Coronavirus: Cuba sends second round of medical workers to help Italy
Read the latest on the spread of the novel coronavirus around the world here
China McDonald's apologises for outlet banning black people
Fastfood chain McDonald's has apologised after a sign telling black people they were banned from entering a branch in southern China prompted outrage online, following reports of discriminatory treatment towards Africans in the city.
Tensions have flared between police and Africans in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou after local officials announced a cluster of Covid-19 cases in a neighbourhood with a large migrant population, reports the BBC.
Boston University may cancel in-person classes until 2021
Boston University is preparing for the possibility that in-person classes may not resume until 2021.
The university has already cancelled all "in-person summer activities on the Charles River Campus" — and the school's coronavirus recovery plan includes protocols for if it's not safe for students to return to campus in the fall, reports the CNN.
"The Recovery Plan recognizes that if, in the unlikely event that public health officials deem it unsafe to open in the fall of 2020, then the University's contingency plan envisions the need to consider a later in-person return, perhaps in January 2021."
The University will "offer remote learning courses this summer" and it plans to "continue providing the minimal housing and dining services that are currently available."
Jordan to ban mosque prayers during fasting month of Ramadan: minister
Jordan will not allow public worship in mosques during the holy month of Ramadan that begins next week as part of measures to stem the spread of coronavirus, the religious affairs minister said on Tuesday.
Mohammad Khalaylah said evening prayers known as Taraweeh, a main part of the religious observance of the month-long fasting, would be banned.
As in other Muslim countries, the authorities have closed mosques and public places of worship as part of a tight lockdown and ban on gatherings to stem the spread of the virus in a country with 391 confirmed cases and seven deaths.
Moscow warns it faces coronavirus hospital bed shortage within weeks
Authorities in Moscow have warned that the Russian capital may run out of hospital beds to treat a rising influx of coronavirus patients in the next two to three weeks despite frantic efforts to get more beds in place.
Moscow, Russia’s worst-hit region, has rushed to reconfigure hospitals to treat patients of the new virus and made thousands of new beds available.
But officials said those efforts looked insufficient and that they had to ramp up capacity further.
Pelosi rejects McConnell emergency coronavirus spending plan
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday rejected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's proposed emergency spending plan to help small businesses cope with the coronavirus outbreak, saying it did not do enough to help hospitals or state and local governments.
Pelosi, in a statement before a call with fellow Democrats planned for Thursday, also called on the Federal Reserve to extend its loans to include nonprofit organizations as well as universities under a previously approved coronavirus-related relief lending program.
Fund managers find a way with words in coronavirus chronicles
For many money managers their most recent investor letters were among the hardest they have had to pen, saying why their funds were so deeply in the red and what they planned to do about it.
While some apologised, others admitted they could not predict what came next and a few resorted to rallying cries.
Nurses at Mexico hospital hit by coronavirus say they were told to avoid masks
Nurses at a public hospital hit by Mexico's worst coronavirus outbreak were told by their managers not to wear protective masks at the start of the epidemic to avoid sowing panic among patients, nurses and other medical workers said.
Two doctors and a hospital administrator have died and at least 51 staff members have been infected since the new coronavirus was detected at the IMSS General Hospital in Monclova in the northern state of Coahuila in late March, the state health department said.
United Kingdom hospital Covid-19 death toll rises by 778 to 12,107
The COVID-19 death toll in hospitals across the United Kingdom rose to 12,107 as of 1600 GMT on April 13, up by 778 on the day before, the health ministry said.
Gulf's migrant workers left stranded and struggling by coronavirus outbreak
Charity workers are scouring the United Arab Emirates for empty buildings and Bahrain is repurposing closed schools to rehouse low income labourers from overcrowded accommodation, a hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak in the Gulf.
The challenge is not limited to the region's congested labour camps, where one room with bunk beds can sleep about a dozen workers, the virus has also spread in densely populated commercial districts where many expatriates share housing to save on rent. Many have lost jobs and are struggling.
Bahrain sets up coronavirus ICU in military hospital car park
Bahrain has converted the multi-storey car park of a military hospital into a 130-bed intensive care unit for patients with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, and plans to set up four more field ICUs.
The island state reported 161 new infections, most of them among foreign workers, the health ministry said on Tuesday, taking its total of infections to 1,522 with seven deaths.
Poland to begin lifting some restrictions from April 19
Poland will gradually lift lockdown measures imposed to contain the novel coronavirus from April 19, starting with restrictions on shops, the government said on Tuesday, as it prepares to hold presidential elections by post on May 10.
As of Monday, Poland had reported 6,934 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, and 245 deaths.
Iraq suspends Reuters for three months over report on coronavirus cases
Iraq has suspended the licence of the Reuters news agency after it published a story saying the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country was higher than officially reported.
Iraq's media regulator said it was revoking Reuters' licence for three months and fining it 25 million dinars ($21,000) for what it said was the agency's violation of the rules of media broadcasting.
Defying lockdown thousands protest at Bandra Station in Mumbai
In India's Mumbai - the city with the highest cases of coronavirus in the country, became the site of a huge protest on Tuesday afternoon.
Hordes of migrant workers gathered outside Mumbai's Bandra station to protest against the extension of the lockdown, reports the NDTV.
Thousands of people were seen jostling, giving a go by to government warnings about coronavirus and social distancing. The police finally had to use batons to disperse them.
Coronavirus 'Great Lockdown' to shrink global economy by 3% in 2020: IMF
The global economy is expected to shrink by 3.0 percent during 2020 in a stunning coronavirus-driven collapse of activity that will mark the steepest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.
The IMF, in its 2020 World Economic Outlook, predicted a partial rebound in 2021, with the world economy growing at a 5.8 percent rate, but said its forecasts were marked by "extreme uncertainty" and that outcomes could be far worse, depending on the course of the pandemic.
Global airline hit from coronavirus rises to $314 billion: IATA
Global airlines will lose $314 billion in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 according to a forecast from the industry's representative body IATA, which raised its estimate from the $252 billion figure given on March 24.
The $314 billion represents a 55 percent fall in passenger revenues compared to the previous year, on air traffic which is seen being 48% lower, said the International Air Transport Association in a weekly online news conference on Tuesday.
Governor Cuomo says if Trump ordered New York to reopen, 'I wouldn't do it'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday he would not abide by any order that President Donald Trump gave to reopen his state in an unsafe manner during the coronavirus outbreak.
"If he ordered me to reopen in a way that would endanger the public health of the people of my state, I wouldn't do it," Cuomo said in an interview with CNN.
Spain split between concern and relief as coronavirus lockdown eased
The construction sector across Spain and other industries in Catalonia and the Basque Country went back to work on Tuesday, after the government eased one of the world's toughest coronavirus lockdowns as the pace of new infections slowed.
However, with the overnight death toll edging up further beyond 500, some frontline workers have joined the head of the Catalan regional government in questioning if the curbs were being lifted too soon.
Iran death toll from coronavirus outbreak reaches 4,683: health ministry spokesman
Iran’s death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak in the country has reached 4683, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV.
Ninety-eight people have died in the past 24 hours, he said.
The Islamic Republic is the Middle Eastern country hardest hit by the new coronavirus and currently has 74,877 infected people, according to Jahanpur.
As rebel-held Syria fears virus, just one machine is there to test
A single machine at Mohamad Shahim Makki's medical centre in Idlib province, part of Syria's last rebel stronghold, is the only alarm that will sound when the coronavirus strikes a population of millions of the world's most vulnerable people.
Makki's Epidemiological Surveillance Laboratory has the only device in areas outside of Syrian government control equipped to run a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect the virus.
Zimbabwe president threatens 20 years jail over fake lockdown statement
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday threatened 20 years in jail to the author of a statement purporting to bear his signature that said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak had been extended.
Mnangagwa, who was speaking at his farm after touring Gweru city in central Zimbabwe, told state broadcaster ZBC the statement, which circulated on social media last week and was immediately denied by the government, was fake.
“That is absolutely nonsense, I have never made such a statement,” Mnangagwa said.
“If we catch this person it must be exemplary and they must go in for at least at level 14, which is 20 years imprisonment. That, I think we need to demonstrate that we don’t want false news to be circulated.”
Coronavirus drives US political protest off the streets and into online forums
At any other time, a divisive US president dealing with a national crisis that is causing severe economic dislocation might bring throngs of demonstrators to the streets of Washington and state capitals across the country.
But the spread of the novel coronavirus, which had killed more than 23,560 people in the United States and infected 584,293 as of Monday night and shut down all but essential travel and businesses, has made physical protests nearly impossible.
Swiss coronavirus death toll hits 900 as new cases decelerate
The Swiss death toll from the novel coronavirus has reached 900 people, the country’s public health agency said on Tuesday, rising from 885 people on Monday.
The number of people showing positive tests for the disease increased to 25,834 from 25,580, it said.
Spain, Austria allow partial return to normal from coronavirus lockdowns
Spain and Austria allowed partial returns to work after the Easter holiday on Tuesday but Britain, France and India extended their lockdowns to try to rein in the coronavirus outbreak, the most serious world pandemic in a century.
Nearly 2 million people globally have been infected and more than 119,200 have died, according to a Reuters tally of official figures. The epicentre has moved from China, where the virus first emerged in December, to the United States which now has the highest death toll at 23,568.
European politicians, CEOs, lawmakers urge green coronavirus recovery
European politicians, companies, lawmakers and activists called on Tuesday for green investment to restart growth after the coronavirus pandemic, saying fighting climate change and promoting biodiversity would rebuild stronger economies.
The European Union is headed for a steep recession triggered by the outbreak, but divided on how to finance economic recovery, with the ailing south advocating issuing joint debt against the opposition of the fiscally conservative north.
South Korea set to double supply of coronavirus tests to US
South Korea's SolGent has secured an order to supply a US government agency with an additional 7,500 kits which can each perform 100 coronavirus tests, the CEO of the biotech firm told Reuters.
That will double the number of tests US authorities can perform using kits sourced from South Korea to 1.5 million.
Turkish parliament passes bill to free thousands from prison amid coronavirus
Turkey's parliament on Tuesday passed a law that will allow the release of tens of thousands of prisoners to ease overcrowding in jails and protect detainees from the coronavirus, but which critics slam for excluding those jailed on terrorism charges.
President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party and nationalist MHP allies supported the bill, which was accepted with 279 votes for and 51 votes against, deputy parliament speaker Sureyya Sadi Bilgic said.
Coronavirus not yet contained in Germany: Robert Koch institute
A lower number of new coronavirus cases in Germany in recent days is likely due to less testing over Easter and the outbreak is not yet contained, the head of the Robert Koch health institute said on Tuesday.
Germany's number of confirmed coronavirus infections has risen by 2,082 to 125,098, data from the Robert Koch Institute showed earlier on Tuesday, marking the fourth daily decline in the number of new cases.
Philippines ramps up coronavirus testing to find thousands of unknown infections
The Philippines introduced a more aggressive testing programme for the coronavirus on Tuesday to locate as many as 15,000 unknown infections, despite having implemented some of Asia's strictest and earliest lockdown measures.
Authorities have targeted several phases of ramped-up testing, starting on Tuesday with 8,000 people working at or admitted to Manila hospitals that were treating patients of COVID-19, a disease that has so far infected 4,932 people locally and killed 315.
China tightens Russia border checks, approves coronavirus vaccine trials
China has approved early-stage human tests of two experimental vaccines to combat the new coronavirus as the country where the virus was first detected battles to contain imported cases, especially from Russia.
Russia has become China's largest source of imported cases, with a total of 409 infections originating in the northern neighbour. Chinese people there should stay put and not return home, the state-owned Global Times said in an editorial Tuesday.
"Chinese people have watched Russia become a severely affected country ... This should sound the alarm: China must strictly prevent the inflow of cases and avoid a second outbreak," said the paper, which is run by the Communist Party's People's Daily.
Spain's overnight coronavirus death toll at 567; infection rate slows
Spain’s overnight death toll from the coronavirus rose to 567 on Tuesday from 517 a day earlier, while the country reported its lowest increase in new cases since March 18.
Total deaths climbed to 18,056, while confirmed cases of the infection rose by 3,045 to 172,541, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Thai grocery trucks get new life from coronavirus shutdown
Cries of "Food, here comes the food," echoed through a Bangkok neighbourhood as Wannapa Yarnsarn's truck arrived with everything from mangoes and dried chillies to fresh pork for sale.
People emerged from homes where they have been sheltering in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, choosing their shopping from display racks packed with bags of produce on the back of the truck.
Beijing says people arriving from Wuhan test negative for coronavirus
The municipal government of Beijing said on Tuesday it had tested 1,056 people arriving from Wuhan since the lockdown ended on April 8, and all had tested negative for coronavirus.
Gao Xiaojun, spokesman of Beijing's municipal health commission told a news conference that the results show returnees from Wuhan - the original epicentre of the outbreak - are "generally safe".
Bangladesh sees record daily spike of 209 coronavirus cases, 7 deaths
Bangladesh today confirmed seven more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 209 new cases of infection in the country.
Some 1,905 samples were tested for coronavirus in last 24 hours., The Business Standard reported.
With this, the death toll rises to 46 from the virus and a total of 1,012 people are infected so far. 182 new cases of infection were found as of Monday after 1,570 tests.
Australia jobless rate to spike but coronavirus restrictions to remain
Australia's jobless rate is forecast to spike to the highest level in a quarter of a century because of the coronavirus pandemic, but officials said on Tuesday it was still too soon to let up on social restrictions that are curbing economic growth.
Australia has reported a sustained decrease in the rate of new daily coronavirus cases in recent weeks, effectively "flattening the curve" on infections and spurring hope that some of the blocks on public movement might be lifted, Reuters reported.
Deaths in England from coronavirus 15% higher than previously reported
Deaths in England caused by the coronavirus by April 3 were 15% higher than previously reported, according to official data published on Tuesday.
“The latest comparable data for deaths involving Covid-19 with a date of death up to April 3, show there were 6,235 deaths in England and Wales,” said Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at the Office for National Statistics, Reuters reported.
“When looking at data for England, this is 15% higher than the NHS numbers as they include all mentions of COVID-19 on the death certificate, including suspected COVID-19, as well as deaths in the community.”
Philippines' coronavirus cases top 5,000, 20 more deaths
The Philippine health ministry on Tuesday reported 20 more deaths linked to the new coronavirus and 291 more cases.
In a bulletin, the health ministry said total infections have reached 5,223, while deaths have increased to 335. Fifty-three more patients have recovered, bringing the total to 295, it added, Reuters reported.
Taiwan reports no new coronavirus cases for first time in a month
Taiwan on Tuesday reported no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time in more than a month, in the latest sign that the island's early and effective prevention methods have paid off.
Taiwan has won plaudits from health experts for how it has fought the virus, including starting as early as Dec. 31 checks on passengers arriving from China's Wuhan city, where the first cases were reported late last year, Reuters reported.
Taiwan has reported 393 cases to date, and six deaths. A total of 338 were so-called imported cases, where people were suspected of getting infected overseas before entering Taiwan, with the rest cases of local transmissions.
However, restrictions remain in place, such as compulsory 14-day quarantines for all arrivals onto the island, and the number of international flights has fallen dramatically.
Taiwan has not gone into total lockdown because of the virus and life has continued relatively normally, though the government has promoted social distancing and mandated the wearing of face masks on public transport.
China reports 89 new coronavirus cases on April 13, 86 imported
China reported 89 new coronavirus cases on April 13, down from 108 the previous day, the health authority said on Tuesday.
Of the total, 86 were imported, down from 98 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said, Reuters reported.
China's state broadcaster had reported earlier that 79 of the day's imported cases were in the northeast province of Heilongjiang, which shares a border with Russia.
The number of total confirmed cases in China now stands at 82,249. Its death toll from the pandemic stands at 3,341, with no new deaths on April 13.
Kyrgyzstan extends coronavirus emergency
Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday extended until April 30 the state of emergency introduced in its two major cities and several districts due to the coronavirus outbreak, President Sooronbai Jeenbekov's office said.
The Central Asian nation bordering China has confirmed 430 cases of the disease and has introduced a lockdown and a curfew in its capital, Bishkek, Reuters reported.
Russia's coronavirus cases surpass 20,000 in record daily rise
Russia on Tuesday reported 2,774 new cases of the coronavirus, a record daily rise, bringing its overall nationwide tally to 21,102, the country's coronavirus response centre said.
It said 170 people in Russia diagnosed with the virus have now died, an overnight rise of 22, Reuters reported.
People are returning to work in Spain
As Spain has relaxed its lockdown, thousands of workers have gone back to work in capital Madrid since yesterday.
Around 300,00 workers whose work cannot be performed while staying back home have returned to work after the country has shifted to partial lockdown. But like before, restaurants, bars, shopping malls and other businesses regarding "non essential" will continue to follow lockdown restrictions, CNN reported.
Covid-19 patients with loss of smell and taste have high recovery rate, study says
Loss of sensory functions is more likely to indicate the confirmation of having coronavirus rather than any other respiratory syndrome, according to a recent study by UC San Diego scientists.
The study was published in the journal "International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology" where researchers claimed, those who showed early symptoms of losing taste and smell due to the virus have comparatively more chances to recover than those who showed different symptoms.
Germany's coronavirus cases rise by 2,082, deaths by 170
Germany's number of confirmed coronavirus infections has risen by 2,082 to 125,098, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday, marking the fourth decline in the number of new cases after four days of increases, Reuters reported.
The reported death toll has risen by 170 to 2,969.
Thailand reports 34 new coronavirus cases, one more death
Thailand on Tuesday reported 34 new coronavirus cases and a death of a 52-year old Thai female bus driver in Bangkok.
Of the new cases, 27 patients are linked to previous cases, four with no links to old cases, while two people who tested positive are awaiting investigation into how they were infected, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration, Reuters reported.
A Thai national who tested positive on Tuesday was already under quarantine after traveling to South Sulawesi province, Indonesia for a religious gathering last month.
Since the outbreak escalated in January, Thailand has reported a total of 2,613 cases and 41 fatalities, while 1,405 patients have recovered and gone home.
Turkey to release thousands of prisoners over coronavirus
The Turkish parliament on Tuesday approved a law that allows for the release tens of thousands of prisoners as a safety measure against the coronavirus outbreak.
“The draft has become law after being accepted,” the official Twitter account for the parliament’s general assembly said, AFP reported.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International have criticised the law because detainees charged under controversial anti-terrorism laws are not included.
The rights groups also have condemned the exclusion of other inmates including journalists, politicians and lawyers in pre-trial detention.
This includes people jailed while awaiting a date for their trial to begin, those waiting for a formal indictment or suspects currently being tried.
Britain to remain in lockdown till at least May 7
British foreign minister Dominic Raab is set to announce on Thursday that the lockdown in the country will stay in place until at least May 7, the Times reported.
Raab, deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is recovering from COVID-19, earlier on Monday said he did not expect the government to make any changes to the lockdown measures currently in place until it was confident they could be made safely, Reuters reported.
A total of 11,329 people have died in hospitals across the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, according to a health ministry statement on Monday.
South Africa coronavirus cases rise to 2,272, deaths at 27
South Africa has recorded 99 new coronavirus cases, taking the total in the country to 2,272, health minister Zweli Mkhike said on Monday.
The country has also recorded a further two deaths from the virus, increasing the death toll to 27, Mkhize told participants of a Zoom meeting with media, scientists, academics and others that was also broadcast on television, Reuters reported.
Indian PM extends lockdown to May 3 as coronavirus cases cross 10,000
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended a nationwide lockdown until May 3 as the number of coronavirus cases crossed 10,000 despite a three-week shutdown.
Modi, in an address on national television on the world's biggest shutdown, said the challenge was to stop the virus from spreading to new parts of the country, Reuters reported.
"Till May 3, every Indian will have to stay in lockdown. I request all Indians that we stop the coronavirus from spreading to other areas," he said.
Modi spoke as the number of people infected with coronavirus reached 10,363, according to government data on Tuesday, of whom 339 have died.
Nigeria to extend coronavirus lockdowns for 14 more days
Nigeria will extend lockdowns in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states for an additional 14 days to combat the new coronavirus, President Muhammadu Buhari said in an address to the nation on Monday that acknowledged the sacrifices of the country’s poor
Initial 14-day lockdowns in the three areas began on March 30. Buhari said it was crucial to extend the lockdown due to an “alarming” increase in positive cases in a number of states, Reuters reported.
“It is a matter of life and death,” Buhari said of the nation’s response. “The repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable.”
There are currently 323 confirmed cases of the virus in Nigeria, nearly three-quarters of them in Lagos and the capital territory of Abuja, and 10 people have died from the virus.
French new coronavirus death toll rises by 574 to 14,967
The death toll in France from the new coronavirus outbreak has risen to 14,967 from 14,393 a day earlier, the French public health authority said on Monday.
The body added 6,821 patients were currently in intensive care units, down from 6,845 on Sunday, Reuters reported.
The health authority said it was important to remain vigilant because hospitals were still taking in a very large number of patients.
China's Guangzhou city says 111 Africans tested positive for coronavirus
A total of 111 Africans in China's southern city of Guangzhou had tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of Monday, the Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.
Among them, 19 were imported cases, Xinhua quoted Chen Zhiying, executive vice mayor of Guangzhou, as saying, Reuters reported.
A total of 4,553 African people in the city had undergone nucleic acid testing since April 4, Chen said.
China on Monday dismissed allegations by African and U.S. diplomats that foreigners of African appearance in the city of Guangzhou were being subjected to forceful testing for thecoronavirus, quarantines and ill treatment.
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 717, to 11,329
The death toll in Britain from coronavirus has risen to 11,329, according to health ministry figures published Monday — an increase of 717 on the previous day’s figures.
The daily increase is the lowest for several days, although it is not unusual for numbers to drop after a weekend due to delays in collating data. The numbers only refer to deaths in hospital, AFP reported.
Mexico registers 5,014 cases of coronavirus and 332 deaths
Mexico registered 353 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, bringing its total to 5,014 cases and 332 deaths, the health ministry said.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell has acknowledged that Mexico likely has far more people infected with the fast-spreading coronavirus, citing government statistical models, Reuters reported.
Last week, Lopez-Gatell said the country might have 26,500 cases, with many of those not showing symptoms or not diagnosed.
Covid-19 is 10 times more deadly than swine flu: WHO
The novel coronavirus is 10 times more deadly than swine flu, which caused a global pandemic in 2009, the World Health Organization said Monday, stressing a vaccine would be necessary to fully halt transmission.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing from Geneva that the organisation was constantly learning about the new virus sweeping the globe, which has now killed nearly 115,000 people and infected over 1.8 million.
"We know that Covid-19 spreads fast, and we know that it is deadly, 10 times deadlier than the 2009 flu pandemic," he said.
Italy’s virus death toll tops 20,000
Italy’s death toll from the novel coronavirus topped 20,000 on Monday but its number of critically ill patients dropped for the tenth successive day.
The 566 new deaths reported by the civil protection service take Italy’s fatalities total to 20,465 — officially second in the world behind the United States, AFP reported.
The drop in patients receiving intensive care from a peak of 4,068 on April 3 to 3,260 on Monday confirmed a general improvement in Italy’s COVID-19 trends.
The rise in new infections dropped to a new low of just two percent.
The Mediterranean country last week extended its national lockdown until May 3.
The decision has been backed by doctors but opposed by businesses that doubt their ability to survive three more weeks of inactivity.
Italy will reopen some book shops and laundries on a trial basis on Tuesday to see how social distancing measures can be safely enforced down the line.
US coronavirus death toll tops 23,500
The US death toll from COVID-19, the highly infectious lung disease caused by the virus, topped 23,600 on Monday, out of more than 581,000 known US infections, according to a Reuters tally. The United States, with the world's third-largest population by country, has recorded greater loss of life from COVID-19 than any other nation, Reuters reported.