BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
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UNITED NATIONS -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for attention to mental health problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noting that "the COVID-19 virus is not only attacking our physical health, it is also increasing psychological suffering," the UN chief said that "grief at the loss of loved ones, shock at the loss of jobs, isolation and restrictions on movement, difficult family dynamics and uncertainty and fear for the future" might all cause psychological suffering.
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CANBERRA -- Almost 600,000 Australians lost their jobs in April with thousands of businesses closed due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Thursday that the seasonally adjusted employment fell by 594,300 people between March and April, while the unemployment rate rose from 5.2 percent to 6.2 percent.
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CHONGQING -- China has sent a group of medical experts to Algeria to aid its fight against COVID-19.
On Thursday morning, 15 medics from the southwestern Chongqing Municipality and five from the Macao Special Administrative Region departed Chongqing for Algeria. They will help with the anti-epidemic work there.
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RIGA -- Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said on Wednesday that his government has resolved to focus on three main areas -- support, infrastructure and modernization -- in the nation's battle against the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
As for support, the government is working on life-long learning and re-training programs for those who loss their jobs in the pandemic, he said.
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LJUBLJANA --The Slovenian government on Wednesday decided to lift more COVID-19 restriction measures imposed to contain the coronavirus epidemic.
According to the government spokesman Jelko Kacin, all shops will be allowed to open on Monday, while restaurants and bars will be able to serve customers indoors again.
Tourist accommodation with less than 30 rooms will resume work, but spas, discos and nightclubs will remain closed, he said.
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SEOUL -- South Korea reported 29 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of 0:00 a.m. Thursday local time, raising the total number of infections to 10,991.
The daily caseload hovered around 30 for five straight days as a cluster infection was found from clubs and bars at the multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon in Seoul.
Of the new cases, three were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 1,145.
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NEW YORK -- The U.S. state of New York is investigating around 102 cases reported statewide of children diagnosed with a rare inflammatory syndrome possibly related to COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
A 5-year-old in New York City, a 7-year-old in Westchester County and a teenager in Suffolk County have died of the syndrome, which displays various symptoms including persistent fever, severe abdominal pain, bloodshot eyes and skin rash, said the governor at his daily briefing.
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