Coronavirus: Death toll in English hospitals rises to 21,180
Read the latest on the spread of the novel coronavirus around the world here
WHO's Ryan says world is in 'fight of our lives', but there is hope
Parts of the world are starting to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic and to cautiously resume some sort of normal life, but the new coronavirus will pose significant risks until vaccines are developed, the WHO’s top emergencies expert said on Sunday.
Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergencies programme, said while many countries are still in the eye of the storm, others were beginning to show it is possible to contain the disease to some extent.
“In that sense, there’s hope,” Ryan told Reuters in an online interview from Geneva.
Britain to trial new coronavirus tracing system
Britain will trial a new coronavirus tracing programme next week on the Isle of Wight, just off the south coast of England, cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Sunday as the government looks at how to minimise the risk of a second wave of infection.
“This week we will be piloting new test, track and trace procedures on the Isle of Wight with a view to having that in place more widely later this month,” he told a news conference.
UK Covid-19 death toll rises to 28,446, up 315
The United Kingdom’s death toll from Covid-19 rose to 28,446, an increase of 315, according to figures announced on Sunday that include deaths in hospital and in other settings like nursing homes.
Singapore reports 657 new coronavirus cases
Singapore’s health ministry on Sunday confirmed 657 new coronavirus infections, taking the city-state’s total to 18,205.
Most of the new cases are among migrant workers living in dormitories, the ministry said.
Canada's daily coronavirus death toll rises by less than 5%: official data
The total number of people killed by the coronavirus in Canada rose by 4.6 percent to 3,606 on Sunday, official data posted by the public health agency showed.
The figure for those diagnosed with the coronavirus rose to 57,148, according to a statement posted on the agency’s website. On Saturday there were 3,446 deaths and 55,572 positive diagnoses.
‘Enormous evidence’ links virus to Wuhan laboratory: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said "enormous evidence" shows the novel coronavirus outbreak began in a laboratory in Wuhan, China.
He also said Beijing refused to give international scientists access to learn what happened, reports Bloomberg.
"I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan," Pompeo said on ABC's "This Week."
Roche wins US nod for Covid-19 antibody test, aims to boost output
Roche has won emergency approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an antibody test to determine whether people have ever been infected with the coronavirus, the Swiss drugmaker said on Sunday.
Thomas Schinecker, Roche’s head of diagnostics, said the company aims to more than double production of tests from about 50 million a month to significantly more than 100 million a month by the end of the year.
Governments, businesses and individuals are seeking such blood tests to learn who may have had the disease, who may have some immunity and to potentially craft strategies to help end national lockdowns.
Coronavirus death toll in English hospitals rises to 21,180
A total of 21,180 people have died in hospital in England after testing positive for the new coronavirus, up by 327 in a 24-hour period, the National Health Service for England said on Sunday.
The 327 patients who died were aged between 46 and 101 years old, with 17 of them - aged between 47 and 97 years old - having had no known underlying health condition.
Figures for the whole of the United Kingdom will be published later in the day.
Italy's lockdown easing spells hope, worry and confusion
Weary of Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown, Italians have had Monday circled in their diaries for a month since Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte first suggested it could be the date life returned to something nearing normal.
Now their excitement is muted by the knowledge that in the end many of the restrictions of the past eight weeks will remain in place, while confusion reigns over those that will be lifted.
With almost 29,000 deaths from Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged on Feb. 21, Italy has the world's second highest toll after the United States.
Americans turn to hunting for food, renewal during pandemic
David Elliot first thought of shooting an elk to help feed family and friends back in January when the United States reported its first novel coronavirus case.
Elliot, emergency manager at Holy Cross Hospital in Taos, New Mexico, had always wanted to go big game hunting and, with the pandemic spreading, there seemed no better time to try to fill his freezer with free-range, super-lean meat.
So for the first time in his life, despite not owning a rifle or ever having hunted large animals, he put his name in for New Mexico's annual elk permit draw.
UK had contingency plan for PM Johnson's death as he battled Covid-19
The British government had a contingency plan for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's death as he battled Covid-19 in intensive care last month, he said in an interview with The Sun newspaper.
Johnson, 55, returned to work on Monday, a month after testing positive for Covid-19. He spent 10 days in isolation in Downing Street before he was taken to London's St Thomas' Hospital where he spent three nights in intensive care.
"They had a strategy to deal with a 'death of Stalin'-type scenario," Johnson was quoted as saying in Sunday's edition of The Sun. "It was a tough old moment, I won't deny it."
Johnson said that during the period when he was self-isolating in Downing Street, he had resisted going to hospital.
UK pushes back against Covid-19 death toll comparison with Italy
Facing questions over why Britain's death toll from the new coronavirus was now the second-worst in Europe after Italy, a British minister said on Sunday people should not jump to conclusions and the full picture was not yet clear.
The death toll was 28,131 as of May 1, just short of the Italian total, increasing pressure on the conservative government which has been accused by the opposition of having acted too slowly in the early stages of the outbreak.
Ministers have rejected comparisons of the headline death toll with that of other countries, saying that excess mortality — the number of deaths from all causes that exceed the average for the time of year — was a more meaningful metric.
Vienna Airport to offer coronavirus tests to avoid quarantine
Vienna Airport will offer onsite coronavirus testing from Monday to enable passengers entering Austria to avoid having to be quarantined for 14 days.
Passengers arriving at the airport have been required to present a health certificate showing a negative Covid-19 result which is no older than four days, or go into quarantine.
From Monday passengers can have a molecular biological (polymerise chain reaction or PCR) Covid-19 test at the airport, and get the result in two to three hours, the airport said.
“Air travel, whether business journeys or urgent trips...will thus become safer and easier,” it added on Sunday.
Dutch coronavirus cases rise 335 to 40,571 with 69 new deaths - health authorities
The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has increased by 335 to 40,471, Dutch health authorities said on Sunday.
The National Institute for Public Health reported 69 new deaths, taking total Covid-19 fatalities to 5,056. The authorities stress that the actual number of infections is likely higher because not all suspected Covid-19 patients are being tested.
Vietnam reports first new coronavirus infection in 9 days, taking its tally to 271
Vietnam reported its first new coronavirus infection in nine days on Sunday, a British oil expert who was quarantined on arrival, the health ministry said.
The Southeast Asian country has registered a total of 271 coronavirus cases and has reported no deaths, the ministry said in a statement. Over 30,500 people have been quarantined, and 261,000 tests have been carried out.
Easing lockdown measures, Bulgaria to allow movement outside local communities
Bulgaria plans to lift a ban on people travelling outside their local communities next week as it begins easing coronavirus restrictions, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Sunday.
Checkpoints controlling intercity travel would be most probably removed on Wednesday when Bulgaria marks St George’s Day, Borissov said. The travel restriction had been important, he said, adding that citizens should remain disciplined in the coming weeks.
“I really rely on discipline,” he said. “We have to get used to living with this virus, it won’t be over in a year or two,” Borissov told a news conference.
Hope and havoc as some Israeli schools reopen under coronavirus curbs
Israel reopened some schools on Sunday but the bid to edge back to normality as coronavirus concerns ease was boycotted by several municipalities and many parents who cited poor government preparation.
Kitted with masks and hand-cleaners, the first three grades of elementary school and the last two grades of high school were allowed back, redistributed in classes capped at 15 pupils to enforce social-distancing. If the move does not unleash fresh contagions, other grades and kindergartens may soon follow suit.
Many parents breathed more freely at seeing off their children after minding them for some six weeks - a mass home-confinement that had helped drive unemployment to 27 percent and sapped between 4% and 12% of daily GDP.
Pope says coronavirus vaccine must be shared worldwide
Pope Francis called on Sunday for international scientific cooperation to discover a vaccine for the coronavirus and said any successful vaccine should be made available around the world.
Francis, who has been delivering his Sunday address from the papal library instead of St Peter's Square because of the lockdown in Italy, thanked all those around the world who were providing essential services.
He encouraged international cooperation to deal with the crisis and combat the virus, which has infected nearly 3.5 million people and killed more than 240,000 people worldwide.
Phoning it in: Pandemic forces US Supreme Court to hear cases in a new way
Oral arguments before the US Supreme Court are typically a formal affair, dictated by adherence to tradition by an institution historically resistant to altering its ways. Come Monday, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, all that changes.
In a first, the nine justices are set to participate in arguments in 10 cases - each scheduled for an hour - this week and next week conducted remotely by teleconference rather than in-person to combat the spread of the pathogen. In another break with tradition, the court will provide a live audio feed of the arguments to the news media.
The changes reflect the new reality of working from home during the pandemic. The new format means than many formalities will be set aside. Some of the lawyers who will argue the cases have said they plan on wearing comfortable clothing - jeans and T-shirts - and will address the justices from kitchens and spare bedrooms, not from behind a lectern in the courtroom.
South Korea to relax social distancing rules further, starting May 6
South Korea will further relax social distancing rules from May 6, allowing a phased re-opening of businesses, as the nation has largely managed to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Sunday.
Widespread testing, intensive contact tracing and tracking apps have enabled South Korea to limit the spread of the virus rather than rely on the lengthy lockdowns seen elsewhere.
The government “will allow businesses to resume at facilities in phases that had remained closed up until now, and also allow gatherings and events to take place assuming they follow disinfection guidelines,” the prime minister told a televised meeting of government officials.
Further easing of rules means public facilities such as parks, libraries as well as schools could reopen in phases, although the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended citizens to continue to exercise some caution in everyday life.
Iran coronavirus death toll rises by 47 to 6,203: health ministry
The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak in Iran rose by 47 over the past 24 hours to 6,203, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on state TV on Sunday.
Iran, one of the Middle Eastern countries hardest hit by the outbreak, has a total of 97,424 cases of the coronavirus, he said.
Armenia reopens bars and shops despite rising coronavirus cases
Landlocked Armenia will reopen shops, restaurants and bars, resume manufacturing and lift restrictions on movement from Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said, despite a recent rise in confirmed infections.
The South Caucasus country has registered 2,386 cases of the coronavirus and 35 deaths, with the number of infections rising from an average of 50 a day in mid-April to more than 100 in recent days, including 134 registered on Wednesday.
Armenia, with a population of 3 million, has been looking to ease the hit on its economy which it expects to shrink by 2 percent in 2020.
Mosques and schools to reopen in Iran's low-risk areas
Iran plans to reopen mosques and schools in areas that have been consistently free of the coronavirus as President Hassan Rouhani’s government starts to ease restrictions that were aimed at containing the outbreak.
With mosques closed and religious gatherings banned since mid-March as the outbreak spread in the Middle East’s worst-hit country, ordinary Iranians have turned to drive-ins for ceremonies during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. State TV and videos on social media showed people in their cars watching a religious ceremony on a big screen in a Tehran car park.
“Mosques will reopen in 132 low-risk or ‘white cities’ and towns from Monday. Friday prayer sermons will resume in those areas as well ... However, all these steps will be taken by respecting the health protocols,” Rouhani said in a televised meeting.
Iran’s health ministry has divided the country into white, yellow and red areas based on the number of infections and deaths.
Asha Bhosle has seen ‘World War II, cholera but never a time when the entire world was shut’
Veteran Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle, in a recent interview, as part of an initiative by Fever Network in collaboration with Hindustan Times, spoke of her illustrious life and the challenges she has faced.
To the question as to where she is now during the lockdown period, she said, "My grandchildren returned to India on March 4 (from abroad) and so did my son. For a short outing as a family, we came to my bungalow, some distance away from Mumbai and that's when the lockdown was announced. We just can't step out of the house now."
With fighter jets and army bands, India's military thank health workers
India's air force flew aircraft low over more than a dozen cities on Sunday, part of a nationwide campaign by the armed forces to thank healthcare workers and other essential services personnel fighting the coronavirus outbreak.
So far India has recorded nearly 40,000 coronavirus cases and more than 1,300 deaths amid a weeks-long nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.
In the southern city of Bengaluru, a helicopter showered flowers over Victoria Hospital, as doctors and other medical workers in hospital gowns and masks cheered on, local television showed. A military band played alongside.
Japan's Abe to consult with experts to extend state of emergency until May 31: NHK
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, will consult with experts at a meeting on Monday to extend the national state of emergency until May 31, broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday.
The government will also discuss further action on how to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic that has infected 15,589 people and killed 530 in the country.
New York's Cuomo warns against 'blindly' reopening states
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday pushed back against what he called premature demands that he reopen the state, saying he knew people were struggling without jobs but that more understanding of the new coronavirus was needed.
As governors in about half of the United States partially reopen their economies over this weekend, Cuomo said he needed much more information on what the pandemic was doing in his state, the hardest hit by the disease, before he loosens restrictions aimed at curbing its spread.
"Even when you are in uncharted waters, it doesn't mean you proceed blindly," he said. "Use information to determine action - not emotions, not politics, not what people think or feel, but what we know in terms of facts."
Japan indicates could ease some coronavirus-related curbs
Japan could ease some of the current coronavirus-related curbs on economic activity by allowing places such as parks and museums to reopen, provided proper preventive measures were in place, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Sunday.
The remarks come a day before the government is set to announce the extension of its state of emergency after struggling to suppress the spread of the novel coronavirus that has infected 15,589 people and killed 530 in the country.
“As long as the proper preventive measures are in place, it could be possible to ease some of the current restrictions on economic activities,” Nishimura said at a news conference held on Sunday morning.
Places like parks, museums, art galleries, and libraries could reopen even in the 13 prefectures where the coronavirus has spread rapidly, if they take steps to disinfect their premises and ensure visitors maintain their distance, he added.
Spain's coronavirus death toll climbs by 164, lowest rise in nearly seven weeks
Spain's death toll from the new coronavirus rose by 164 to 25,264 on Sunday, according to data from the Health Ministry, marking the lowest one-day increase since March 18.
Confirmed cases of the virus rose to 217,466 on Sunday, from 216,582 on Saturday, Reuters reported.
Indonesia reports 349 new coronavirus cases, 14 new deaths
Indonesia reported 349 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infections in the Southeast Asian country to 11,192, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said on Sunday.
Yurianto said 14 new coronavirus-related deaths were confirmed, bringing the total to 845, Reuters reported.
More than 83,000 people have been tested for the virus, he added.
Malaysia reports 122 new coronavirus cases, two new deaths
Malaysia reported 122 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, taking the cumulative total to 6,298 infections.
The health ministry also reported two new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities from the outbreak to 105, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus cases in Russia rise by record daily amount
Russia on Sunday recorded its highest daily rise in confirmed coronavirus cases with 10,633 new cases, bringing the overall number of cases to 134,686, according to the authorities’ official website.
The mortality rate has slowed in recent days however, and remains much lower, in relative terms, than many other countries, Reuters reported.
The nationwide death toll rose to 1,280 after 58 people died in the last 24 hours, Russia’s coronavirus crisis response centre said.
Following Dubai, more UAE malls, restaurants reopen
Malls in the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi began reopening to a restricted number of customers this weekend as the UAE eases lockdown measures imposed more than a month ago to combat the novel coronavirus.
Three Abu Dhabi malls reopened on Saturday at 30% customer capacity after adopting safety measures, including installing thermal inspection devices, the government media office tweeted and Sharjah emirate said it would reopen malls on Sunday, Reuters reported.
Malls, dine-in restaurants and cafes in Dubai, the UAE's business and tourism hub, had earlier resumed operations with limited capacity. Shoppers must wear face masks and gloves and keep their distance.
Sharjah emirate's media office said malls, salons and dine-in restaurants could resume operations on Sunday.
Other public venues such as schools, mosques and cinemas remain closed in the UAE, which has so far reported nearly 13,600 infections and 119 deaths from the virus. It does not give a breakdown for each of its seven emirates.
The UAE had also relaxed a nationwide curfew, first announced on March 26, with the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on April 24.
Bangladesh reports highest daily total of 665 coronavirus cases, 2 deaths
Bangladesh today reported 665 new coronavirus cases testing 5,368 samples in the last 24 hours, its highest daily number till date, bringing the total to 9,455 confirmed infections.
Two more deaths from the virus were reported, increasing the total to 177, The Business Standard reported.
Worldwide coronavirus cases over 3.44 million, death toll crosses 243,000
More than 3.44 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 243,015 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019, Reuters reported.
Singapore reports 657 new coronavirus cases
Singapore's health ministry on Sunday confirmed 657 new coronavirus infections, taking the city-state's total to 18,205.
Most of the new cases are among migrant workers living in dormitories, the ministry said, Reuters reported.
South Korea to relax social distancing rules further starting May 6
South Korea will further relax social distancing rules starting on May 6, allowing a phased reopening of businesses, as the nation has largely managed to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Sunday.
The government "will allow businesses to resume at facilities in phases that had remained closed up until now, and also allow gatherings and events to take place assuming they follow disinfection guidelines," he told a televised meeting of government officials, Reuters reported.
Thailand reports three new coronavirus cases, as some restrictions ease
Thailand reported three new coronavirus cases and no new deaths on Sunday, as the country started lifting restrictions on some businesses and aspects of life.
The new infections marked the lowest number since early March, just before the country started reporting clusters and tolls started rising, Reuters reported.
Thailand has seen a total of 2,969 coronavirus cases and 54 deaths since the outbreak began in January.
New daily infections have stayed in the single digits for a week. The government has allowed some businesses and public parks to reopen on Sunday, as well as resumed alcohol sales.
Singapore looks to ramp up factory activities as virus curbs ease
Singapore will progressively ramp up its manufacturing activities, its minister of trade and industry said on Sunday, with the city-state looking to restart its economy as coronavirus curbs start to ease over the next few weeks.
Sectors that are intertwined with the global supply chain such as biopharmaceutical and petrochemicals as well precision manufacturing will be among priority sectors, Chan Chun Sing told reporters, Reuters reported.
Only about 17% of Singapore’s labour force is currently working onsite to maintain essential services and support for global production chains and connectivity.
Chan said workplaces will have put in place prescribed measures to minimise the risk of infection before they can reopen. He added that those who are able to work from home will have to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
“So we will not be able to open some of the social entertainment outlets, but we will focus on our manufacturing capacities and production capabilities first,” he said.
The city-state is facing the deepest recession in its 55-year history, compounded by so-called “circuit breaker” restrictions, which are aimed at stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus and are due to last until June 1.
Singapore will start allowing some businesses to reopen from May 12, authorities said on Saturday.
More people hit China roads in first major holiday since coronavirus easing
China's most populous cities saw a spike in outbound travellers, tourists and day-trippers on May 1, first day of a long holiday weekend, led by Wuhan, epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic that first struck the country late last year.
The number of people travelling outside their home cities jumped nearly 50% at the start of the Labour Day weekend, compared with the first day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday on April 4, according to Reuters calculations on data from China's internet giant Baidu Inc, Reuters reported.
Roche gets FDA emergency use approval for Covid-19 antibody test
Roche Holding AG received emergency use approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an antibody test to help determine if people have ever been infected with the coronavirus, the Swiss drugmaker said on Sunday.
Governments, businesses and individuals are seeking such blood tests, to help them learn more about who may have had the disease, who may have some immunity and to potentially craft strategies to end lockdowns that have battered global economies, Reuters reported.
Roche had previously pledged to make its antibody test available by early May and to boost production by June to "high double-digit millions" per month.
US coronavirus deaths climb by 1,435 in 24 hours
Coronavirus deaths in the United States climbed by 1,435 in the past 24 hours, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed Saturday, bringing the total number of fatalities to more than 66,000.
The Baltimore-based university had recorded more than 1.1 million cases in the country, with 66,224 deaths, a two percent rise from a day earlier, AFP reported.
The United States has by far the highest death toll of any country in the global pandemic.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 793 to 162,496
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 793 to 162,496, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.
The reported death toll rose by 74 to 6,649, the tally showed, Reuters reported.
Italy’s virus toll jumps by 474, highest since April 21
Italy reported a spike in its daily deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday, with 474 fatalities reported by the civil protection service the highest since April 21.
The country’s toll two days before it begins to roll back a nearly two-month national lockdown stands at 28,710, second only to the United States, AFP reported.
UK shadows Italy as worst hit in Europe: virus death toll passes 28,000
The United Kingdom’s Covid-19 death toll rose 621 to 28,131 as of May 1, just short of Italy which has so far had the world’s second most deadly outbreak of the disease after the United States.
As Britain shadows Italy for the grim status of being the worst hit country in Europe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing criticism from opposition parties who say his government stumbled in the early stages of the outbreak, Reuters reported.
Housing minister Robert Jenrick gave the latest UK figures at a Downing Street briefing on Saturday.
The United States has had 64,740 deaths, followed by Italy with 28,710 and the United Kingdom on 28,131 and then Spain on 25,100, according to a Reuters tally.
Italy, which has a population of 60 million, said its death toll rose 474 as of Saturday. The United Kingdom has a population of about 67 million.
Johnson, 55, initially resisted introducing a lockdown to restrict economic and public activity, but changed course when projections showed a quarter of a million people could die.
Johnson himself battled Covid-19 last month, spending three days in intensive care. He returned to work on Monday, telling the nation that people around the world were looking at the United Kingdom’s “apparent success”.
France says 166 more deaths from Covid-19 taking toll to 24,760
The number of people who have died from coronavirus infections in France rose by 166 to 24,760 on Saturday while hospitalisations for the disease and people in ICU units continued to decline, the French health ministry said.
Saturday's daily tally was markedly lower than the 218 recorded on Friday, Reuters reported.
The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 fell to 25,827 from 25,887 on Friday, and the number of people in intensive care with Covid-19 fell to 3,827 from 3,878. Both numbers have been on a downward trend for more than two weeks.
Brazil reports 4,970 new coronavirus cases, 421 deaths on Saturday
There have been 4,970 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Brazil and 421 deaths over the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday.
The nation has now registered 95,559 confirmed cases of the virus and 6,750 deaths. New cases increased roughly 5.4% on Saturday from the previous day, while deaths rose by roughly 6.7%, Reuters reported.
China reports two coronavirus cases for May 2
China reported two new coronavirus cases for May 2, up from one the day before, data from the country's national health authority showed on Sunday.
One case was imported and the other was local, the National Health Commission (NHC) said. This compares to one imported case and no domestic transmissions on May 1, Reuters reported.
The NHC also reported 12 asymptomatic cases for May 2, down from 20 the day before.
The number of confirmed cases in China has reached 82,877. With no new deaths reported, the death toll remained at 4,633.
Panama records 370 more coronavirus cases as testing increases
Panama registered 370 more cases of coronavirus on Saturday, bringing its total to 7,090 cases and 197 deaths, the health ministry said, noting that the newly registered cases were partially due to increased testing.
However, Luis Sucre, Panama's health vice minister, said about a quarter of all tests performed were positive in the country, which is one of Latin America's busiest transit points, Reuters reported.
"This tells us that we're not meeting our required objectives for this phase," he told reporters.