BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The world is now in a battle against COVID-19, a disease caused by a previously unknown coronavirus that has spread to over 200 countries and regions.
The following are the updates on the contagious illness.
SINGAPORE -- It would be "a significant challenge" to hold the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in early June in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post Saturday.
The annual SLD was held in Singapore in late May or early June by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The think tank has announced earlier that it would call off this year's SLD scheduled for June 5-7.
Looking at the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with epicenters now in Europe, Britain and the United States, and travel restrictions imposed by many countries, it would be a significant challenge to hold SLD as scheduled in early June, Ng said.
- - - -
CANBERRA -- With the number of cases nationwide continuing to grow by approximately 20 percent every day, governments across the country are introducing stricter measures to slow the spread.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday that from Sunday the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will begin assisting state and territory governments in undertaking quarantine compliance checks of those who are required to be in mandatory isolation after returning from overseas.
South Australia Police on Friday night announced a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people.
- - - -
LOME -- Togo, which has registered 25 COVID-19 cases, reported its first case of death caused by the contagious disease on Friday night.
The patient returned from Belgium on March 17 and had respiratory symptoms, said a statement published on the government's official website.
- - - -
UNITED NATIONS -- The 2020 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference will be postponed, possibly by a year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the United Nations on Friday.
"In light of the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, states parties have decided to postpone the 2020 Review Conference ... to a later date, as soon as the circumstances permit, but no later than April 2021," said the press office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Information on the new dates of the conference will be posted in due course, said the press office in a note to correspondents.
