GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidance on Friday to recommend that government ask everyone to wear fabric face masks in public areas where there is a risk of transmission of COVID-19 to help reduce the spread of the pandemic disease.
In its new guidance, prompted by evidence from studies conducted in recent weeks, the WHO stressed that face masks were only one of a range of tools that can reduce the risk of viral transmission, and should not give a false sense of protection.
‘Masks on their own will not protect you from COVID-19’, the WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a briefing.
The WHO’s technical lead expert on COVID-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, said in a Reuters interview: ‘We are advising governments to encourage that the general public wear a mask. And we specify a fabric mask – that is, a non-medical mask.
‘We have new research findings’, she added. ‘We have evidence now that if this is done properly it can provide a barrier…for potentially infectious droplets’.
While some countries and U.S. states have recommended or mandated wearing of face coverings in public, the WHO had previously said there was not enough evidence for or against use of masks for healthy people in the wider community. It had always recommended that medical masks be worn by people who are sick and by those caring for them.
SABIC’s Quarterly Net Profits Slumps 94% On Lower Sales Prices
PARIS, France – Petrochemicals firm Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) said on Tuesday its fourth-quarter net profit slumped 94% on lower average sales prices. SABIC posted a net income of 0.29 billion riyals ($77.28 million) in the three – month period ended Dec. 31, down from 4.97 billion riyals in the year-ago period. Princes across…
Ukraine Gets Support From Saudis With $400 Million Aid Deal
PARIS, France – Saudi Arabia signed agreements worth $400 million with Ukraine on Sunday after the kingdom’s foreign minister made a surprise visit to Kyiv, a movie praised by Washington. Prince Faisal bin Farhan met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak, his Ukrainian counterpart Dymytro Kuleba, and others. He was the highest-ranking…
Saudi Arabia Pauses Wealth Fund Plan To Acquire Egyptian Bank – Sources
PARIS, France – Saudi Arabia has put a plan by its sovereign wealth fund to acquire the United Bank of Egypt on hold because of a disagreement with the Egyptian authorities over its valuation, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The pause is the most recent stumble in the vast investment programme promised…
Still Filming, Spielberg, 76, Wins Berlin Lifetime Awards
PARIS, France — Director Steven Spielberg, picking up a lifetime achievement awards at the Berlin Film Festival, said the prospect of making new films continued to excite him at 76, and unveiled new details of his planned HBO series. The director, whose credits include some of the biggest – grossing and best – loved works…
UAE Names ADNOC Chief Jaber As COP28 Climate Conference President
PARIS, France – The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday that Sultan al – Jaber, the head of state oil giant ADNOC, would act as president of the COP28 climate conference it is hosting this year. Jaber, also UAE’s minister of industry and technology and its climate envoy, will help develop the COP28 agenda and…
Saudi Arabia To Host Pre-Pandemic Numbers For 2023 Haj Pilgrimage Season
PARIS, France – Saudi Arabia will remove COVID-19 restriction for the 2023 haj season and host pre-pandemic numbers of pilgrims, the kingdom’s ministry of haj and umrah said on Monday. In 2019, the last yeast before the pandemic struck, some 2.6 million people performed the haj. The kingdom allowed only limited numbers from its residents…
UAE President Congratulates Netanyahu On Inauguration
PARIS, France – United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al – Nahyan called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on his inauguration, the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Saturday. Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel’s prime minister on Thursday in a comeback at the head of a hard-right cabinet…
Former Pope Benedict Dies Aged 95
PARIS, France – Former Pope Benedict, who in 2013 became the first pontiff in 600 years to step down, died on Saturday aged 95 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican where he had lived since his resignation, a spokesman for the Holy See said. ”With sorrow I inform you that Pope Emeritus, Benedict…
Ronaldo Joins Saudi Arabian Club Al Nassr Until 2025
PARIS, France – Portugal capital Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a 2-1/2 year contract, the club announced on Friday, after leaving Manchester United to become a free agent. Ronaldo departed Old Trafford last month following an explosive television interview in which the 37-year-old forward said he felt betrayed by the…
Pele, Who Died At 82, Was A Sports Star And Cultural Icon
PARIS, France – The Brazilian soccer star said Andy Warhol told him that. It was a twist on something else the American artist is widely credited with saying, that ”in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”. Warhol made the soccer star’s portrait in 1977, and Pele took great pride in turning his…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
ARABIA 5AM NEWS 
Leave a Reply