The U.S. surgeon general said Monday that the number of coronavirus cases in the United States has reached the level that Italy recorded two weeks ago, a sign that infections are expected to rise in America as the government steps up testing and financial markets continue to fall.        “We are …

Several U.S. states are closing dine-in restaurants and bars, limiting the establishments to carry-out or delivery service, in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus. The governors of California, Connecticut, Ohio, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Washington State are among those who have ordered the restrictions. Mayors in some towns across the United …

Spain’s tally of coronavirus cases rose to 8,744 on Monday and the number of fatalities rose to 297, said Fernando Simon, the head of the country’s health emergency center.   The previous tally was 7,753 cases on Sunday, with 288 fatalities …

Experts say the Coronavirus got its start through animal to human transmission at a live wildlife market in Wuhan, China. In the months since, the deadly virus has rapidly spread throughout the world and the outbreak has been declared a pandemic. The crisis has prompted the Chinese government to impose …

The United Nations’ aviation agency has approved restrictions for a global program designed to help airlines offset their carbon emissions, a move that curbs industry funding for older projects whose environmental benefits have been challenged by climate activists.The International Civil Aviation Organization council on Friday approved recommendations to exclude offset projects …

Over 60,000 people have been confined to four towns in Spain’s first mandatory lockdown as infections for the new coronavirus increase sharply, putting a strain on health services and pressure on the government for more action.      The situation in and around the Spanish capital, Madrid, with nearly 2,000 …

Nepal’s government announced Friday that it was suspending climbing permits for Mount Everest and all of the other peaks in the country due to concern over the spread of the coronavirus.The decision effectively shuts down the world’s tallest mountain since China already closed its side of Everest over similar fears. …

 WATCH VIDEO:The coronavirus outbreak is dealing a severe blow to the airline industry, as governments impose travel restrictions and would-be passengers stay away from traveling by plane for fear of catching the virus. Some analysts say the impact on airlines may become as bad as it was after 9/11. VOA’s …

South Africa’s health minister on Friday announced that the nation has seen eight new cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the nation’s total caseload to at least 24.That number does not include a case reported Thursday, when South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases erroneously said the nation had seen its …

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is quarantining himself at home after his wife exhibited flu-like symptoms.      Trudeau’s office said Thursday that Sophie Gregoire Trudeau returned from a speaking engagement in Britain and had mild flu-like symptoms, including a low fever late, Wednesday night.      She is being …

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted multiple religious faiths to change or cancel services as houses of worship try to help contain the disease. But some church leaders are also tackling another task: communicating a message that elevates both faith and science.      That goal is particularly challenging in a …

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos and the European Space Agency have decided to postpone the launch of a joint research mission to Mars until the fall of 2022 because of the situation around coronavirus in Europe, Roscosmos said on Thursday.”…The parties had to recognize that the final phase of ExoMars activities …

A Las Vegas wedding with an Elvis impersonator: Canceled. A 3,500-kilometer (2,200-mile) trans-America road trip, a voyage of a lifetime that took months to prepare: On ice, too.The new anti-virus travel ban announced by U.S. President Donald Trump threw Europeans’ best-laid plans — family reunions, birthday celebrations, vacations, trips for …

Scientists are calling on UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to declare a unique coral reef system off the Egyptian coast a Marine World Heritage Site.  So far, the location has resisted the effects of climate change bleaching coral reefs around the world.  But as VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, experts say …

The new coronavirus can live in the air for several hours and on some surfaces for as long as two to three days, tests by U.S. government and other scientists have found.Their work, published Wednesday, suggests that the virus can spread through the air as well as from touching things …

Which disease is the most contagious per person?  Here’s a comparison, based on scientific data. …

Turkey confirmed its first case of the coronavirus on Wednesday, becoming the last major economy to report an outbreak after taking what the World Health Organization (WHO) described as “vigilant, cautious” measures to delay the disease.Turkey’s tourism sector, which accounts for about 13% of its economy, stepped up calls on …

Comparatively speaking, Americans are heavier than the rest of the world. The World Factbook of the Central Intelligence Agency reports the obesity rate in the United States to be 36 percent.  But 25-year-old Zobaida Falah is hoping that her homemade snack bar can play a small role in changing unhealthy …

Faced with the spread of COVID-19, the U.K. is advising its citizens to keep calm and carry on.      For some Britons, the stiff upper lip is starting to wobble. As Italy goes into lockdown and other European countries shut schools and ban large gatherings, U.K. authorities continue to …

 WATCH: Coronavirus is most dangerous to the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.Since the first fatalities in the US originated from a nursing facility in the state of Washington, there is deep concern among health experts, patients and their families that eldercare facilities are especially vulnerable. VOA’s Julie Taboh has …

As the coronavirus rattles global markets, some analysts are now warning of a possible global recession. The damage is already starting to show in some countries hit hardest by the outbreak.Lee Jae-hoon is standing in the Korean barbecue restaurant he owns in this normally busy office district of Seoul. There …

Hindus threw colored powder and sprayed water in massive celebrations of the festival of Holi in India on Tuesday, but the enthusiasm was subdued compared to previous years because of fears of the new virus.      Brightly colored powder filled the air in most parts of North India. But …

Comparatively speaking, Americans are heavier than the rest of the world. The World Factbook of the Central Intelligence Agency reports the obesity rate in the United States to be 36 percent.  But 25-year-old Zobaida Falah is hoping that her homemade snack bar can play a small role in changing unhealthy …

A southern Indian state has begun a three-day bird culling process to contain an outbreak of avian influenza, also known as bird flu.Kerala state began the precautionary measure Sunday.The World Health Organization says, “Avian influenza viruses normally spread between birds. However, some viruses have been found to infect humans.  When …

Weeks after Beijing was criticized by people inside China and around the world for a sluggish response to the outbreak of a new coronavirus, China’s government is trying to recast itself as a global health leader.China’s early response to the outbreak remains shrouded in mystery, with an unclear timetable about …