Rescue teams on Saturday plowed through concrete blocks and the debris of eight collapsed buildings in search of survivors of a powerful earthquake that struck Turkey’s Aegean coast and north of the Greek island of Samos, killing at least 27 people. More than 800 others were injured.

The quake hit Friday afternoon, toppling buildings in Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city, and triggering a small tsunami in the district of Seferihisar and on Samos. The quake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks.

Early on Saturday, onlookers cheered as rescuers lifted teenager Inci Okan out of the rubble of a devastated eight-floor apartment block in Izmir’s Bayrakli district. Her dog, Fistik, was also rescued, Sozcu newspaper reported. Friends and relatives waited outside the building for news of loved ones still trapped inside, including employees of a dentist’s surgery that was located on the ground floor.

In another collapsed building, rescuers made contact with a 38-year-old woman and her four children — aged 3, 7 and 10-year old twins — and were working to clear a corridor to bring them out, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Two other women, aged 53 and 35, were brought out from the rubble of another toppled two-story building earlier on Saturday.

In all, around 100 people have been rescued since the earthquake, Murat Kurum, the environment and urban planning minister, told reporters.

Some 5,000 rescue personnel were working on the ground, Kurum said.

At least 25 people were killed in Izmir, including an elderly woman who drowned, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD.

Two teenagers were killed on Samos after being struck by a collapsing wall. At least 19 people were injured on the island, with two, including a 14-year-old, being airlifted to Athens and seven hospitalized on the island, health authorities said.

The small tsunami that hit the Turkish coast also affected Samos, with seawater flooding streets in the main harbor town of Vathi. Authorities warned people to stay away from the coast and from potentially damaged buildings.

The earthquake, which the Istanbul-based Kandilli Institute said had a magnitude of 6.9, was centered in the Aegean northeast of Samos. AFAD said it measured 6.6. and hit at a depth of some 16 kilometers (10 miles).

It was felt across the eastern Greek islands and as far as Athens and in Bulgaria. In Turkey, it shook the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul. Istanbul’s governor said there were no reports of damage in the city, Turkey’s largest.

Turkey is crossed by fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. In 1999, two powerful quakes killed some 87,000 people in northwestern Turkey. Earthquakes are frequent in Greece too.

Authorities warned residents in Izmir not to return to damaged buildings, saying they could collapse in strong aftershocks. Many people spent the night out in the streets, too frightened to return to their homes, even if they sustained no damage, the DHA news agency reported.

More than 3,000 rescue personnel were sent to Izmir, as well as relief supplies. The Turkish Red Crescent set up kitchens.

In a show of solidarity rare in recent months of tense bilateral relations, Greek and Turkish government officials issued mutual messages of solidarity while the presidents of Greece and Turkey held a telephone conversation.

Relations between Turkey and Greece have been particularly tense, with warships from both facing off in the eastern Mediterranean in a dispute over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights. The ongoing tension has led to fears of open conflict between the two neighbors and NATO allies.

Read Also: Quake strikes Turkish coast and Greek island, killing 19

The Commonwealth of Dominica's Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU) is partnering with the Times of India to bring to light all the benefits that come with being an economic citizen of Dominica.

On October 30, the publication spoke to Roosevelt Skerrit, the Prime Minister of Dominica, about why the island remains a top destination for many investors. His Excellency Emmanuel Nanthan, the Head of the CBI Unit also presented a step-by-step guide into the application process.

Acknowledging unexpected border closures and the collapse of social systems in light of COVID-19, the Government of Dominica announced changes amidst the pandemic this year to increase the attractiveness of its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme [http://cbiu.gov.dm/ ]  for the entire family.

The country's CBI Unit expanded the concept of "qualifying dependants", whereby the main applicant can now include all family comprising of spouse, children, siblings, parents and grandparents in one application at the time of submission.

"Dominica is a flourishing nation, where opportunities for private investment abound, whether it be in the tourism sector, infrastructure, or climate resilience. The country's Citizenship by Investment Programme is but one way to access Dominica's myriad options to grow a thriving business," states the Times of India.

Since 1993, Dominica, also known as the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, has been welcoming new citizens through opportunities of private investments.

The CBI Programme is a scheme that awards citizenship to those who have passed stringent due diligence to make a significant contribution to the nation's economy.

By acknowledging the potential growth opportunities for the island nation through private investment, the country offers a myriad of facilities and benefits to investors and their families.

"Not only do successful investors achieve the rights to live, work and study in a beautiful and stable country like Dominica, but they also open doors to the world for them and their family," says Micha Emmett, the CEO of CS Global Partners.

CS Global Partners is a world-leading government marketing firm and law advisory headquartered in London. Emmett was also a guest at the webinar.

SOURCE: CS Global Partners

The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee on COVID-19, said that the pandemic still constituted a public health emergency of international concern and urged a focus on response efforts based on lessons learned and strong science.

The Emergency Committee on COVID-19 met on Friday to review the situation and progress made on the temporary recommendations.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened the meeting, reports Xinhua.

The pandemic continued to require a coordinated international response, according to the committee.

The meeting also provided concrete and targeted advice for WHO and countries to focus on in the coming months, including evidence-informed, risk-based and coherent measures in relation to international traffic, surveillance and contact tracing efforts, maintaining essential health services including mental health services and preparing plans for future COVID-19 vaccines.

The committee also urged countries to avoid politicization of the pandemic response, which is seen as a major detriment to global efforts. "Governments should focus on tackling the virus and avoid politicization," said Tedros at a press briefing after the meeting.

He called on countries to keep investing in the health system and workforce, and improving testing, tracing and treatment of all cases.

Meanwhile, Tedros announced that a group of international experts had their first virtual meeting with their Chinese counterparts, as part of the future WHO-led international mission to China to identify the zoonotic origin of COVID-19.

According to Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, that virtual meeting helps the international team of experts and their Chinese colleagues to familiarize with each other and exchange information on what has been achieved so far in identifying the animal source of COVID-19.

He emphasized that scientists need best answers to the origin, "not just any answer that satisfies political needs of speed and investigation," suggesting that finding the animal source of COVID-19 may take quite a while just as previous investigations regarding the animal sources of MERS and SARS.

Read Also: Europe an epicenter of COVID-19 right now, but can bring it under control again: WHO experts

A strong earthquake struck Friday in the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, killing at least 19 people and injuring over 700 amid collapsed buildings and flooding, officials said.

A small tsunami struck the Seferihisar district south of Izmir, the city in western Turkey that was the worst affected by the quake, said Haluk Ozener, director of the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute.

At least 17 people were killed in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, including one who drowned, and 709 were injured, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD.

Among the dead were the wife and two children of the secretary-general of the Turkish Medical Association’s Izmir branch, the group said.

On Samos, two teenagers died after being struck by a wall that collapsed. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted condolences, saying “Words are too poor to describe what one feels before the loss of children.”

At least 19 people were injured on the island, with two, including a 14-year-old, being airlifted to Athens and seven hospitalized on the island, health authorities said.

The small tsunami that hit the Turkish coast also affected Samos, with seawater flooding streets in the main harbor town of Vathi. Authorities warned people to stay away from the coast and from potentially damaged buildings.

Izmir Gov. Yavuz Selim Kosger said at least 70 people were rescued from wrecked buildings, with four destroyed and more than 10 collapsed. Others suffered less severe damage, he said, but did not give an exact number.

Search-and-rescue efforts were underway in at least 17 buildings, AFAD said. Turkish media showed rescuers pulling people from the rubble, including one survivor who was found about six hours after the quake. Emergency teams continued digging after nightfall and cranes lifted concrete slabs from the wreckage.

The earthquake, which the Kandilli Institute said had a magnitude of 6.9, struck at 2:51 p.m. local time (1151 GMT) in Turkey and was centered in the Aegean northeast of Samos. AFAD said it measured the magnitude at 6.6.

It was felt across the eastern Greek islands and as far as the Greek capital, Athens, and in Bulgaria. In Turkey, it shook the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul. Istanbul’s governor said there were no reports of damage in the city, Turkey’s largest.

Video on Twitter showed flooding in the Seferihisar district, and Turkish officials and broadcasters called on people to stay off the streets after reports of traffic congestion. Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer urged residents to not enter damaged buildings and to be mindful of social distancing and mask mandates amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clouds of dust or smoke rose from several spots as buildings collapsed in the quake.

Greek seismologist Akis Tselentis told Greek state broadcaster ERT that due to the shallow depth of its epicenter — roughly 10 kilometers — potentially powerful aftershocks could be expected for several weeks and warned that buildings could collapse in a strong aftershock.

The government and cities like Istanbul sent more than 3,000 rescue personnel to Izmir, as well as relief supplies. The Turkish Red Crescent set up kitchens.

France offered assistance to both countries. The secretary of state for European affairs tweeted France’s “full solidarity with Greece and Turkey” and said “we are ready to offer the necessary aid.”

The Greek minister responsible for civil protection and crisis management, Nikos Hardalias, headed to Samos along with a search-and-rescue team, paramedics and engineers. Some islanders planned to spend the night in emergency tents for fear of aftershocks.

In a show of solidarity rare in recent months of tense bilateral relations, Greek and Turkish government officials issued mutual messages of solidarity.

“We pray that there is no further loss of live in Turkey or Greece and we send our best wishes to all those affected on both sides of the earthquake," Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun tweeted. "This tragedy reminds us once again how close we are despite our differences over policy. We’re ready to help if Greece needs it.”

Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister, tweeted that he had phoned Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both our countries. Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together.”

Erdogan responded to the tweet with his thanks and offered his condolences. “Turkey, too, is always ready to help Greece heal its wounds. That two neighbors show solidarity in difficult times is more valuable than many things in life,” he wrote.

Relations between Turkey and Greece have been particularly tense, with warships from both facing off in the eastern Mediterranean in a dispute over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights. The ongoing tension has led to fears of open conflict between the two neighbors and NATO allies.

Also read: Earthquake in the Aegean rattles Greece, Turkey

With some COVID-19 patients reporting long-term symptoms, including damage to major organs, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Governments to ensure they receive necessary care.

“Although we’re still learning about the virus, what’s clear is that this is not just a virus that kills people.  To a significant number of people, this virus poses a range of serious long-term effects,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Geneva on Friday during the UN agency’s latest virtual press conference, reports UN news.

The situation also underscores how herd immunity is “morally unconscionable and unfeasible”, he added, according to UN News.

Vast spectrum of fluctuating symptoms

The WHO Director-General described the vast spectrum of COVID-19 symptoms that fluctuate over time as “really concerning.”

They range from fatigue, a cough and shortness of breath, to inflammation and injury of major organs – including the lungs and heart, and also neurological and psychologic effects.

Symptoms often overlap and can affect any system in the body.

“It is imperative that Governments recognize the long-term effects of COVID-19 and also ensure access to health services to all of these patients,” he said.

“This includes primary health care and when needed specialty care and rehabilitation.” 

Seven months ‘evaporated’

Three patients – an epidemiologist, a nurse and a 26-year-old software engineer – shared their experiences with COVID-19 and its long-term consequences.

Professor Paul Garner, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in England, was “fit and well” when he fell ill with the disease in March. 

For four months, he battled cyclical bouts of fatigue, headaches, mood swings and other symptoms, followed by three months of complete exhaustion.

“When I overdid things, the illness would echo back, it would come back. And it was completely unpredictable,” he said, speaking via videolink.

Professor Garner reported that his health has only begun to improve within the past two weeks.

“I never thought I would have seven months of my life wiped out by this virus,” he said. “It has just gone, evaporated.”

Against herd immunity

Stories like this underline how people facing the long-term effects of COVID-19 must be given the time and care they need to recover fully, according to the WHO chief.

“It also reinforces to me just how morally unconscionable and unfeasible the so-called ‘natural herd immunity’ strategy is,” he said, adding, “not only would it lead to millions more unnecessary deaths, it would also lead to a significant number of people facing a long road to full recovery.”

He explained that herd immunity is only possible when a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine has been distributed globally, and equitably.

“And until we have a vaccine, Governments and people must do all that they can to suppress transmission, which is the best way to prevent these post-COVID long-term consequences,” he stated.

Also read: WHO chief says threat of COVID-19 pandemic very real as all EU members report cases