Coronavirus: England hospital death toll rises 329 to 18,749
Read the latest on the spread of the novel coronavirus around the world here
Global coronavirus cases pass three million as lockdowns begin to ease
Global confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 3 million on Monday, as the United States neared 1 million cases, according to a Reuters tally.
It comes as many countries are taking steps to ease lockdown measures that have brought the world to a standstill over the past eight weeks.
WHO chief says pandemic far from over, worried about children
The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that the new coronavirus pandemic was far from over and said that he was “deeply concerned” about the impact of the disruption of normal health services, especially on children.
'It is still a mystery': War-hit Yemen struggles to trace Covid-19 infection
When doctors first confirmed Yemeni port official Saleh had contracted Covid-19, authorities raced to trace his movements to try and protect one of the world's most vulnerable countries.
But almost three weeks on, they still do not know whether Yemen's first laboratory-confirmed case is really the individual at the root of what could be an unusually devastating outbreak.
The information gap reflects Yemen's inability to detect, let alone repel, an infection humbling far wealthier nations.
Russia overtakes China with coronavirus cases at 87,000
Russia overtook China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday when its tally climbed above 87,000, as pressure rose on the government to consider easing lockdown restrictions for businesses to help shore up the rattled economy.
Russia, the world’s largest country by territory, has been on lockdown since President Vladimir Putin announced the closure of most public spaces on March 25. These measures are due to expire on April 30 and Putin has not yet said if he plans to extend them.
England hospital death toll rises 329 to 18,749
A further 329 people have died of the novel coronavirus in English hospitals, bringing the total to 18,749, health officials said on Monday.
Of the 329, 22 had no known underlying health condition and were aged between 29 and 89 years old.
UN raises alarm about police brutality in lockdowns
The UN human rights office voiced concern on Monday about more than a dozen countries that have declared states of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic where police have arrested or detained hundreds of thousands of people and killed others.
"Emergency powers should not be a weapon governments can wield to quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement that denounced shootings and detentions without being specific.
London tailors swap costume designing to make medical uniforms
As Britain faces a shortage of personal protective equipment for health care workers battling the coronavirus outbreak, London’s tailors are putting their cutting and sewing machines to use to fill the void.
The British government has faced repeated criticism from National Health Service staff that doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers are facing shortages of masks, gloves and other protective equipment.
In response, a group of more than 50 professional and amateur sewers have formed a group called the South London Scrubbers, which is distributing hundreds of medical uniforms, masks and kit bags to local hospitals.
Thirty workers on Equatorial Guinea offshore oil platform test positive for coronavirus - sources
Thirty workers at an offshore oil platform in Equatorial Guinea have tested positive for the new coronavirus, two sources close to the ministry told Reuters.
The workers on the Serpentina floating production storage and offloading platform have since been evacuated back onshore and are in quarantine, while operator Exxon Mobil and government officials are working to disinfect the platform.
Oil production has not been impacted, the sources said.
'Heads we win, tails you lose': The rich in US turning pandemic into profit
There is an old saying: "Never let a good crisis go to waste."America's top one percent have taken profitable advantage of the old saying as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the world.
As the government has handed out trillions of dollars to prop up an economy shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic, Some of the richest people in the US have been at the front of the queue, reports The Guardian.
The billionaire class has added $308 billion to its wealth in four weeks - even as a record 26 million people lost their jobs.
French lawmakers cry foul as government redraws coronavirus app debate
Lawmakers from France’s ruling party accused their own government on Monday of withdrawing a vote on a planned coronavirus tracing app, saying they had been robbed of a chance to raise privacy concerns.
The government last week bowed to pressure from MPs and promised a parliamentary debate and vote on the “StopCovid” smartphone software, which is designed to warn users if they come into contact with infected people.
But over the weekend, prime minister Edouard Philippe wrote to the lower house speaker, saying he wanted to broaden the debate scheduled for April 28-29 to cover the government’s entire strategy on ending coronavirus lockdowns.
Some countries prise open Covid-19 lockdowns, but UK says not yet
Countries from Italy to New Zealand have announced the easing of coronavirus lockdowns but Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, back at work on Monday after being hospitalised with the disease, said it was too early to relax restrictions there.
Nearly 3 million people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 205,948 have died, according to a Reuters tally of official figures. But many countries are looking to ease lockdowns as rates of infections fall and fears of economic ruin rise.
6 new possible symptoms of coronavirus
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has added six new possible symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
Previously, fever, shortness of breath and coughing were listed as the symptoms for the deadly coronavirus. Joining those, the CDC has listed getting chills, or repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell as the new symptoms, ABC News reported.
Netherlands reports 400 new coronavirus cases, 43 deaths - health authorities
The Netherlands’ number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen by 400 to 38,245 health authorities said on Monday, with 43 new deaths.
The country’s death toll stands at 4,518, the Netherlands’ Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.
The RIVM cautioned it only reports confirmed cases, and actual numbers are higher.
Heartburn drug is being tested as a potenial coronavirus drug in New York hospitals
Covid-19 patients in New York are being given heartburn medicine to experiment if it can be an effective drug to treat Covid-19.
Preliminary results of the clinical trial of famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid, could come out in the next few weeks, said Dr. Kevin Tracey, president of Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, which runs 23 hospitals in the New York City area, reports CNN.
China to keep coronavirus tests focused, stops short of wider testing
China will focus testing for Covid-19 on high-risk groups such as people from infected areas or with symptoms, the head of a top state research institute said on Monday, suggesting that authorities are not about to rush into large-scale testing.
The government said recently that it intends to carry out more widespread testing to quickly identify and isolate carriers, following spikes in cases linked to people arriving from abroad and new local transmissions.
More than two million Australians download Covid-19 app, testing expands
More than two million Australians have downloaded an app to trace contacts of Covid-19 patients hours after its release, the government said on Monday, as states set out plans to expand testing for the infection.
Prime minister Scott Morrison has said more testing and widespread use of the CovidSafe phone app - which has angered some privacy campaigners - are among the main conditions for easing nationwide lockdowns.
Australia has so far confirmed around 6,700 cases of the novel coronavirus and just 83 related deaths, way below figures reported in the United States and other hotspots - something the government has put down to its border closures and other measures.
Indonesia hopes for return to 'normal lives' by July
Indonesia hopes its citizens will be able to resume normal lives by July, as the Southeast Asian nation targets lowering new coronavirus infections by June, its Covid-19 task force chief Doni Monardo said on Monday.
The world’s fourth most populous country has officially reported 9,096 coronavirus cases, the second highest number in Southeast Asia after Singapore, although some medical experts are concerned relatively low testing is masking a much higher rate of infection.
Indonesia, which has reported 765 deaths, the highest number in East Asia outside China, has also been slower to bring in restrictions on movements than some neighbouring countries.
Bill Gates’s coronavirus vaccine could be ready in 12 months
Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said his foundation will focus all of its resources on fighting the coronavirus.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - the wealthiest charity in the world, will give its "total attention" to the Covid-19 pandemic, even at the risk that its other public health work will suffer, reports the Financial Times.
In a telephone interview from his Seattle base, Gates said the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has an endowment of more than $40 billion, would focus its resources on a pandemic which he fears will cost the global economy "tens of trillions of dollars."
Italy bishops scold government for excluding Mass from lockdown easing
Italy’s Roman Catholic Church has reprimanded the government for not allowing the faithful to return to Masses at the start of a gradual staged end to Europe’s longest coronavirus lockdown.
Masses have been banned since early March when Italy closed most commercial activities apart from essentials. A timetable given on Sunday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said funerals could resume from May 4 but must be limited to 15 people and held outdoors if possible. The timetable for May 4 to June 1 made no mention of Masses.
Italy’s bishops, in a strongly-worded statement late on Sunday night, said they could “not accept seeing the exercise of freedom of religion being compromised” and accused the government of “arbitrarily” excluding Mass from the timetable.
Germany should only carefully lift virus restrictions - minister
Germany's economy minister urged the country's 16 federal states on Monday to go slowly in lifting coronavirus restrictions to avoid the outbreak spreading further and being forced to backtrack later.
Under Germany's decentralised political system, the states have the power to implement and rescind the social distancing measures on which Berlin is relying to slow the virus's spread, and Chancellor Angela Merkel is resisting pressure from some to further ease restrictions.
Dutch Kingsday celebrations muted by coronavirus lockdown
Dutch King Willem-Alexander urged all people in the Netherlands to stay at home on Monday, instead of flocking onto the streets clad in orange as they normally do for the annual celebration of Kingsday.
“This promises to be a unique Kingsday, and mainly because I hope it will be the last Kingsday-at-home ever. Try to make the best of it,” the king said in a TV speech broadcast live from his home.
Kingsday normally attracts millions of people to festivities in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands, highlighted by sprawling street markets and massive concerts. This year, however, the Dutch are forced to stage their parties at home, as all public events have been cancelled until Sept. 1 in an attempt to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections in the country.
Companies bet on AI cameras to track social distancing, limit liability
Stores and workplaces eager to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus are equipping existing security cameras with artificial intelligence software that can track compliance with health guidelines including social distancing and mask-wearing.
Several companies told Reuters the software will be crucial to staying open as concerns about Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, persist around the world. It will allow them to show not only workers and customers, but also insurers and regulators, that they are monitoring and enforcing safe practices.
Iran death toll from new coronavirus outbreak rises by 96 to 5,806 - health ministry official
The death toll from the outbreak of new coronavirus in Iran rose by 96 in the past twenty four hours to 5,806, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Monday.
The total number of diagnosed cases of new coronavirus in Iran, one of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak in the Middle East, has reached 91,472, he said.
VW re-starts Europe's largest car factory after coronavirus shutdown
Volkswagen the world’s largest carmaker by sales, on Monday said it had resumed work at its biggest factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, to give its workers time to adapt to new hygiene measures to combat the coronavirus.
Encouraged by a fall in infection rates, Germany eased lockdown rules and carmakers are relying on the country’s ability to trace and contain the coronavirus to put Europe’s largest economy back to work.
Spain's daily coronavirus death toll picks up slightly
The number of daily fatalities from the novel coronavirus reported in Spain rose on Monday to 331, up from 288 the previous day, the health ministry said.
The overall death toll caused by the disease rose to 23,521 from 23,190 the day before. The total number of diagnosed cases rose to 209,465 from 207,634 the day before, Reuters reported.
Bangladesh reports 7 more deaths from coronavirus, 497 new cases
Bangladesh today confirmed seven more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 497 new cases of infection after testing 3,812 samples in the country.
With this, the death toll rises to 152 from the virus and a total of 5,913 people are infected so far. The Business Standard reported.
Malaysia reports 40 new coronavirus cases, one new death
Malaysia reported 40 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, taking the cumulative total to 5,820 infections.
The health ministry also reported one new death, raising the total number of fatalities from the outbreak to 99, Reuters reported.
Philippines' coronavirus death toll rises to 511, cases up to 7,777
The Philippines on Monday reported 198 new coronavirus cases and 10 more deaths, brining the country's tally to 7,777 cases and 511 fatalities.
The Department of Health also said 70 individuals have recovered from the infection, bringing the total number of recoveries to 932, Reuters reported.
Russia's coronavirus cases rise to 87,147, surpass China's
Russia reported 6,198 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday versus 6,361 on the previous day, which took the national tally of infections to 87,147.
The Russian coronavirus crisis response centre said that 50 more deaths of coronavirus patients were confirmed in the last 24 hours, Reuters reported.
In the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, Russia surpassed mainland China, which reported the total of 82,830 cases on Monday.
Tokyo confirms 39 more cases of coronavirus infection
Tokyo confirmed 39 more cases of coronavirus infection on Monday, Jiji Press reported, citing sources with the metropolitan government.
Indonesia reports 214 new coronavirus infections, 22 deaths
Indonesia's number of reported cases of the coronavirus has risen by 214 to 9,096, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said on Monday.
Death rose by 22 to 765 while 1,151 people have recovered, Yurianto said. More than 59,000 people have been tested in Indonesia.
Indonesia expects the rate of coronavirus infections to fall by June, its Covid-19 task force chief Doni Monardo said on Monday.
"The President has asked that we work harder, for the people to obey and be more disciplined, and for the authorities to be more stern so that by June, we're hoping we can lower the infections in Indonesia. In July, we're hoping to resume our normal lives," Monardo said after a cabinet meeting, Reuters reported.
Monardo pledged to increase tests between April and May "massively".
Singapore confirms 799 new coronavirus cases
Singapore has confirmed 799 more coronavirus infections, its health ministry said on Monday, taking the city-state’s tally of cases to 14,423.
Most of the new cases are among migrant workers living in dormitories in the city-state, which has among the highest number of coronavirus infections in Asia, Reuters reported.
Thailand to extend coronavirus emergency measures, sees improvement
Thailand will extend a state of emergency over the coronavirus until the end of May, but will consider easing some restrictions on businesses and public activities as the number of new cases has eased, a government spokesman said.
Thailand on Monday reported nine new coronavirus cases and no new local virus transmission in Bangkok for the first time since the outbreak began in January. It has reported 2,931 cases in total and 52 fatalities, while 2,609 patients have recovered, Reuters reported.
Concerns over a possible second wave of outbreaks prompted the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to recommend extending emergency powers and a nationwide night time curfew for another month.
It also recommended continuing restrictions on travel between provinces and large scale public activities, extending a work from home policy and delaying four public holidays in May.
"The state of emergency has enabled swift and effective actions that led to the domestic reduction of new daily infection," said CCSA spokesman Taweesin Wisanuyothin.
The new measures are subject to Cabinet approval on Tuesday.
Cabinet would also discuss easing some restrictions for businesses and public activities due to the improvement in the number of cases, Taweesin said. He did not give details on the types of changes or a date when restrictions will be lifted.
"The prime minister wants to pick activities that can be restarted at the same time throughout the country, but we have to be confident and ready for it," Taweesin said.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand also extended a ban on all incoming international passenger flights, introduced on April 4, until May 31.
'New Zealand has won a battle against virus transmission'
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday claimed New Zealand had scored a significant victory against the spread of the coronavirus, as the country began a phased exit from lockdown.
"There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand," Ardern declared. "We have won that battle," AFP reported.
Kazakhstan starts easing coronavirus-related restrictions
Kazakhstan will ease some coronavirus-related restrictions in the coming days despite extending its state of emergency until May 11, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Monday.
The Central Asian nation of 19 million will, in particular, renew flights between its two major cities from May 1, he said in a statement. The state of emergency declared in mid-March over the pandemic was due to end on April 30, Reuters reported.
Kazakhstan, which has confirmed 2,780 cases of Covid-19 and 25 deaths, has yet to pass the peak stage of infection, Tokayev said. But he said he would let the state of emergency elapse on May 11 unless there is a fresh mass outbreak.
He also ordered the healthcare ministry to ramp up testing volumes to 20,000-25,000 per day. Kazakhstan, which borders China and Russia, has so far carried out about 180,000 tests over a period of about 40 days.
'Air on your face': Spanish children get outside for first time in six weeks
On foot and with bicycles, skateboards and scooters, Spanish children went outside at last on Sunday, emerging from their homes for the first time after six weeks of living under one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns.
The relaxation came as Spain, one of the countries worse hit by the global Covid-19 epidemic, registered its lowest daily increase in the coronavirus death toll in more than a month. It was a first step as the government plans a gradual process of easing restrictions, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus cases top 2.9 million with 204,696 deaths
The new coronavirus has claimed at least 204,696 lives since its outbreak in China in December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT on April 26.
More than 2,929,630 cases were registered in 193 countries and territories. Of these cases, at least 797,800 are now considered recovered, AFP reported.
Fishing, surfing and hunting beckon New Zealanders after coronavirus lockdown
New Zealanders will be able to go fishing, surfing, hunting and hiking this week for the first time in more than a month as the country begins to ease its way out of a strict lockdown that successfully slowed the spread of the coronavirus.
Around 400,000 people will return to work after the country shifts its alert level down a notch at midnight on Monday, but shops and restaurants will remain closed as several social restrictions remain in place, Reuters reported.
Mexico all but empties official migrant centres in bid to contain coronavirus
Mexico has almost entirely cleared out government migrant centres over the past five weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, returning most of the occupants to their countries of origin.
In a statement, the National Migration Institute (INM) said that since March 21, in order to comply with health and safety guidelines, it had been removing migrants from its 65 migrant facilities, which held 3,759 people last month, Reuters reported.
In the intervening weeks, Mexico has returned 3,653 migrants to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by road and air, with the result that only 106 people remain in the centres, it said.
The institute's migrant centres and shelters have a total capacity of 8,524 spaces, the INM said.
Victor Clark Alfaro, a migration expert at San Diego State University, said the announcement went hand in hand with the Mexican government's readiness to keep migrant numbers in check under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
There are dozens of other shelters run by a variety of religious and non-governmental organizations throughout the country that continue to harbor migrants.
Among those who remained in the INM centres were migrants awaiting the outcome of asylum requests or judicial hearings, and others who had expressly sought permission to stay, a migration official said.
The vast majority of those sent back were migrants detained by authorities because they were in Mexico illegally, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Some no longer wished to stay in centres because of the risk of coronavirus infection, the official added.
Most of the migrants passing through Mexico to reach the U.S. border are from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
More than 80 Guatemalan migrants deported to their homeland from the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Dubai lifts lockdown on two densely populated commercial districts
The emirate of Dubai said on Sunday it has lifted its full lockdown on two commercial districts which have a large population of low-income migrant workers, after the United Arab Emirates eased nationwide coronavirus curfews over the weekend.
Dubai on Friday cut its emirate-wide 24-hour lockdown back to a 10:00pm to 6:00am curfew. It has now taken the same step in the Al Ras and Naif districts, which had been sealed off as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus, Reuters reported.
The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management took the decision since no new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the two areas in the last two days, the government media office said in a statement. It said more than 6,000 tests were conducted among Al Ras and Naif residents in less than a month.
The UAE has reported more than 10,300 cases and 76 deaths resulting from the virus, the second-highest count among the six Gulf Arab countries after Saudi Arabia. It does not give breakdowns for each of the seven emirates that make up the country.
The Gulf states, where expatriates make up the bulk of the labour force, have seen infections spread among low-wage foreign workers living in cramped quarters despite measures to combat the disease including the suspension of passenger flights, curfews and the closure of public spaces.
Dubai, the Middle East’s business hub, on Friday allowed dine-in cafes and restaurants to resume business with a maximum capacity of 30% and shopping malls to be reopened partially. Mosques, cinemas and playgrounds remain closed.
Germany reports 1,018 new coronavirus cases, 110 more deaths
The number of Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 1,018 to 155,193, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Monday.
The death toll rose by 110 to 5,750, according to the tally, Reuters reported.
Mexico coronavirus infections rise to 14,677 cases and 1,351 deaths
Mexico’s health ministry on Sunday reported 835 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 46 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 14,677 cases and 1,351 deaths.
The government has said the real number of infected people is significantly higher than the confirmed cases, Reuters reported.
Gates Foundation will commit 'total attention' to coronavirus pandemic
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will give its "total attention" in combating the coronavirus pandemic even if its other public health works suffer, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told The Financial Times in an interview on Sunday.
The foundation, which has an endowment of more than $40 billion, would focus its resources on a pandemic which Gates fears will cost the global economy "tens of trillions of dollars," The Financial Times reported.
Health Canada cautions on use of malaria drugs to treat Covid-19
Health Canada cautioned on Saturday against the use of malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to prevent or treat Covid-19.
The Canadian health department said the two drugs may cause serious side effects, including serious heart rhythm problems. It advised use of the two drugs only if prescribed by a doctor, Reuters reported.
The US Food and Drug Administration also cautioned against the use of malaria drugs in Covid-19 patients on Friday.
Iran coronavirus cases pass 90,000
The number of novel coronavirus cases in Iran has passed 90,000, according to official figures released Sunday, as Tehran announced its lowest number of new deaths in weeks.
Health authorities have registered 1,153 new cases of the Covid-19 illness since midday Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 90,481, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a daily news briefing, AFP reported.
Sixty additional fatalities were recorded, with the overall death toll reaching 5,710, he added.
It is the country’s lowest number of officially declared deaths since March 10.
Iran announced its first novel coronavirus cases in February, and is the worst-hit country in the Middle East.
Jahanpour said Iranians needed to continue to respect health and social distancing measures, despite the decreasing death toll.
There has been speculation abroad that the real number of coronavirus deaths and infections in Iran could be higher, and even some local officials have questioned the declared figures.
Since April 11, authorities have allowed the phased reopening of some businesses and have relaxed some domestic travel restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the virus.
Schools, universities, mosques, Shiite shrines, cinemas and sports stadiums, however, remain closed.
Meanwhile, some health officials in the Islamic republic have warned of the risk of a fresh outbreak.
Alireza Zali, the anti-coronavirus coordinator for the capital, criticised “hasty reopenings” that could “create new waves of sickness in Tehran and complicate efforts to bring the epidemic under control”, in comments quoted Saturday by semi-official news agency ISNA.
Another senior health ministry official has expressed similar fears for other hard-hit provinces.
Iranian authorities no longer provide provincial breakdowns of coronavirus cases and deaths, but Tehran province is considered to be among the worst affected.
Italy reports 260 virus deaths, lowest since March 14
Italy reported its lowest coronavirus death toll in over a month on Sunday as the government prepared to announce a gradual easing of the country’s lockdown.
The 260 daily fatalities reported by the civil protection service were the lowest since March 14. Italy’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 26,644 — second only to the United States, AFP reported.
China reports three new mainland coronavirus cases on April 26, two imported
China reported three new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 26, down from 11 a day earlier, with no new deaths, the country’s health authority said on Monday.
Of the new cases, two were imported, down from five imported cases on the previous day, the National Health Commission said in its daily bulletin, Reuters reported.
There was one case of local infection in the northeastern border province of Heilongjiang.
China also reported 25 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases on the mainland on April 26, compared to 30 a day earlier.
Mainland China now has an accumulated total of 82,830 cases. It also recorded a total of 4,633 deaths as of the end of April 26, including one more death in Beijing in the tally that was previously unaccounted for.
Italy to start reopening business on May 4, schools in Sept
Italy will start reopening its manufacturing industry on May 4 and schools will reopen in September as it prepares a staged end to Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday.
"We are working in these hours to allow the reopening of a good part of businesses from manufacturing to construction for May 4," Conte told Italian daily La Repubblica, Reuters reported.