deaths top 2,000

New virus cases in China continue to fall with 1,749 more infections and 136 additional deaths announced.

New cases have fallen to less than 2,000 for the past two days, but officials and analysts have warned the threat of a more serious outbreak remains as workers gradually return to work following a prolonged Lunar New Year holiday.

Cities in Hubei with a combined population of more than 60 million have been under lockdown since the Lunar New Year holiday last month. “Wartime” measures were implemented in some places where residents were prevented from leaving their apartments.

Nurses pay a heavy price as China fights coronavirus epidemic (1:50)

Wuhan official vows punishment if authorities fail to halt spread

The top official in China’s outbreak epicentre promised to find and isolate every infected patient in the city by day’s end.

Protective suit-clad inspectors went door-to-door to find every infected person.

“There’s nothing more important than human life,” said Wang Zhonglin, Wuhan’s newly selected Communist Party secretary. “If a single new case is found [after Wednesday], the district leaders will be held responsible.”

Hundreds of cruise passengers in Cambodia test negative for virus

Nearly 800 passengers who had been on board the cruise ship Holland America Line’s Westerdam, currently docked in Cambodia, have tested negative for the coronavirus, the health ministry said.

Or Vandine, spokeswoman of the Cambodian health ministry, said the department was waiting on additional
lab results for other passengers, without specifying how many were pending.

The dispersal of those who had already left for various countries has caused concern they might be undetected carriers of the virus, and health authorities in several nations were tracing them to take protective measures.

Passengers begin leaving Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan

Relieved passengers began leaving a coronavirus-wracked cruise ship in Japan after testing negative for the disease.

The Diamond Princess has proved a fertile breeding ground for the virus with at least 542 positive cases, and Japan has faced mounting criticism for its quarantine arrangements as the passengers disperse.

“I’m relieved … I want to take a good rest,” a 77-year-old Japanese passenger, who declined to give his name. He said he would be boarding Japan’s famously crowded railway system to go home.

Coronavirus: Passengers evacuated from quarantined ship

Hong Kong records second coronavirus death

Hong Kong recorded its second death caused by the new coronavirus on Wednesday, a Princess Margaret Hospital spokeswoman told Reuters.

The 70-year-old man, who had underlying illnesses, was one of the 62 confirmed cases in the Chinese-ruled city.

South Korea reports 10 new cases of coronavirus

South Korea has confirmed about 10 new cases of the coronavirus and will announce the positive test results later on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing unnamed health officials.

The new cases are in the city of Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang province, Yonhap said.

An official at South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declined to confirm the Yonhap report.

South Korea has reported 31 cases of coronavirus infections and no deaths as of late Tuesday.