Coronavirus: England hospital death toll rises 391 to 20,137
Read the latest on the spread of the novel coronavirus around the world here
![A man wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks over Westminster bridge as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, April 21, 2020. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/big_2/public/images/2020/04/21/uk_coronavirus.jpg)
Thailand reports seven new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Thailand on Thursday reported seven new coronavirus cases but no new deaths, taking its tally to 2,954 cases while fatalities remained at 54 since the outbreak began in January.
New daily infections have stayed in the single digits for four consecutive days. Reuters reported.
Nearly 91% of patients have recovered and gone home, leaving 213 still in the hospital, according to Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman of the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Trump says US plans to speed development of coronavirus vaccine
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States plans to accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine, an effort that has been dubbed “Operation Warp Speed.”
Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, said he is in overall charge of the project aimed at finding a vaccine to the virus as quickly as possible.
Iran death toll from coronavirus rises by 71 to 6,028 - Health Ministry
The death toll from the outbreak of the new coronavirus increased by 71 in the past 24 to 6,028, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Thursday.
The total number of diagnosed cases of the new coronavirus in Iran, one of the Middle Eastern countries hardest hit by the outbreak, has reached 94,640, he said.
Italy's daily tallies of coronavirus deaths and cases fall
Deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 285 on Thursday, against 323 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new infections stood at 1,872, down from 2,086 on Wednesday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 27,967, the agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.
The number of officially confirmed cases, which includes those who have died or recovered, was 205,463, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.
Nissan plans to restart output at UK's biggest car factory in June
Nissan will restart phased production in early June at its northern English Sunderland factory, Britain’s biggest car plant, as the sector tries to resume operations amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Output at the site, which made just under 350,000 vehicles last year and builds the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf models, has been suspended since March 17.
“During this period the majority of plant employees will remain furloughed, and we are grateful for the government support that has enabled us to take this action,” the company said in a statement.
Last week it began piloting safety measures involving around 50 staff at the location.
Britain scraps sales tax on personal protective equipment
Britain will temporarily scrap sales tax on purchases of essential personal protective equipment, the finance ministry said on Thursday, seeking to ease the finances of care homes, businesses and charities during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Treasury said the cut would save more than 100 million pounds ($125.44 million)for those buying equipment such as face masks and surgical gloves.
Such items were previously subject to a 20 percent Value Added Tax which could not always be reclaimed by some care providers. The tax cut will come into effect on Friday and last three months, the finance ministry said.
Moscow doctor sees echoes of war in coronavirus battle
When patients who can hardly breathe fill the wards of Moscow Hospital Number 52, Mikhail Ketskalo recalls the suffering he witnessed as a military doctor at war.
Hospital Number 52 is one of dozens of Moscow clinics that have stopped taking regular patients to focus solely on treating people with the novel coronavirus and pneumonia.
Ketskalo works in an intensive care unit with over 100 patients which he says is functioning at 110 percent-120 percent of its maximum capacity.
UK privacy advocates warn over Covid-19 contact tracing app
Leading privacy advocates in Britain have urged the government to prevent a soon-to-be launched Covid-19 contact tracing app from turning into a form of state surveillance.
Countries are rushing to develop apps which, along with a wider testing and tracking programme, are seen as key to easing social distancing rules that have all but shut global economies.
Matthew Gould, chief executive of the National Health Service’s technology group NHSX, told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that an app could be rolled out widely in Britain in two to three weeks. It will keep a record of anonymised tokens or identities of those people the phone’s owner has been in contact with. The data will stay on the phone until the owner becomes symptomatic when they will have the option to submit the data to the app, alerting those with whom they came into contact.
England hospital death toll rises 391 to 20,137
A further 391 people who tested positive for the coronavirus in English hospitals have died, taking the total there to 20,137, health officials said.
Within the 391, 15 of the patients aged between 49 and 97 had no known underlying health condition.
Yemen reports first two coronavirus deaths, braces for more
Yemen reported multiple coronavirus infections and deaths linked to the disease for the first time and an official in the southern port of Aden said the number of cases was very likely to increase in the coming days.
The United Nations has said it fears the novel coronavirus could be spreading undetected in a country where millions face famine and lack medical care after Yemen reported its first case of Covid-19 in the southern province of Hadhramout on April 10.
Yemen has been mired in war since the Houthi group ousted the internationally recognised government from power in the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led alliance to intervene in March 2015. The conflict has shattered health and sanitation systems and authorities lack testing capabilities.
Hungary's Sziget and other festivals cancelled, schools stay shut
Hungary’s government on Thursday said events with more than 500 participants cannot be held until Aug. 15, wiping off the calendar several large international festivals that normally draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said some restrictions imposed to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic would be lifted from next week, when shops and restaurant terraces would be allowed to reopen without time limits. Existing strict restrictions will continue for now in the capital Budapest, which has reported the highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths.
Those constraints ended weeks of uncertainty for the country’s international music festivals, which announced one after the other that they would cancel this year’s events. That includes Sziget, the largest festival in Hungary that normally attracts close to half a million visitors in early August. Sziget also operates several other large festivals, such as VOLT and Balaton Sound in July, which were also cancelled.
Serbia to ease lockdown this weekend despite health warnings
Facing growing public discontent, the Serbian government has decided to ease coronavirus lockdown measures this weekend despite warnings by doctors. Serbia has so far reported 8,724 coronavirus cases and 173 deaths. The number of people unhappy with strict preventative measures introduced by the government of President Aleksandar Vucic is increasing, and many have joined opposition protests from their balconies.
On Thursday the government reversed its decision to lock the entire country down during the coming May Day weekend and instead introduced a curfew from 6 pm on Thursday until 5 pm on Saturday despite calls by doctors not to relax restrictions.
Serbia’s chief epidemiologist, Predrag Kon, a member of the government’s crisis team, said the decision was a compromise. “I do not feel good about it,” he told state-run RTS TV. He said a three-day lockdown would have been a better and safer decision to prevent the disease spreading.
Denmark says coronavirus spread has not accelerated since reopening began
The spread of Covid-19 in Denmark has not accelerated since the country began a gradual looswening of restrictions in mid-April, the State Serum Institute, which is responsible for preparedness against infectious diseases, said on Thursday.
The so-called R rate, which shows the average number of infections one person with the virus causes, has increased slightly in the past two weeks but remains below 1.0, the institute said.
“However, there are no signs that the Covid-19 epidemic is accelerating,” it said.
Ferrari to gradually restart operations from Monday
Luxury carmaker Ferrari (RACE.MI) said on Thursday it would restart operations at its Maranello and Modena plants on May 4, when Italy is set start lifting lockdown measures imposed in early March to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Production at the two facilities, both located in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region, will restart “gradually” and return to its full rate on Friday 8 May, Ferrari said.
Health minister urges patience as Ukraine passes 10,000 coronavirus cases
Ukraine reached 10,000 coronavirus cases on Thursday and its health minister urged people not to violate lockdown measures that have kept the country’s death toll much lower than in much of western Europe.
In an interview with Reuters, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said the lockdown could be lifted and life return to some sort of normality by the summer but the government could not risk a second wave of infections by opening up too soon.
The early introduction of lockdown measures had kept the total caseload manageable and avoided excessive strain on the hospital system, he said. But the government cannot “open up everything and endanger the entire population of Ukraine, because there will immediately be a big outbreak and a peak in the development of this disease,” Stepanov said.
Nairobi hair salon defies pandemic with 'coronavirus' style
Through winces and grins, two girls wearing face masks and surrounded by posters of different hairstyles bowed their heads for their hairdressers. But the spiky look they were getting – "the coronavirus" – was still too new to appear on any poster.
In Kibera, Kenya's largest slum, hairdressers have created a new style, designed to emulate the prickly appearance of the virus under a microscope.
It's the latest example of service industry workers finding ways to appeal as stay-at-home rules and collapsing incomes reduce customer numbers.
US weekly jobless claims remain elevated as millions more seek benefits
Millions more Americans filed claims for unemployment benefits last week, suggesting that layoffs were spreading to industries that were not initially directly impacted by business closures and disruptions related to the coronavirus.
The Labor Department's weekly jobless claims report on Thursday followed news on Wednesday that the economy in the first quarter suffered its sharpest contraction since the Great Recession. This ended the longest expansion in the United States' history as the economy reels from nationwide lockdowns to slow the spread of Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits totaled a seasonally adjusted 3.839 million for the week ended April 25, the government said. That was down from 4.442 million in the prior week but the numbers are still high at levels unimaginable just months ago. Economists polled by Reuters had expected 3.50 million claims in the latest week. Applications for jobless benefits hit a record 6.867 million in the week ended March 28.
G7 finance leaders agree on coordination for global recovery: Japan's Aso
Group of Seven finance leaders agreed during a telephone conference on Thursday on the need for policy coordination to achieve a global economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said.
Aso made the comment during a news conference held after Japan’s parliament had approved a supplementary budget to fund a $1.1 trillion stimulus package to cushion the blow to the Japanese economy from the pandemic.
Criminals using food delivery services to transport drugs during lockdown -Interpol
Criminals are using food delivery services as a cover to transport drugs and other illegal goods during the coronavirus crisis, which has seen countries around the world go into lockdown, said the Interpol police organisation on Thursday.
Interpol said it had received reports from police in Ireland, Malaysia, Spain and Britain identifying delivery drivers transporting drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, ketamine and ecstasy.
The lockdowns and limits to people’s movements, imposed by governments around the world in a bid to thwart the spread of the virus, have led to increased demand for delivery drivers.
Ireland to consider easing restrictions every 2-4 weeks, PM says
Ireland’s roadmap for gradually easing coronavirus restrictions will lay out how any changes will be made every two to four weeks, but the government will intervene earlier if things go off track, Acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.
Varadkar listed five criteria to be considered each time a change is considered: the progress of the disease, healthcare capacity and resilience, testing and contact tracing capacity, the ability to shield at-risk groups, and the risk of secondary morbidity and mortality due to the restrictions themselves.
“The easement of the current restrictions will be slow and gradual. The lifting will not necessarily mirror the manner in which they were escalated,” Varadkar told parliament, adding that the plan was due to be completed on Friday.
Germany's museums, churches, zoos to reopen - reports
Museums, exhibitions, memorials, zoos and botanical gardens in Germany can reopen in Germany, provided they can fulfill social distancing and hygiene requirements to minimise the risk of infection, German media cited news agency DPA as reporting.
According to a government draft that they cited, these conditions were particularly important for smaller or historic buildings which were often less easily adapted. A 10 million euro ($10.88 million) fund would help museums carry out the necessary modifications, the reports said.
Magazine Focus added that church services would also resume following a period in which they have been banned as part of measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The reports did not give a date on which new measures would come into force.
Japan preparing to extend coronavirus emergency for about a month: sources
Japan is preparing to extend its state of emergency over the novel coronavirus, originally set to end on May 6, for about a month, government sources told Reuters on Thursday, even as some other countries begin to reopen after strict lockdowns.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters "it would be difficult to return to every-day life on May 7," adding that the country needed to "brace for a drawn-out battle."
Abe said he would consult on the scope of the extension with experts. A meeting of infectious disease specialists advising his cabinet was slated to start at 10 am (0100 GMT) on Friday.
Aerial footage shows miles-long queue for food aid in South Africa
Aerial footage showed thousands of people queuing for miles down a dirt road in South Africa for charity food aid meant to relieve hunger caused by the coronavirus lockdown.
The images from the neighbouring slums of Mooiplaas and Spruit, on the outskirts of the capital Pretoria, show the extent of need that South Africa’s economic lockdown has generated among many who even before the pandemic were living a hand-to-mouth existence.
Africa’s most industrialised nation has recorded 5,350 cases and 103 deaths from the virus.
Indian stocks log best month since 2009, track global cheer on virus drug hopes
Indian shares recorded their best month in 11 years on Thursday, tracking gains in global markets on signs of progress in developing a COVID-19 treatment, while heavyweight Reliance Industries rose ahead of its earnings.
Early results from a trial of US-based Gilead Sciences Inc's (GILD.O) drug remdesivir showed on Wednesday it helped speed up recovery from the illness caused by the coronavirus, pushing world stock markets higher.
Markets across the globe also rallied this week on signs of easing lockdowns in Europe and the United States, and on expectations of more stimulus from the European Central Bank, although India remains in one of the strictest lockdowns worldwide.
Prada has gradually reopened production from April 20, will use antibody tests
Italy’s Prada said on Thursday it had gradually reopened production in several sites across Italy after almost two months of lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The fashion company said it had reopened its industrial sites in Tuscany on April 20 and those in the central regions of Umbria, Marche and the northern region of Veneto - one of the hardest-hit areas- after that.
It added that some workshops in its Milan headquarters were also back at work. The group said it implemented a full-range of security measures for its staff, including a double-screening method for staff and the use of antibody tests.
Irish banks extend coronavirus loan breaks to six months
Ireland’s five retail banks, specialist and non-bank lenders agreed on Thursday to extend loan repayment breaks for customers hit by the coronavirus crisis to six months from three months, their representative body said.
Over 65,000 mortgage breaks and over 22,000 business breaks have been granted to date, the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) said in a statement. Allied Irish Banks (AIBG.I) Chief Executive told Reuters on Wednesday that its applications for mortgage assistance had stabilised.
“BPFI members strongly appreciate the severity of the impact on families, individuals and businesses and it is for this reason, that we believe an extension of the existing payment break beyond three months may be required by many customers,” the BPFI said in a statement.
Trump's tariffs add to pandemic-induced turmoil of US manufacturers
Dan Digre, head of MISCO Speakers, was on edge before the coronavirus outbreak hit the global economy. Payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Chinese tariffs had wiped out the profit and dwindled the cash balance of the Minnesota-based loudspeaker maker.
Now Digre is grappling with dropping sales and payment delays. With cash ever harder to come by, he must cough up the money for President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on parts that Digre imports from China for speakers used in everything from mass transit systems and gaming devices to essential ventilators and military equipment.
He is not alone. As a deepening economic recession dries up their revenue streams, hundreds of import-dependent large and small businesses are finding it tougher to survive the pandemic due to tariff costs.
Europe flooded with cocaine despite coronavirus trade disruptions
Latin American drug lords have sent bumper shipments of cocaine to Europe in recent weeks, including one in a cargo of squid, even though the coronavirus epidemic has stifled legitimate transatlantic trade, senior anti-narcotics officials say.
The illegal drugs industry has been disrupted by the virus, with international supply chains busted and millions of customers on lockdown.
As pandemic empties traditional Uzbek bazaars, supermarkets step in
As the coronavirus pandemic empties the bustling bazaars that have long dominated Uzbekistan’s food trade, supermarkets are driving into the vacuum, foreseeing a reshaping of food retail should social distancing become the new normal.
While a slew of industries around the world are scrapping growth plans, some food retailers in Uzbekistan are pressing ahead, believing changing consumer habits due to the outbreak will accelerate their efforts to win market share from traditional farmers’ markets.
However being able to reliably source the wide range of products required by supermarkets will be a severe challenge given the current disruptions to global supply chains, a significant risk factor that could derail expansion plans.
Reckitt Benckiser's sales hit record on coronavirus disinfectant boom
Reckitt Benckiser achieved record sales growth in the first quarter and predicted a stronger-than-expected performance in 2020 as customers stocked up on Lysol disinfectants, Mucinex cough syrup and Dettol soap ahead of the coronavirus lockdowns.
The boom in demand has come as the company had been battling intense competition in the health and hygiene industry. In February, Reckitt had announced plans to spend 2 billion pounds over the next three years to spur growth.
Glenmark to conduct trials in India for potential Covid-19 drug
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd said on Thursday it will start clinical trials in India of antiviral drug favipiravir, seen as a potential treatment for Covid-19, sending its shares up as much as 9 percent The trials come after a Chinese official told reporters last month that an active ingredient of the drug had been effective, with no obvious side effects, in helping coronavirus patients recover.
Favipiravir is manufactured under the brand name Avigan by a unit of Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corp and approved for use as an anti-flu drug in the country in 2014.
New father Johnson holds cabinet meeting amid questions over UK's coronavirus response
A day after his fiancee gave birth, Prime Minister Boris Johnson leads a meeting of his top ministers on Thursday to discuss how to ease Britain's lockdown amid a backdrop of rising deaths and questions over the government's response to the Covid-19 crisis.
New figures on Wednesday showed that Britain now has the second highest official Covid-19 death toll with more than 26,000 deaths, a statistic which puts pressure on the government over its response to the outbreak and fuelled caution in raising restrictions on movement in case that led to a second spike.
France's contact-tracing app should be ready by end of May: Orange
Orange is in intense discussions with Apple over developing France’s smartphone app for tracing people who are at risk of coronavirus infection, CEO Stephane Richard said on Thursday.
“There are meetings almost every day. It’s not a done deal yet (...) but we have a discussion dynamic with Apple that is not bad”, Richard added.
Marie-Noelle Jego-Laveissiere, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of France’s biggest telecom operator, said that the app should be ready by the end of May.
Spain's ravaged economy suffers worst quarterly contraction on record
Spain's economy shrunk by its biggest amount on record, 5.2 percent, in the first three months of 2020 due to the crippling impact of the coronavirus crisis, preliminary data showed on Thursday.
The National Statistics Institute's figure was the worst since the historical series began in 1970 and exceeded analysts' forecasts of a 4.4 percent contraction versus the previous quarter.
Bodies found in unrefrigerated trucks in New York during Covid-19 pandemic
The city of New York delivered a freezer truck to a funeral home on Wednesday after it was found to be storing dead bodies in unrefrigerated U-Haul vehicles, a Reuters eyewitness said.
The eyewitness saw bodies in a U-Haul van and said two vans and a truck were parked outside the funeral home.
ABC News reported about 100 bodies were stored in the vehicles after the owner of the Andrew T Cleckley Funeral Services funeral home said the freezer that normally stores bodies stopped working.
Bangladesh reports 5 more deaths from coronavirus, 564 new cases
Bangladesh today confirmed five more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 564 new cases of infection testing 4,965 samples in the last 24 hours.
With this, the death toll from the deadly virus rose to 168 and the number of total infections stood at 7,667.
Ten patients recovered during the time, increasing the number of cured patients to 160.
Indonesia says coronavirus infections rise above 10,000
Indonesia confirmed on Thursday 347 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country above 10,000 for the first time with 10,118 infections, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said.
Yurianto reported eight new deaths, taking the total of fatalities to 792, while 1,522 have recovered.
More than 72,300 people have been tested.
Italy PM says to ease coronavirus lockdown on basis of local conditions
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday he would gradually relax the country’s coronavirus lockdown taking into account differences in contagion levels in different parts of the country.
In a speech to parliament, Conte said a new stimulus package to support the economy, due to be presented in a few days, would include 15 billion euros ($16.3 billion) for companies and 25 billion directly for payroll workers and the self-employed.
The lockdown imposed on March 9 will be gradually rolled back from May 4 and agreed with local authorities “taking account of the regions where the epidemiological situation is less severe,” Conte told the lower house of parliament. However, the prime minister warned regions not to ease restrictions unilaterally, without consultations.
German social distancing will be extended until May 10
Social distancing measures in Germany will be extended until May 10, Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff said ahead of a government meeting later on Thursday to review lockdown restrictions.
Merkel and state leaders will discuss proposals on reopening schools and nurseries and resuming sporting events, but will wait until May 6 for data on the effect of first steps to ease the lockdown before moving again, Helge Braun said, Reuters reported.
"The contact restrictions will certainly now be extended until May 10 for the time being", he told broadcaster n-tv.
Germany began easing its lockdown last week, when some shops were allowed to open provided they practised strict social distancing, but Merkel and government advisers are worried about the coronavirus infection rate rising.
The novel coronavirus reproduction rate in Germany is currently estimated at 0.76 on average, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Thursday.
The education ministers of Germany's 16 federal states agreed on Tuesday that schools would slowly reopen classes for all grades by the summer holidays, although pupils would have to work and learn in smaller groups.
Retailers with floor space of up to 800 square metres are now allowed to open, along with car and bicycle dealers, and bookstores, though they must practise strict social distancing and hygiene rules.
South Korea: no new domestic coronavirus cases, no transmission from election
South Korea on Thursday reported no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since February, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
![People walk through the Garosu-gil neighborhood of the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea, on April 18. Photo: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2020/04/18/south_korea_corona_reopen.jpg)
KCDC reported four new infections, all imported cases, taking the national tally to 10,765. The death toll rose by one to 247, while 9,059 have been discharged, Reuters reported.
Philippines reports 276 new coronavirus cases, 10 more deaths
The Philippines reported 276 new coronavirus infections and 10 more deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 8,488 and fatalities to 568.
It also said 20 more individuals have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,043, Reuters reported.
Singapore reports 528 new coronavirus cases, taking total to 16,169
Singapore confirmed 528 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, its Health Ministry said, taking the city-state's total cases to 16,169, Reuters reported.
Ukraine crosses 10,000 coronavirus cases
Ukraine now has 10,406 confirmed coronavirus cases and 261 deaths, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told a briefing on Thursday.
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The government has put lockdown measures in place until May 11 and has said it expects the pandemic to peak in Ukraine early next month, Reuters reported.
Germany reports 1,478 new coronavirus cases, 173 more deaths
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen by 1,478 to 159,119, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Thursday.
According to the tally, 6,288 people have died of the disease, a rise of 173 compared to Wednesday, Reuters reported.
France coronavirus death toll above 24,000, number of cases tweaked
The number of people who have died from the coronavirus infection in France rose by 427 to 24,087 on Wednesday, with the rate of increase slightly speeding up again after slowing on Tuesday, the health ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the number of confirmed cases now stands at 128,442, up 1,607 over 24 hours. The figure stood at 129,859 on Tuesday but was tweaked a day after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said that France would not end its coronavirus lockdown unless the number of new cases falls below 3,000 per day, Reuters reported.
"It's a statistical readjustment linked to a change in the sampling", a ministry spokesman said.
![A view shows the deserted Iena Bridge near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, during a lockdown imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in France, April 8, 2020/ Reuters](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2020/04/09/eiffel_tower_france.jpg)
The death toll has increased 1.8% over 24 hours, versus 1.6% on Tuesday and 1.9% on Monday. Out of the 24,087 total, 15,053 fatalities occurred in hospitals, a figure up 1.6%, and 9,034 in nursing homes, up 2%.
As Britain added nursing homes deaths to the tally from hospitals to give a total of 26,097 fatalities, it became the third-most affected country in the world behind the United States and Italy and ahead of Spain and France.
The number of people in French hospitals with the Covid-19 infection fell to 26,834 from 27,484 on Tuesday, recording a 2.4% decline, its sharpest since a downward trend began 15 days ago.
The number of people in intensive care fell 4.1% to 4,207, a figure almost half of the 7,148 on April 8 and down for the 21st consecutive day.
Thai exports, tourism to slow until early next year amid outbreak: Deputy PM
Thailand’s exports and tourism, key drivers of growth, are expected to slow until early next year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, a deputy prime minister said on Thursday.
The impact started to be felt in the first quarter, but “in the second quarter, the economy is clearly stagnating,” Somkid Jatusripitak told reporters, Reuters reported.
China reports four new coronavirus cases vs. 22 a day earlier
China reported four new coronavirus cases for April 29, down from 22 a day earlier, data from the country's health authority showed.
All of the cases were imported, the National Health Commission said. It also reported 33 new asymptomatic cases over the day, up from 26 a day earlier, Reuters reported.
![Medical personnel in protective suits wave hands to a patient who is discharged from the Leishenshan Hospital after recovering from the novel coronavirus, in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Hubei province, China March 1, 2020/ China Daily via Reuters](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2020/04/22/china_coronavirus.jpg)
The total number of confirmed cases has now reached 82,862. With no new deaths on Wednesday, the toll remained at 4,633.
South Korea reports no new domestic coronavirus cases, first time since Feb peak
South Korea reported on Thursday no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since its Feb. 29 peak, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
KCDC reported four new infections, all imported cases, taking the national tally to 10,765. The death toll rose by one to 247, Reuters reported.
US Covid-19 deaths pass 60,000
At least 1,038,451 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the United States, including 60,876 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.
On Wednesday, Johns Hopkins reported at least 25,388 new cases and 2,498 deaths, CNN reported.
![A pastor wearing a protective mask is seen at The Green-Wood Cemetery during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, US, April 11, 2020/ Reuters](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2020/04/12/usa_coornavirus_deathtop.jpg)
The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
Italy's daily coronavirus death toll falls, new cases stable
Deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 323 on Wednesday, against 382 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new infections stood at 2,086, broadly stable from 2,091 on Tuesday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 27,682, the agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.
The number of officially confirmed cases, which includes those who have died and recovered, amounts to 203,591, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.
People registered as currently carrying the illness declined to 104,657 from 105,205 on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
There were 1,795 people in intensive care on Wednesday against a previous 1,863, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 71,252 were declared recovered against 68,941 a day earlier.
The agency said 1.313 million people had been tested for the virus against 1.275 million the day before, out of a population of around 60 million.
Mexico coronavirus infections rise to 17,799 cases and 1,732 deaths
Mexico's health ministry on Wednesday reported 1,047 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 163 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 17,799 cases and 1,732 deaths.
The figures were published on the ministry's website, Reuters reported.
![A man wearing a protective mask walks towards El Paso, Texas, U.S. at the international border bridge Paso del Norte, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico March 13, 2020/ Reuters](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2020/03/25/mexico.jpg)
The government has said the real number of infected people is significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
Yemen reports first two deaths from coronavirus
Yemen has reported its first two deaths from the novel coronavirus, its health minister told Yemen TV late on Wednesday.
Yemeni authorities also reported multiple coronavirus infections, five, for the first time on Wednesday, after the United Nations said it feared the disease could be spreading undetected in a country where millions face famine and lack medical care, Reuters reported.
The new cases were reported in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, forcing authorities to impose a three-day, 24-hour curfew.
Previously, Yemen had detected only a single case.
International health officials have long warned that Yemen's population could be extremely vulnerable to an outbreak, which would be difficult to detect in a country where health infrastructure has been degraded by poverty and war.
On Tuesday the United Nations said there was a "very real probability" the virus was circulating within communities.
UK virus toll up 26,097 as care home deaths included
Britain’s official death toll of people who tested positive for coronavirus jumped to 26,097 on Wednesday, as the country began including out-of-hospital deaths for the first time.
![A man wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks over Westminster bridge as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, April 21, 2020. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2020/04/21/uk_coronavirus.jpg)
The change, up from 21,678 on Tuesday, comes as the health officials started accounting for deaths in places such as care homes, AFP reported.
Panama coronavirus cases climb to 6,378, deaths reach 178
Confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Panama reached 6,378 on Wednesday, a rise of 178 from the previous day, and deaths climbed by two to 178, the health ministry said.
Director of Epidemiology Lourdes Moreno gave the Central American country's latest data at a news conference, Reuters reported.