Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 17 March 2020
German virus vaccine firm denies US made takeover offer

Associated Press one of the companies at responses from German of- at a news conference Sun- "sufficient information" to
BERLIN (AP) — the meeting, but said the ficials. day whether he could con- confirm that there was an
A German company work- media reports about an of- Ahead of CureVac's tweet, firm that the U.S. had tried offer. CureVac's chief oper-
ing on a potential vaccine fer were incorrect. Chancellor Angela Merkel's to take over a German ating officer, Hans-Werner
for the new coronavirus de- "CureVac has not received chief of staff, Helge Braun, vaccine company for a Haas, told the Tagesspie-
nied reports Monday that from the U.S. government told the Bild daily that Ger- large amount of money. gel daily that the company
the U.S. government was or related entities an offer man officials had "very in- "I can only say that I have and other biotech firms had
angling to acquire it, while before, during and since tensive contact" with Cu- heard repeatedly today attended a meeting with
German officials sought to the task force meeting in reVac over the past two from members of the gov- Trump and the president
ease tensions fueled by the the White House on March weeks "when there were ernment that this is true," he signaled that "we should
story by insisting the firm 2," the company wrote. thoughts of enticing it to replied. Economy Minister hurry." But he said that Cu-
would stay in the country. CureVac on Sunday called the United States." Peter Altmaier, speaking reVac, which is based in
On Sunday, Germany's the reports "speculation," He said the company on ARD television, said that Tuebingen, Germany, and
Welt am Sonntag news- issuing a statement saying would get every support "Germany is not for sale." has a site in Boston, doesn't
paper, citing unidenti- that it was working to de- to develop a vaccine as Meantime the U.S. ambas- know where the "rumor" of
fied German government velop a vaccine and was quickly as possible. "We sador to Germany, Richard an offer from Trump came
sources, reported that the in contact with a global al- also made clear that if a Grenell, tweeted that "the from and "we don't have
then-boss of CureVac took liance called the Coalition vaccine is developed in Welt story was wrong." an offer."
part in a meeting between for Epidemic Preparedness, Germany, then it is for Ger- On Monday when asked For most people, the coro-
pharmaceutical manag- "and many other organiza- many and the world," he about the various officials' navirus causes only mild or
ers and U.S. President Don- tions and authorities world- was quoted as saying. "That statements, a spokeswom- moderate symptoms, such
ald Trump in early March. It wide." also convinced the com- an for Altmaier, Beate Bar- as fever and cough, and
said Trump apparently was It rejected "allegations pany, so that it will stay." on, said the government's they recover fully. For some,
offering the German firm a about offers for acquisi- Braun didn't elaborate on position was that new vac- especially older adults and
large amount to secure its tion of the company or its the nature of the U.S. inter- cines "must be available for people with existing health
work for the U.S. technology," but that failed est. everyone, and this cannot problems, it can cause
In a tweet Monday, Cure- to dampen interest in the Germany's interior minister, be about exclusivity." She more severe illness, includ-
Vac confirmed it had been story, partially fueled by the Horst Seehofer, was asked added that she didn't have ing pneumonia.q

Canada closing borders to non-citizens, Americans exempted

By ROB GILLIES ing overseas flights to just
TORONTO (AP) — Cana- four airports in Toronto,
dian Prime Minister Jus- Montreal, Calgary and
tin Trudeau said Monday Vancouver, and mandat-
he will close the country's ing airlines to screen pas-
borders to anyone not a sengers for symptoms of
citizen, an American or a the virus before allowing
permanent resident — and anyone to board a plane.
even they have to self-iso- The number of confirmed
late for 14 days on arrival cases of the novel corona-
— due to the coronavirus virus in Canada more than
pandemic. doubled since Friday, in-
"Let me be clear: If you are cluding 32 new confirmed
abroad, now is the time to cases in Ontario on Mon-
come home," the prime day.
minister said. "If you've just Trudeau said `"we can still
arrived, you must self-iso- slow the spread of this virus''
late for 14 days." but it will take a major ad-
He also said those already justment from everyone.
in the country, "as much as Officials in the Pacific Coast
possible should stay home." province of British Colum-
He spoke outside his resi- bia also announced three
dence, where is self isolat- more deaths, all of them
ing after his wife tested pos- stemming from a long-
itive for the virus. term care home in North
Trudeau said the exemp- Vancouver where the first
tion for Americans, despite death in Canada was re-
the rapid rise of cases in ported. Canada has more
the U.S., was due to "the than 400 confirmed cases
level of integration of our Minister of Health Patty Hajdu looks on as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news con- and now four deaths.
two economies." The U.S. ference in Ottawa, Wednesday March 11, 2020. Trudeau's wife, Sophie
accounts for 75 percent of Associated Press Grégoire Trudeau, tested
the country's exports. positive after returning from
"Canada and the United uty Prime Minister Chrystia and all returning Canadi- thing that a tourist would London. She attended the
States have the longest Freeland. ans, that they are strongly like to do for a holiday." same event as British actor
un-militarized border in the But she noted that the ex- recommended go into 14- Trudeau said the country Idris Elba, who announced
world and that border is vi- emption was not aimed at day self isolation, means is taking ``increasingly ag- Monday he has also tested
tal to the daily life to peo- tourists. self isolation in Canada for gressive steps'' to keep ev- positive for the virus. She
ple on both side that live "The fact that we are say- 14 days," Freeland said. eryone safe. posed for pictures with
of that border," said Dep- ing to all visitors to Canada, "I don't consider that some- The government is restrict- him.q