Bubonic plague case reported in Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar: A suspected case of the bubonic plague has been reported in Mongolia’s Khovd province, the country’s Health Ministry said on Sunday. A 37-year-old resident of Tsetseg soum in the province is now under isolation at a local hospital, Xinhua news agency. The man was found to have eaten marmot meat, and is now in critical condition, the Ministry said, warning citizens not to hunt marmots or eat marmot meat. Meanwhile, at least 22 people who had contacted the man have been quarantined. (IANS)
Wrecked oil spill ship in Mauritius breaks apart
Port Louis: A Japanese bulk carrier that has leaked hundreds of tonnes of fuel oil off the Mauritius coast has broken apart, according to the authorities in the island-nation. On July 25, the MV Wakashio ran aground at Pointe d’Esny, a known sanctuary for rare wildlife, with 4,000 tonnes of the fuel, causing an ecological emergency, the BBC reported. The area also contains wetlands designated as a site of international importance by the Ramsar convention on wetlands. In a statement on Saturday night, the Mauritius National Crisis Committee said: “At around 4.30 p.m., a major detachment of the vessel’s forward section was observed.” About 90 tonnes of the fuel were believed to be still on board when the vessel split, the committee said, adding that booms had been reinforced near the vessel to absorb any more oil that leaked out. (IANS)
France pushes for wider mask use
Paris: After France recorded its highest one-day rise in virus infections since May, the government is pushing for wider mask use and tighter protections for migrant workers and in slaughterhouses. But France still plans to reopen schools nationwide in two weeks, and the labor minister says the government is determined to avoid a new nationwide lockdown that would further hobble the economy and threaten jobs. France’s infection count has resurged in recent weeks, blamed in part on people criss-crossing the country for weddings, family gatherings or annual summer vacations with friends. Britain re-imposed quarantine measures Saturday for vacationers returning from France as a result. France reported 3,310 new infections in a single day on Saturday. The daily case count was down to several hundred a day for two months, but started rising again in July. Overall France has reported more than 30,400 virus-related deaths, among the world’s highest tolls. (AP)