CIDRAP News: Officials watch for COVID-19 to stabilize in Europe; rapid growth shifts to other areas “Global COVID-19 cases continued their steady increase, with a glimmer of hope that activity may soon stabilize in some of Europe’s hot spots, but with growing worries about the threat of the pandemic virus…

AFRICA Daily Beast: Coronavirus Erupts in Africa — Along With Deadly Rumors and Fear (Obaji, 3/30). Fox News: Coronavirus measures in Africa escalate to violence as police, military enforce lockdowns (Sorace, 3/30). France 24: Millions enter lockdown in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, as Africa steps up virus fight (3/31). New Humanitarian: Coronavirus…

Wall Street Journal: The Real Cure for Coronavirus Editorial Board “Governments are frantically trying to contain and combat the coronavirus, and those efforts are important, but the world’s best hope is private innovation. Cutting-edge diagnostic tests and treatments are advancing, and government should encourage the trend. President Trump recently ordered…

AFRICA AP: In Zimbabwe, ‘you win coronavirus or you win starvation’ (Mutsaka, 3/30). AP: In Somalia, coronavirus goes from fairy tale to nightmare (Guled/Nor, 3/29). Bloomberg: Africa Is Two to Three Weeks Away From Height of Virus Storm (Naidoo, 3/29). ASIA AP: City at center of China’s virus outbreak gradually…

AP: 8 countries under unilateral sanctions ask U.N. chief for help “Eight countries under unilateral sanctions, mainly from the United States and European Union, urged U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday to request the immediate and complete lifting of those measures to enable the nations to respond to the coronavirus…

AFRICA The Guardian: ‘We fear, but have to work’: isolation not an option for the poor of Nairobi (Moore, 3/27). The Hill: Kenya confirms first coronavirus death (Bowden, 3/26). NPR: South Africa Reports First COVID-19 Deaths, Goes Into 3-Week Lockdown (Neuman, 3/27). Reuters: Using lessons from Ebola, West Africa prepares…

AP: British Prime Minister Johnson tests positive for virus “British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first leader of a major nation to contract COVID-19, but he insisted Friday that he remains in charge of the U.K.’s response to the outbreak. Johnson, 55, said…

Devex: DFID goes quiet on COVID-19 response “The U.K.’s international response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been criticized by insiders as ‘disappointing’ and poorly communicated. … With the pandemic continuing to gather pace, concerns are rising about the potential impact in low-income countries. The U.K. on March 6 announced a…

New York Times: This Coronavirus Crisis Is the Time to Ease Sanctions on Iran Editorial Board “Iran is in terrible shape. It is among the countries worst hit by the coronavirus … Sanctions have choked its economy. … Does that mean the United States should tighten sanctions further in the…

AFRICA Global Voices: Across Africa, COVID-19 heightens tension between faith and science (Lichtenstein et al., 3/25). The Hill: Doctors, nurses in Zimbabwe strike over lack of protective equipment to fight coronavirus (Deese, 3/25). New Humanitarian: In the news: Uganda suspends refugee arrivals as coronavirus cases rise (Okiror, 3/25). ASIA AP:…