Secondhand smoke isn’t believed to directly spread the virus, experts say, but infected smokers may blow droplets carrying the virus when they exhale.

NEW YORK, June 11: Health officials say it can be safe, as long as swimmers stick to social distancing guidelines in and out of the water.

The WHO South-East Asia Region is entering a new phase in its pandemic response. In recent weeks the spread of COVID-19 in the Region has slowed, due in large part to the unprecedented physical distancing measures that countries implemented early and aggressively. Several Member States are now preparing to safely transition towards a “new normal” in which social and economic life can function amid low disease transmission. To do that successfully, countries must continue to be bold, decisive and mobilize the full power of their whole-of-government, whole-of-society approaches.

NEW DELHI, March 6: India is bracing for a potential explosion of coronavirus cases as authorities rush to trace, test and quarantine contacts of 31 people confirmed to have the disease.

HONG KONG, March 5: Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners.